Summer in Durham 2027: camps, pools and splash pads

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. The 2027 camp and pool dates are not out yet; the details below are Durham Parks and Recreation’s 2026 season, from its camp pages and aquatics pages, and we will update them when the 2027 season is posted.

Durham’s summer runs through the city parks department: eight weeks of day camp, one outdoor pool, two indoor pools, four spraygrounds and two lakes. Durham Public Schools’ last day on the 2026-27 traditional calendar is Wednesday, June 9, 2027, an early release day.

Who to call

• Durham Parks and Recreation: 919-560-4355
• Hillside Pool: 919-560-4783
• Edison Johnson Aquatic Center: 919-560-4265
• Campus Hills Pool: 919-560-4444
• West Point on the Eno: 919-475-2352

Summer camps

From the department’s youth camps page:

• Youth Summer Camps, ages 5 to 12 (children must have finished kindergarten; 7 to 12 at the Holton Career and Resource Center). In 2026 they ran Monday, June 22, to Friday, Aug. 14, from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with arts and crafts, sports, fitness, swimming and day trips; activities and trips depend on the camp site.
• Teen Summer Connect Camp, for middle and high school students ages 13 to 17, ran the same eight weeks from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Space is limited (teen camp page).
• Key 2026 dates: sliding fee scale applications were due Feb. 13, and registration opened at 9 a.m. Monday, March 9, on the department’s ActiveNet site. We will add the 2027 dates when they are posted.

The department’s camp FAQs cover what to do when a camp is full, refunds, meals, medication and paperwork.

Pools

Hillside Pool, 1221 Sawyer St., is the city’s outdoor pool. In 2026 it opened Wednesday, June 10, and stayed open through Labor Day, daily from 1 to 5 p.m. Forest Hills Pool, 1639 University Drive, stayed closed in 2026.

• Youth must have an ActiveNet account set up by a parent to swim alone, and children under 13 must be with someone 16 or older in the pool area.
• Everyone who enters pays, swimmers or not. Cash (no bills over $10) or card.

Indoor pools, open year-round, both eight lanes with aquatic lifts: Edison Johnson Aquatic Center, 500 W. Murray Ave., and Campus Hills Pool, 2000 S. Alston Ave. City youth swim free; adults pay $4 and seniors $3 a day (nonresidents $5, $9 and $8).

A new outdoor aquatic center is being designed for Merrick-Moore Park, with the design phase running through December 2026, according to the department’s project page.

Spraygrounds (splash pads)

The city runs four spraygrounds:

• Edison Johnson Sprayground, 500 W. Murray Ave.
• Forest Hills Park Sprayground, 1639 University Drive
• Hillside Park Sprayground, 1221 Sawyer St.
• East End Park Sprayground, 1200 N. Alston Ave. (closed until further notice)

Drought closure: all of them closed on June 15, 2026, when the city moved into Stage 2 water restrictions because of extreme drought, and they stay closed until the restrictions are lifted. The city’s Aug. 11 update said Stage 2 was still in effect.

Lakes and the river

• Little River Lake and Lake Michie, the city lakes in northern Durham County, open for fishing and boating Friday to Monday, 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., in season. In 2026 Little River Lake opened March 13 and Lake Michie April 17, both through Nov. 9, but Lake Michie Park and Marina closed on June 5 because of low water until levels rise (city lakes page).
• West Point on the Eno, 5101 N. Roxboro St., is a city park on the Eno River with boating, greenway access, grills, picnic shelters and restrooms (park page).

Free summer evenings

Durham Parks and Recreation’s Summer Concerts in the Park are free, family-friendly concerts by local artists with food trucks, held in different parks. In 2026 they ran on Saturdays, June 13 and 27, July 11 and 25, and Aug. 8 and 22, according to the department’s 2026 special events list (concert series page).

What this means for you

• Need the sliding fee scale for camp? In 2026 the application was due in February, a month before registration opened.
• Before you drive to a sprayground or Lake Michie, check that the drought closure has ended.
• More ideas for the summer break are in our kids’ activities guide and free things to do.

Frequently asked questions

When does summer camp registration open in Durham?

For 2026, Durham Parks and Recreation opened summer camp registration at 9 a.m. Monday, March 9, and the sliding fee scale application was due Feb. 13. The 2027 dates are not out yet.

When does Hillside Pool open?

In 2026 Hillside Pool, 1221 Sawyer St., opened Wednesday, June 10, and stayed open through Labor Day, daily from 1 to 5 p.m. Forest Hills Pool stayed closed.

How much is the pool in Durham?

At the city’s outdoor pool in 2026, youth and teens 18 and under swam free if they live in the city. City adults paid $3 and seniors $2; nonresidents paid $5, $8 and $7.

Are Durham’s splash pads open?

The city closed all four spraygrounds on June 15, 2026, when Stage 2 water restrictions began because of drought. They stay closed until the restrictions are lifted; the restrictions were still in effect in the city’s Aug. 11 update.

How old do kids have to be for Durham Parks and Recreation summer camp?

City youth camps take ages 5 to 12 (7 to 12 at the Holton Career and Resource Center), and Teen Summer Connect Camp takes ages 13 to 17.