As the summer sun blazes over New York State, it’s never been cooler to chill out. From taking a refreshing dip into the crystal clear waters of the Finger Lakes, to uncovering underground caverns and caves, to indulging in brain-freezing frozen treats, there are an abundance of ways to beat the heat and make the most of your summer in the Empire State.

1. Hit the Waves

Soak in the fun and feel refreshed with an aquatic adventure. Get your adrenaline up and your temperature down with a Whirlpool Jet Boat tour through Class V Devil’s Hole rapids on the Niagara River. Splash into a white water rafting trip on the Hudson River Gorge with Beaver Brook Outfitters, or the Cattaraugus River with Zoar Valley Rafting. For a more chill water excursion, keep calm and paddle on the Delaware River with Silver Canoe, offering tubing, canoeing, kayaking, and whitewater rafting. Kayak or paddleboard on Saratoga Lake with the Kayak Shak, or for maximum lounging, rent their hammocraft (four hammocks floating atop a platform). Check out Storm King Adventure Tours, where a guide will lead kayakers along the Hudson River to the famous Bannerman Castle.

2. Slide Into Fun

Slip and slide your way around the heat at indoor or outdoor waterparks! Ideal for all ages and water abilities, the Great Escape indoor waterpark offers a lazy river, raft rides, boogie board surfing, water slides, and much more. Also indoors is Greek Peak waterpark, featuring more than 150,000 gallons of water, over 500 feet of water slides, an activity pool, and wading pool. At Zoom Flume you can tube down the twists and turns of the 600-foot Wild River ride, or race on the splashways. Seabreeze Amusement boasts a wave pool, tube slides, body flumes, a special kiddie section, and more. Roseland has body slides, tube slides, an adventure river, giant wave pool, and a separate waterpark just for kids. A Long Island favorite, Splish Splash features high-speed tube rides through total darkness, water coasters, and near-vertical free falls.

3. Curate Your Cruise

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All aboard! You’re shore to catch a breezy chill when you hop on one of Lake George’s steamboats; three historic ships offer over a dozen tours daily on the cleanest lake in America. Marvel at historic city sites (including the Statue of Liberty) and skylines when you take a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise. Enjoy a royal voyage as you embark on a Boldt and Singer Castle Cruise in the Thousand Islands. Submerge yourself in a uniquely thrilling experience under the crashing waters of Niagara Falls as you set sail on the Maid of The Mist.

4. Take a Dip

Dive, cannonball, or dip your way into the diverse range of swimming options across the Empire State. Head to a State Park with a cool, blue lake and sandy beach like Grafton Lakes State Park, North-South Lake State Park, Glimmerglass State Park, Buffalo Harbor State Park, Robert H. Treman State Park, and Lake Taghkanic State Park. Many state parks also offer expansive pavilions and tree-shaded areas to enjoy nature while staying out of the sun! Live in luxury in Saratoga Springs’ Victoria Pool, known for its architectural and social scene. New York City has no shortage of outdoor pools throughout all five boroughs. And you certainly can’t forgo one of the “top ten beaches in America”, Coopers Beach on Long Island, or any of the other amazing beaches in the state. You may also want to check out these top places to swim in New York State!

5. Make Every Day Sundae

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We’ve got the scoop on where to get the best ice cream statewide! Cool off with refreshing and innovative flavors on the Finger Lakes Ice Cream Trail, taking you to nine spots as scenic as they are creamy, featuring Purity Ice Cream and Pittsford Farms Dairy. Cortland County’s ice cream trail is dishing out 11 delectable venues ranging from a stand inside a bright-red train caboose to one at a pirate-themed mini golf course (with the world’s longest mini-golf hole.) In Madison County, a brand new ice cream trail will have you waffling between a cone or a dish (or both) at 14 uniquely sweet spots. For 14 years, the Long Island Ice Cream Tour has been offering summer tours that take you to some of the best homemade ice cream shops on the islands, including Henry’s Confectionery and McNulty’s Ice Cream Parlor.

6. Watch a Moonlit Movie

As the sun sets and the stars fill the night sky, the drive-ins are the perfect place to air out with a feature flick. Malta Drive-In offers two screens showing four movies total, each night! Transit Drive-In is also home to multiple screens, plus a mini-golf course. At Four Brothers Drive-In, you can enjoy movies and yard games, putt-putt, and an arcade. And at Jericho Drive-In, indulge in endless frozen treats from the on-site Twist Ice Cream Shop.

7. Venture Underground

If you can’t get out of the heat, get under it! At Howe Caverns, the temperature is a moderate 52 degrees year-round. Opt for a cave tour, cave yoga, escape room, or all of the above (or shall we say, below) 156-feet below the earth’s surface. And just five minutes down the road, a 100-foot underground waterfall awaits at Secret Caverns. Explore the largest marble cave opening in the east at Natural Stone Bridge and Caves Park where you can descend into lit caves and grottos. While water rushes over rocks on the surface, there are waterfalls and pools inside the caves illuminated by colorful lighting.

8. Explore a Museum

If you prefer the indoors to the outdoors, bask in air conditioning as you immerse yourself in art, culture, science, and history at New York’s museums. The Ice Ages exhibit at the New York State Museum will have your teeth chattering, while the Ice Cold: Hip-Hop Jewelry exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History will add some sparkle and shimmer to your day. Glass galore can be found at the Corning Museum of Glass, or take a trek to the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake and experience “Life in the Adirondacks”. The National Baseball Hall of Fame is bound to be a grand slam of a time, and kids of all ages will enjoy playing at the National Museum of Play at The Strong, but if you’d prefer to laugh till you cry, the National Comedy Center is the place for you.

9. Coast Through an Aquarium

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Visit sea creatures (who manage to stay perpetually cool) at aquariums across New York. At Via Aquarium, explore two tunnel tanks, view a piranha feeding, or touch a stingray. Long Island Aquarium features one of the largest all-living coral reef displays in this hemisphere, a 120,000-gallon shark tank, and sea lion shows. Just a short stroll from Niagara Falls is the Aquarium of Niagara, where you can partake in a penguin or seal encounter, and even be a trainer for a day! On Coney Island’s celebrated boardwalk, you’ll find the New York Aquarium, showing off an award-winning exhibit—Ocean Wonders: Sharks! which puts you mere inches away from 18 species of sharks and a hundred other marine species. 

10. Sip on a Slushie

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Sometimes all you need to beat the heat is an ice-cold beverage. Fly Creek Cider Mill and Windy Hill Orchard are known for their crisp, thirst-quenching cider slushies, while Del Vino Vineyard, idyllically situated on Long Island’s Gold Coast, serves up their famous Frosé (frozen rosé). There is more frozen fun to be had at The Great New York State Fair, where you can enjoy a wine slushie, or a variety of flavored homemade lemonades.