10 Water Parks That Are as Fun for Adults as They Are for Kids
Lazy river leisuring, death-defying slides, and a plethora of good eats.
The most beautiful beach towns and greatest lake towns in the United States are nothing to scoff at, but there’s one thing Americans do better than anyone else in the world: water parks.
We simply don’t subscribe to the idea that water parks are just for kids. We may be taller and (kind of) wiser, but these “death-defying” slides still have most of us shaking in our boots. If heights aren’t your thing, you can always float on a tube down a lazy river or linger at a swim-up bar. Plus, these days most parks have invested far more money in high-end water filtration systems to keep the aquatic environments as hygienic as possible.
Around the country, there are a number of water parks that are genuinely just as fun for adults as they are for kids, with thrills like beer halls, daybeds, and concerts on the “beach.” Time to heal your inner child. Here are the 10 best water parks for adults in the US.
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Here’s the sad, but honest, truth: Most kids probably don’t know who Dolly Parton is. But, we adults know that Miss Parton is The Queen of Country and The Backwoods Barbie—and that’s reason enough to spend the day at her water park. Located within Dollywood, Splash Country’s design is inspired by the mountain watering holes Parton visited as a child growing up in the region. Highlights include the water coaster RiverRush and the white-water-rafting–inspired Big Bear Plunge. Our favorite attraction is the 8,000-square-foot lagoon pool The Cascades, which features 25 interactive elements including two grotto slides, a massive waterfall, underwater jets, an active geyser, and loads of shaded seating.
Denver, Colorado
A ticket for Elitch Gardens is an automatic two-for-one, offering access to both the theme and water parks. If you’re chasing a thrill, the adrenaline-inducing, 65-foot speed slide (named Epic Mega Wedgie) is for you. After you’ve sufficiently gotten your swim trunks in a bunch, hit Meow Wolf’s Kaleidoscape—the lauded, Santa Fe-based art collective’s thrill ride offers a mind-bending journey. Close out the day with wave riding in Commotion Ocean or chilling out on Castaway Creek.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Though Vegas lies smack dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert, there’s somehow water everywhere. So while you’ll find a pool at just about every hotel on the Strip, we’re elevating Mandalay Bay to water park status because of the resort’s aquatic trifecta: a wave pool, a lazy river, and a man-made beach. Spread across 11 acres, Mandalay Bay Beach makes it possible to frolic in waves, nurse a piña colada while drifting along in a tube, and let loose at a DJ-powered pool party, all within short proximity of a full casino. Music lovers should also check out Mandalay Bay’s summer concert series on the beach, which has come back full-force since the pandemic. Anyone looking for a bit more privacy can head to the resort’s adults-only offshoot, Moorea Beach Club. There, guests can reserve an array of poolside daybeds, cabanas, and even a private pavilion with its own pool, waterfalls, and wet bar.
New Braunfels, Texas
Destinations like the Maldives, Seychelles, and Bora Bora boast overwater bungalows, but you’ll find similar digs right in the middle of the USA, inside the self-professed “World’s Best Waterpark.” Schlitterbahn Waterpark offers seven Treehaus Luxury Suites which come outfitted with full kitchens, living rooms, and hand-carved furniture, and overlook both the water park’s lazy river and an actual river, the Comal. After checking into your suite, you can lounge by a heated pool in a biergarten, then head down racing slides, double-loop body slides, and pretty much every other kind of waterslide imaginable.
Sedona, Arizona
Most water park action takes place outdoors, but Slide Rock State Park is an outdoor adventure in the truest sense. The 80-foot slide in Sedona’s Oak Creek Canyon is naturally carved into red rock (made slick by algae), and powered by a current that empties into a large swimming hole. In addition to the slide, there’s a half-mile stretch of Oak Creek that’s open game for taking a dip. You can also pack a picnic, go trout fishing upstream beyond the water recreation areas, and hit the park’s hiking trails. Keep an eye out for javelinas—wild, pig-like creatures that are native to the area (something you’ll never see at man-made parks).
Nashville, Tennessee
Unlike the typical water park serving up soft pretzels, soggy pizza, and plastic trays of tortilla chips drowned in lukewarm nacho cheese, SoundWaves is known for its cuisine. Among its upscale, modern attractions (think interior temps of 84 degrees year-round, a state-of-the-art wave rider, and adults-only bars and cabanas), you’ll find fare that suits more mature tastes including lobster rolls, poke bowls, Mexican-style paletas, and more. The grub is spread out across a restaurant, two food trucks, and an adults-only upper level lounge with its very own bar and infinity pool.
Belton, Texas
The coolest bar in Belton, Texas has a dress code: swimwear required. That’s because the bar is really Summer Fun, a water park about 60 miles north of Austin. From June through August, the park hosts Adult Night every other Saturday. Exclusively for a 21+ crowd, the nights include live music, bikini dance parties, and plenty of lazy river action clear through midnight. As an added bonus, the evenings are BYOB and admission is only $30, so you don’t even have to splurge on amusement park pricing. Play your cards right and your new “going-out clothes” just might include a pair of sultry water shoes.
Aventura, Florida
Imagine a swanky South Beach day club complete with the occasional live DJ, all-white private cabanas, and frosé served all day long. Now add waterslides. That’s a pretty close approximation to the experience at Tidal Cove, a water park attached to a JW Marriott about half an hour north of Miami. Here, you’ll live like a jet-setting adult and play like one of their overindulged children, feasting on A-plus bar food, strong, fruity cocktails, and plenty of high-quality people-watching. Lines are rarely long (daily admission of $75 or more will do that), so you can shoot down the trap-door Aqua Drop or get weightless on the Boomerango and barely have time to recover before your next climb to the top.
Orlando, Florida
Volcano Bay’s strengths lie in its ability to provide good, ol’ fashioned terror. We’re talking about the park’s signature slide: the Ko’okiri Body Plunge. The 125-foot trap door ride drops you at a 70-degree angle down a volcano and past the less-adventurous humans relaxing in the swimming pool below. The park also has two other 125-foot slides, which don’t drop you nearly as fast but are no less adrenaline-inducing. If you need something to calm your nerves after all that death-defying action, you can hit up the Dancing Dragons Boat Bar, which’ll hook you up with enough liquid courage to try it again.
Columbus, Ohio
Zoombezi Bay has the distinction of being the only large-scale water park in America attached to a city zoo—which means your admission also grants you access to the Columbus Zoo and all its animal friends. At Zoombezi Bay, you’ll find 14 world-class waterslides, including the SoundSurfer, where you can pick a music genre and light show to accompany you on your twisting, turning ride. But the real draw for Central Ohio grown-ups is Croctail Creek, a 21-and-over lazy river complete with a swim-up bar, where you can grab a footlong fruity drink and float the afternoon away. Conveniently, it sits next to the park’s children’s area, so parents can trade off who takes the kids to Baboon Lagoon and who sips cocktails in the water.