Splash pads in Canal Fulton, Ohio

Canal Fulton Community Park is the kind of small-town find that makes a 30-minute drive from Akron worth it. The splash pad is modest but well-kept with ground sprays right next to a classic playground and the historic Ohio & Erie Canal towpath. You can pair the water with a canal boat ride downtown — the St. Helena III runs all summer. Free parking, clean restrooms, almost never crowded on weekdays. Parent gotcha: shade is limited, so morning visits are dramatically more pleasant than afternoons. Bring a picnic and walk the canal after. Stark County's quiet gem.