Summer day trip · Yorktown Heights, NY

FDR State Park Pool: we love this place

We have been coming since Isamu was three and not yet walking. The pool is enormous, the shallow end is full of fun water features, and it is a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours—especially if you time it well.

Huge shallow areaWater featuresChanging spaceCrowd strategy

Isamu smiling in the shallow pool at FDR State Park

Cost$10 parking + $3 pool admission per person

Best timeThe last hour or two before closing

Biggest challengeSummer weekend crowds

Pack smartParking is a long walk—bring less

Why it works for us

The shallow end gives little kids plenty of room to move, splash and explore. Its sprays and playful water features keep Isamu engaged without requiring a full day or a complicated plan. He loved it before he could walk, and we still love it now.

Parking and the long carry

The parking area feels far from the pool and our route has included a stairway, so this is not the place to haul every possible piece of gear. Bring only what you truly need. The pool house is also a long walk from the shallow-end kiddie area.

Crowds, noise and temperature

Summer weekends can get very, very crowded, which is a major sensory consideration. We usually arrive for the final hour or two: people are beginning to leave and the water has had all day to warm up. After a rainstorm, though, the water can be surprisingly cold.

Changing and re-diapering

There are plenty of places to change, get out of wet clothes or re-diaper after swimming. The catch is distance: if you are settled in the shallow end, plan ahead so the trip back to the pool house does not become an emergency.

Wide view of the large FDR State Park pool and shallow water features — The pool is huge, with lots happening in the shallow end.

Isamu standing in the pool with families and spray features behind him — Weekend crowds can be a serious sensory factor.

Isamu exploring the curved spray features in the shallow pool — Water features make the shallow end genuinely fun.

Isamu wrapped in a towel during a quiet break beside the pool — A towel break on the grass gives us room to reset.

Isamu kneeling and smiling in the shallow water — One of our favorite local summer outings.

Bottom line for autism families

This is an affordable, high-payoff outing for water-loving kids. Pack light, expect a walk, watch the weather and avoid peak weekend crowds when you can. Our favorite strategy is the last hour or two before closing, when the crowd thins and the water is warmest. Worth it!

Check current pool hours and fees ↗