Portland Parks & Recreation's popular outdoor pools will be open from Friday, June 20, to Friday, Aug. 22, offering a quick relief from scorching temperatures and a fun way to get outside and splash around. (Submitted by Portland Parks & Recreation)

The summer heat has already rolled into the Portland area, but ways to keep cool are still coming in hot.

Portland Parks & Recreation’s popular outdoor pools will be open from Friday, June 20, to Friday, Aug. 22, offering a quick relief from scorching temperatures and a fun way to get outside and splash around.

If the allergies are too killer, or the UV rays are too intense, PP&R has three indoor pools that also are open year-round.

The Mt. Scott Community Center and Pool will remain closed for major renovations and is expected to reopen in the fall. The bureau also is developing a new, full-service North Portland Aquatic Center.

Give thanks to the Parks Levy

The 2020 Parks Local Option Levy allows PP&R to provide needed operations, staffing and programs, which keep swimming pools open and running.

This levy has allowed PP&R to increase staffing for a variety of programs, including more swim lessons and other activities like free open play swim sessions through the Summer Free For All program.

Other activities at PP&R pools include:

• Swim lessons
• Open play swim sessions
• Lap swimming
• Water fitness classes
• Summer swim team
• Junior lifeguard and junior swim instructor programs

More swim lessons to come

PP&R is offering more swim lessons this year, but demand still outpaces available space, even with more than 8,300 lesson spots this summer — nearly 6,000 more swim lessons offered than in 2022.

Families should join waitlists if swim lessons are full.

As more staff are hired and trained, the bureau will add more spots for people on the waitlists throughout the summer.

Schools to Pools

PP&R’s Schools to Pools program helps Portland Public Schools’ students get exercise, build confidence and learn critical swimming skills.

Over the winter and spring sessions, hundreds of second-grade students enrolled. During the 2024-25 school year, more than 1,300 students from 26 schools participated.

Park splash pads and fountains

PP&R operates publish splash pads and fountains across the city, which are open now through Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 1.

Find a list of PP&R water features to play in, plus hours, locations and dates of activation at portland.gov/splash.

Pier Pool

As repairs wrap up, Portland Parks and Recreation expects to open Pier Pool on Monday, July 14.

Just after it opened for summer in June 2024, Pier Pool had to close after significant water leaks persisted in the 1940s-era facility.

While it will not open at the start of the swim season as originally planned, the pool will be available for most of the summer for full operations, including swim lessons.

The Pier, Creston and Peninsula pools will remain open through Sept. 5, extending swim opportunities for individuals and families into late summer.

At Pier, located at North Seneca Street and St. Johns Avenue, crews have completed most of the critical repairs, including replacement of old leaking piping, rebar dowel work and pouring new concrete at the end of May.

The project team also confirmed that the joint running through the center of the pool is not a crack, it’s an expansion joint — where the pool wall meets the pool floor. Only one product is suitable for sealing this type of joint, and it has a long lead time, according to PP&R. This unexpected site condition is one of the reasons for the delay.

There are also challenges with sealing the pool’s perimeter joints. The team is actively working to resolve these issues and keep the project on schedule.

For information on swim schedules, hours, and locations, visit portland.gov/parks/recreation/swim-schedule.

Access Discount Program

The Parks Levy has allowed PP&R to reduce cost as a barrier for all recreation programming, including swimming. City of Portland residents can register for the Access Discount Program to receive an ongoing discount of up to 90%.

The pass is valid for 12 months from the date of enrollment. No proof of income is required.

You can use the Access Discount Program to reduce the price of the following:

• Admission to recreation centers and pools
• Classes, camps, swim lessons and other registered activities
• Preschool and after-school programs
• Personal training

The income guideline below can help determine if the Access Discount Program is a good fit: portland.gov/parks/discount.