Splash pads in Verona, New Jersey

Verona Park's sprayground is the local-secret kind — Essex County families know, the rest of north Jersey is still figuring it out. Set near the boathouse and lake, the pad has ground jets and a small dump bucket on a rubber-mat deck, well-shaded by the surrounding trees. Free parking on Lakeside Ave fills up by 11 on hot weekends; arrive earlier or grab the side streets. Restrooms are at the boathouse. Pair it with a paddleboat rental or the 1-mile lake loop. The Watchung Mountains keep northern Jersey marginally cooler than coastal towns but the humidity still bites — bring water shoes. Memorial Day through Labor Day.