Skip the ocean. Swim and sunbathe at these South Shore inland beaches and ponds

Can’t bear the thought of fighting traffic to the coast? Or do you prefer to cool off at a freshwater swimming hole?

Whatever the case may be, the South Shore has a number of options for getting your aquatic fix without ever seeing the Atlantic Ocean.

From Abington to Plymouth, check out this non-exhaustive list of some of the South Shore's ponds and inland beaches where you can get some sun, dip your toes or dive right in.

Island Grove Park, Abington

This sand bottom pool at Island Grove Park on Park Avenue is open from late June to late August. Abington residents get a discount on day passes – $5 per swimmer – versus nonresidents, who pay $8 per swimmer.

Day passes and seasonal pool memberships – $100 for residents and $165 for nonresidents – can be purchased at the Island Grove snack shack with cash or a check. Seniors 62 and older can swim for free.

The pool – which is separate from the nearby 35-acre Island Grove Pond – was built in the late 1960s, according to the Friends of Island Grove. It’s fed by a well and is estimated to hold 1 million gallons of water.

Island Grove staff members test the water four times a day, and the Abington Board of Health sends two samples per week to an independent testing facility. The water is chemically treated daily. The water in the pool is pumped out and sand is removed each spring, with 100 cubic yards of new beach sand replacing it each year.

The park, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, also has bathrooms, charcoal grills, picnic tables, swing sets, a snack shack, walking trails and fishing. Free parking is available on either side of the pond on Park Avenue and Lake Street.

Houghton’s Pond, Milton

There’s something for everyone at Houghton’s Pond at 840 Hillside St. Visitors can swim or fish in this 24-acre pond, and other things to do within the surrounding Blue Hills Reservation include hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Lifeguards are on duty on Memorial Day and weekends through June 14, and seven days a week from June 15 to Labor Day, when the swimming area will close.

Parking is free at Houghton’s Pond Recreation Area on Hillside Street, and the lots close at 8 p.m. There are restrooms, showers, a concession stand, a first-aid station, ballfields and grills. Beach wheelchairs are also available.

Town Landing at Oldham Pond, Pembroke

While the Town Landing beach may be smaller than others, Oldham Pond itself spans 189 acres with three islands in the middle.

Town Landing is one of four inland beaches in Pembroke. It doesn’t require a beach sticker to park at its roughly 20-space lot. Lifeguards are on duty between June 29 and Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There’s also a playground.

The beach itself is in a neighborhood setting off 183 Wampatuck St.

Cranberry Cove, Hanson

Cranberry Cove at Camp Kiwanee, at 460 Indian Head St. in Hanson, is part of Maquan Pond. It opened for public swimming for the season June 16. The hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, weather permitting.

The camp does not allow grilling or alcoholic beverages.

Residents and nonresidents are welcome, but there is a fee. The day pass costs $5 for a Hanson resident and $10 for a nonresident. Single-person season passes are available for $50 for residents and $65 for nonresidents, and seniors and those in the military get a 10% discount.

Family season passes for up to five people cost $100 for military, $125 for residents and $190 for nonresidents. Additional family members or guests can be added to a family season pass for $5, and five free day passes are included in the season pass purchase.

Passes can be purchased online.

Myles Standish State Forest

There are three ponds at Myles Standish State Forest, 194 Cranberry Road, that offer day users a chance to swim: College Pond, Fearing Pond and Curlew Pond.

College Pond is more centrally located within the park, while Curlew Pond is north and Fearing Pond is south. If you’re looking to camp, the state forest also has inland beaches available only to campers: Barretts Pond Campers Beach, Charge Pond Campers Beach and Fearing Pond Campers Beach H/I.

None of these ponds have lifeguards.

It costs $8 for Massachusetts residents and $30 for out-of-state visitors to enter this state forest, which straddles the Carver-Plymouth line. Residency is determined by your license plate.

Fearing Pond Day Use Area offers a beach mat for accessibility, and two sunbathing beach wheelchairs are available at College Pond and Fearing Pond Day Use Area.

Aside from camping and swimming, visitors can also hike and take advantage of 35 miles of equestrian trails. Camping with your horse is allowed at Charge Pond.

More: Is it safe to swim in Milton, Braintree and Quincy's beaches and ponds on Tuesday?

Morton Park, Plymouth

The town of Plymouth has three swimming ponds. All three either require a fee to enter or a Plymouth residential beach sticker. Leave your alcohol and charcoal grill at home.

Morton Park, roughly 3 miles from downtown Plymouth, is the town’s largest park, spanning 200 acres, and features picnic areas, seasonal restrooms and concession stands, and 2? miles of trails.

There are only 100 parking spaces at the main beach at the end of Morton Park Road, and lifeguards monitor only this beach at Little Pond seven days a week through Labor Day. Without a beach sticker, Morton Park costs $20 to park during the week and $25 on the weekend.

The other ponds are Fresh Pond, a short drive north from Colony Beach, and Hedges Pond, near Cedarville. Both cost $20 to park without a beach sticker. Fresh Pond has lifeguards only on weekends. Hedges Pond has trails; courts for basketball, tennis and beach volleyball; a playground; and restrooms.

All three ponds offer beach wheelchairs on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For residents only: Sunset Lake, Braintree

If you’re a Braintree resident, you get priority access to Sunset Lake. Proof of residency is required from June 15 through Aug. 9. The area features fishing, a sandy beach and a gazebo.

Parking is not allowed on Safford Street, but there is a parking lot near the beach. The lake opens at 10 a.m. and closes at dusk. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer.

For residents only: ‘The pond’ in Cunningham Park, Milton

If you're thinking, “Wait, isn’t this list supposed to be all about ponds?”, hear us out.

Known as Caldwell Pond, this manmade pool at Cunningham Park, 75 Edge Hill Road in Milton, is partially spring-fed, with the rest of the water supplemented by wells. The "pond" is 42,000 square feet and reaches 6 feet in depth.

It was established in 1922 and named after longtime park manager Bill Caldwell.

Memberships are offered only to Milton residents, but members are allowed to bring guests at $5 per person. Guests must also register at the gate and cannot be Milton residents.

A nine-week membership for a household costs $150 and for individual seniors it costs $50. The season runs through Aug. 18.

Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore inland beaches for swimming on ponds and lakes this summer