Best Water Parks in USA
Cloudless days. Rushing water. Tons of sunscreen. The happy shouts of revelers ranging in age from toddler to retirees. Am I the only one who associates water parks with summer? Sure, I think we would all admit that snow and slides don’t seem to go together (although this article may change your opinion about that if you keep reading). Maybe you like water parks but don’t know which one to go to. Here we tell you all about the best water parks in USA.
No matter the season, there is a water park open somewhere in the continental United States, and almost every corner contains one of these riffs on the traditional theme park. Read on to learn more about seven of the best water parks in USA.
1. Noah’s Ark Water Park (Dells, Wisconsin)
It’s a truth we all learn early in life: someone has to be the biggest kid on the block. When it comes to water parks, the largest and wettest is Noah’s Ark Water Park, a Dell staple that opened in the late 70s.
Today it covers 70 acres and boasts roughly 50 attractions. “What are they?” you ask. Well, some of the more dramatic ones are Time Warp (the world’s largest bowl ride), Scorpion’s Tail (a 400-foot-long vertical slide loop), Black Anaconda (a quarter-mile-long combination slide/roller coaster) and a pair of massive wave pools.
2. Water World, Colorado (Federal Heights, Colorado)
Naturally, size isn’t everything. Water World in Federal Heights, Colorado (a suburb of Denver) blends elements of a theme park with those of a traditional water park. You can see the combination in attraction names such as Lost River of the Pharaohs, Pirate’s Plunge, Tiger Trail and Voyage to the Center of the Earth.
Additionally, Water World places extra emphasis on safety. Lifeguards test rides daily, and a safety engineer is always on site.
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3. Splish Splash (Calverton, New York)
New York’s Splish Splash takes that sense of safety and completely upends it — or at least seems to. High-octane rides will send visitors’ pulses soaring. Riptide Racer sends four competitors flying down enclosed flumes on mats as each one attempts to be the fastest, while Bombs Away perches attendees on a translucent pod with a false floor that drops them into a 300-foot plunge.
Meanwhile, an old park favorite still provides guests with a screamingly good time. Dr. Von Dark’s Tunnel of Terror speeds tube-bound riders down a 40-foot drop and dizzy spins in complete darkness.
4. Splashin’ Safari (Santa Claus, Indiana)
Sentimentality and sensibility meet intensity at Splashin’ Safari, which is one half of the combination theme park known as Holiday World. Located in the aptly named town of Santa Claus, the park began as a celebration of the happiest time of the year during the 1940s and only broadened into aquatic entertainment in 1993.
Splashin’ Safari boasts Wildebeest and Mammoth slides and the world’s longest water coasters, but it also has some more modest innovations that parents of small children will appreciate. Pick Your Price ticketing lets visitors easily find the cheapest times to visit, and one admission gets you into both parks.
What’s more, Splashin’ Safari and Holiday World provide free parking, free Wi-Fi and (best of all) free sunscreen stations.
5. Disney’s Blizzard Beach (Lake Buena Vista, Florida)
So, remember my aside about winter and water parks in the first paragraph? Well, trust Disney to upend one’s expectations in the slickest way possible. Lazy rivers and wave pools, water slide races and multi-person tubing — Blizzard Beach contains everything you would expect from a water park.
What’s different though is its theme. Styled after a ski lodge that supposedly sprung up when Florida experienced a fictional snowstorm, everything is a floating sheet of faux ice and glacial colors. The chill (quite literally) Cross Country Creek even drops frozen slush into its placid waters.
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6. Roaring Springs Water Park (Boise, Idaho)
Proving that geography also provides little impediment to watery enjoyment, Roaring Springs brings cutting edge engineering to the Gem State. Though the park’s pinnacle is the appropriately named Cliffhanger, Corkscrew Cavern really deserves your attention. It’s an elegant loop of tubing designed to squeeze riders with g-forces as they zip down at 38 feet per second.
The park also deserve kudos for aiming attractions at younger riders. Kiddie Kowabunga shrinks all the thrills of big tube rides down to a child-friendly size, and the Mammoth Canyon Family Raft Ride is geared for every age level. Roaring Springs even offers reading programs for local students.
7. LEGOLAND California (Carlsbad, California)
Most parents of young children know that LEGOs aren’t simply those rectangular building blocks that will make you howl in agony when you accidentally step on one. In recent years, the company has sprouted movies, a video game franchise and a pair of themed resorts.
However, not as many are aware that the LEGOLAND properties — one of which is located in Carlsbad, California — contain excellent water parks.
In addition to the slippery slides and wave pools, the property also has a park with themed rides, roller coasters and an aquarium. Also, make sure to stay overnight in the LEGOLAND hotel. With giant block pits, disco-ball-strobing elevators and a café filled with kids’ favorite foods, it is a can’t-miss experience!