Top 20 Best Water Parks in the USA For the Best Thrills

If you're looking for the best water park in the United States, look no further than Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels, Texas. This world-class water park features more than 50 slides and attractions, making it the perfect place to cool off on a hot summer day.

Highlights include the Master Blaster, a high-speed water coaster; the Boogie Bahn, a surf simulator; and the Torrent River, a lazy river that winds through the park. There's also an indoor water park for year-round fun. With so much to do, it's no wonder Schlitterbahn is consistently rated as one of the best water parks in the country.

Wisconsin Dells is home to America's largest water park, Noah's Ark. The park spans over 70 acres and features over 40 rides divided into four distinct categories - Thrill Rides, Family Rides, Adventure River, and Kiddie Rides.

The Thrill Rides category features some of the most adrenaline-pumping attractions at the park, like Black Anaconda - a one-of-a-kind water coaster that reaches speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.

If you're looking for a more relaxed experience, the Family Rides category offers classic water park staples like the Wave Pool. The third category is Adventure River, a lazy river where guests can float along and take in the scenery. There is also a section of the park just for kids, with smaller slides and splash pads.

Noah's Ark is open from May through September, and visitors can purchase tickets for a single day or for an entire season. With so much to see and do, it's no wonder that Noah's Ark is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Wisconsin Dells.

The Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio is home to one of the coolest indoor water parks in the USA. The Leopard's Lair is a zero-depth entry pool with a water play structure, slides, and a small spray park.

The Crocodile Cove is a lazy river that winds its way through the center of the water park. The Tanzanian Twister and the Swahili Swirl are two of the resort's signature slides.

Guests can also enjoy a variety of other activities, including a surfing simulator, a basketball court, and a rock climbing wall. With so much to do, the Kalahari Resort is the perfect place to spend a day or two with family and friends.

Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Virginia is consistently ranked as one of the best waterparks in the United States. With an impressive selection of slides and rides, there's something for everyone at Water Country USA. The Nitro Racer is a thrilling waterslide that sends riders hurtling down a nearly vertical drop.

The Hubba Hubba Highway is a family-friendly raft ride that winds through dark tunnels and around sharp bends. And Big Daddy Falls is one of the tallest and fastest water slides in the park, with a heart-stopping drop of nearly 50 feet. Whether you're looking for adrenaline-pumping thrills or gentle spills, Water Country USA has it all.

Water World is America's largest water park, and it's located just 10 miles north of downtown in Federal Heights. The park features more than 52 rides and attractions, including the Mile High Flyer hydromagnetic watercoaster, the Zoomerang twin-track racing coaster, and the Pirate's Plunge.

The most popular attraction at Water World is "Voyage to the Center of the Earth," a raft water slide that takes you into a dark cavern for most of the ride. There's also a miniature water park called Wally World, perfect for little ones, and when you need a break from the water, you can always enjoy some dining and shopping at Water World. With so much to see and do, Water World is the perfect place to cool off this summer.

Raging Waters in San Dimas is California's largest water park, and it's easy to see why. With its thrilling rides, spacious pools, and fun wave attractions, it's the perfect place to cool off on a hot day.

The Neptune's Fury is a 600-foot long wild ride that plunges you down a 60-foot drop, while the Ragin' Racer is an exhilarating water slide that sends you careening down a 200-foot long flume at 34 miles per hour.

For those who prefer a more leisurely pace, Splash Adventure Island is a spacious pool area with lazy rivers and gentle waves. And for the little kiddies, there's a special play area just for them. 

There are also fun wave attractions, rivers and pools, and even a beach where you can relax in the sun. So whether you're looking for an adrenaline rush or just a place to relax, Raging Waters has it all. Just be sure to slap on that sunscreen!

Long Island, New York is home to the biggest waterpark in America, and it's a great place to enjoy a summer day. Your children will love riding a tube slide down Dinosaur Falls where scary-looking dinosaurs await you in every corner.

Visit the Barrier Reef and avoid a shark attack while plummeting and twisting through this rapid water ride. Don't miss the Giant Twister, which features three gigantic twisting body slides that weave through treetops and splash into a refreshing pool.

There are also several family-friendly rides, such as the Mammoth River raft ride and the Monsoon Lagoon. There are plenty of food and drink options on-site, so you can refuel after a day of fun in the sun. So what are you waiting for? Pack your swimsuit and head to Long Island for a splish-splashin' good time!

Disney's Blizzard Beach is one of the best water park resorts in the USA. Blizzard Beach is themed after a ski resort that was hit by a freak snowstorm, and the park is full of thrills and spills for visitors of all ages. From the Mt. Gushmore peak, which stands 90 feet tall, to the Summit Plummet free-fall slide, there are plenty of adrenaline-pumping rides to enjoy.

And for those who want to relax, there are also several leisurely pools and a lazy river to float down. Whether you're looking for thrill or relaxation, Blizzard Beach has something for everyone. There are also a lot of great places to eat in the park, so you can have a feast after a long day of fun.

Wet 'N Wild Emerald Pointe is rated one of the top 10 Water Parks in America. The park offers more than 36 rides and attractions including enclosed and drop slides, tube rides and activity pools, heavily themed family sections known as Splash Island and Happy Harbor.

Check out the Daredevil Drop that drops you 76 feet down a steep water chute. Bring a friend and go down the Double Barrel Blast together. These zip-down chutes will shoot you out about four feet above the water before you splashdown.

The Bonzai Pipeline also gives you a fantastic tube slide experience as you go 40 miles per hour through five stories on an inner tube. Wet 'n Wild's rides are sure to leave you breathless and thrilled to go on your next adventure.

Looking for a fun-filled day of water slides and wave pools? Then you'll want to head to Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana. This family-friendly water park features numerous raft rides, two wave pools, and plenty of water activities for children. Plus, there are also several thrill rides for the adventurous types, including the world's largest enclosed water slide, ZOOMbabwe.

And for those who really want to test their limits, there's Zinga – an eight-story, 336-foot long slide that drops riders into a six-story-tall funnel, Jungle Racer – a ten-lane side-by-side racing slide, and much more.

And don't forget about the attractions Mammoth and Wildebeest – two of the longest water coasters in the world. So whether you're looking for a leisurely day by the pool or a heart-pumping thrill ride, Splashin' Safari has it all!

Whale’s Tale Water Park has been operating for over 25 years. It has 17 acres of land to its name and boasts 11 unique attractions, including 6 blood-pumping featured waterslides. This includes the 430-meter Downpour that connects to the Plunge, which hits speeds of a whopping 40 miles per hour and the immensely popular Shipwreck Island, packed with sprays and slides of all sorts.

There's also the Banzai Pipeline, the park's largest, and Poseidon's Voyage, where you begin in a launch capsule and are taken through an adrenaline rush of a 360-degree loop. Whale’s Tale Water Park has won awards and earned the title of Best in Class Waterpark in America. This has cemented its position as one of the best waterparks in the USA.

Situated in the Pocono Mountains of Big Pocono State Park, Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark has a whopping 35 attractions to its name. Since it opened in 1998, the park has functioned as a summer attraction for the Camelback Mountain Resort.

There's a good mix of heart-racing and relaxing fun at Camelbeach Mountain Water Park. You can feel your heart race as you get air time on the final drop of the Dune Runner or rush down the fully enclosed black Midnight Run tube.

You can chill out on a lazy river or the full-sized swimming pool or bring your kids to the splash pad. Either way, there's something to do! Camelbeach Mountain Water Park has won many awards and received many accolades across different publications. With between 100,000 and 300,000 annual visitors, this is one of the very best waterparks in the USA.

Set right next to the theme park of Dollywood, Dollywood’s Splash Country is a unique 35-acre waterpark themed around the childhood of Dolly Parton herself. Supposedly, the theme is based on her youth spent swimming in the Great Smoky Mountains' rivers.

Dollywood's Splash Country opened its doors in 2001 and earned its name from a naming contest run by Dolly Parton. It was built into the natural mountainous terrain beside Dollywood, taking up 25 acres of land. It's filled with various notable attractions, such as the Wild River Falls, Butterfly, and Mountain Scream, and has only added more attractions since then.

Dollywood's Splash Country has 3 awards under its belt. It's one of the best US waterparks, with a setting and concept that makes it particularly interesting to explore and play in.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix can be found at Adobe Dam Regional Park in North Phoenix, where it takes up 35 acres of land. It may not be the largest waterpark in the US, but it is the biggest in the state of Arizona. It also claims to be the state's most thrilling.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix has a large selection of thrill rides, including the highly-rated Anaconda and the Bahama Blaster, the nation's first dueling water coaster. There are also calmer kids' rides and a fair list of family rides to try.

Zoombezi Bay is a vibrant and charming attraction that is constantly growing and improving, with lots to discover and enjoy. Themed rides and areas, such as those themed around zombies, primates, and snakes, add more color and fun.

There are a lot of unique rides at Zoombezi Bay, including the Soundsurfer, an enclosed five-person raft slide with music and lights. It was the first ride of its kind in America. The park also hosts the first Boomerango Express in the country with Big Boa Falls and an alcohol-friendly lazy river called Croctail Creek.

Owned by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Zoombezi Bay first opened as a zoo park and lived under different names before growing into the marvel that it is today. It may not be the biggest waterpark in America, but it's among the most popular across the Midwest, welcoming an impressive 400,000 yearly guests.

Boulder Beach Water Park is a smaller part of Silverwood Theme Park, open for just the three summer months a year. The park ranks its rides by levels of intensity, with a mix of low and medium-intensity attractions primarily. The one high-intensity attraction in Boulder Beach Water Park could almost make it one of the best waterparks in the USA: Velocity Peak.

Velocity Peak is a water slide tower that brings you to speeds of a whopping 55 mph, with 3 different slides to choose from atop 100 steps of stairs. Medium intensity rides at Boulder Beach Water Park include Ricochet Rapids, Rumble Falls, Avalanche Mountain, and Riptide Racer. Finally, there are calm and tranquil low-intensity experiences, like a wave pool, lazy river, splash pad, and playground.

Knott’s Soak City Water Park may not be the biggest water park in the USA at just 15 acres, but this gated space contains an impressive 23 slides and many other attractions. Sat next to Knott's Berry Farm, the waterpark boasts thrilling and relaxing experiences all in one. 

It's hard to pick a highlight of Knott’s Soak City Water Park, but the Beach House is pretty cool. Spanning three stories, the house is equipped with various interactive sprayers, nozzles, and water guns totaling 200 for people to use and enjoy. There is also the nice wave pool with 750,000 gallons filling its body and the third-mile stretch of the lazy Sunset River.

Morey's Piers Ocean Oasis Water Park is a family-owned boardwalk park running since 1969. Situated on Surfside Pier, it's a no-frills, simple but sweet water park with all the usual offerings: slides, lazy rivers, kids' spaces, bars… the list goes on!

The bigger Morey's Piers & Beachfront Waterparks, which is where the aforementioned Piers Ocean Oasis Water Park lives, is also worth exploring and enjoying. It's not quite the biggest waterpark in America, but the seaside amusement park boasts two different waterparks and three amusement piers.

Six Flags certainly seems to be good at making waterparks! Ranked among the best waterparks in the USA, Six Flags White Water is a high-ranking and immensely popular park packed with rides, slides, and various points of interest.

Six Flags White Water is divided into four different sections. The first is Wildwater Lagoon, which is where the entrance to the park is. The lagoon is built surrounding a splashdown activity pool fitted with raft flumes, body flumes, and slides. The next section is called Pine Valley, where the park's main wave pool is set alongside its lovely lazy river. This is the calmer area of the waterpark, perfect for kids and families.

Then, there's the blood-rushing, pulse-racing Slippery Ridge, a section packed with intense speed slides and towers. And finally, the last section of Six Flags White Water is Flash Flood Canyon, where you'll find the Dive Bomber, the tallest single slide in the whole park.

With a jaw-dropping 96 acres of land beneath its belt, Splish Splash is close to the largest waterpark in the US by the space occupied. It's wildly renowned and has 30 different rides. Splish Splash has great-themed unique attractions, like Dr. Von Dark's Tunnel of Terror, The Battle for Mutiny Bay, Dinosaur Falls, Alien Invasion, and much more.

There are also some cool attractions just for kids, with less intense slides to try. A 1,300-foot lazy river is a notable feature, with 18 slides, a pirate-themed play space, and 2 wave pools.

Aquatica San Antonio opened as a companion to the location's SeaWorld in 2012, primarily promoting itself as a highly family-friendly site.

It showcases attractions for people of all swimming abilities and ages and uses modern facilities and concepts to up the ante.

Aquatica San Antonio is one of the best waterparks in the USA for fans of marine animals, thanks to Stingray Falls, the first raft ride of its kind on the planet. The ride takes you through various twisty tunnels and a grotto with tropical fish and stingrays.

Aside from Stingray Falls, Aquatica San Antonio boasts a few other great rides and attractions.

There's the high-tech Walhalla Wave Tornadowave experience, and the equally modern Ihu's Breakaway Falls, which boasts drop pod slides referred to as the state's tallest.

Adventure Island is yet another SeaWorld-affiliated waterpark. Though it isn't the biggest water park in the USA, it, like Aquatica San Antonio, uses a mix of modern technology and one-of-a-kind rides to create a unique and memorable experience.

The park constantly adds and updates its rides each season, keeping this fresh.

Adventure Island's biggest current draw is the Solar Vortex, the first dual tailspin waterslide in the country.

The family raft slide gets the adrenaline pumping with tons of quick descents and queasy rotations that really swirl you along for the ride.

Other popular thrill rides are the 70-foot drop of the Vanish Point drop water slide, the weightlessness of the Colossal Curl, and the open flume Calypso Coaster, among many others.

The waterpark also has five different pools, including the 17000-square-foot Endless Surf wave pool, the Paradise Lagoon agility course, the tropical-themed Rumbling Bayou lazy river, and a few more kids' offerings.

Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Water Park is among the best waterparks in the USA, especially when it comes to indoor entertainment and recreation.

This is one of the Midwest's few retractable roof waterpark hotels, spanning 50,000 square feet and providing 178 deluxe accommodation rooms for those interested.

At Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Water Park, you'll find no end to the things you can enjoy.

A six-story family raft ride gets your heart racing while the Perilous Plunge 4-floor tube drop slide furthers the blood-pumping action.

There's a super loop body slide, an Action River, and rides like Giggling Gorge and Dumping Bucket for even more exciting time spent.

You can stop at the zero-entry activity pool at Zehnder's Splash Village Hotel and Water Park to play volleyball and water basketball as water geysers cascade over you.

There are cabanas, hot tubs, and a lazy river to try out if you need some pampering. Thanks to its Arcade, even those not fond of the wetness will like the hotel.

The premiere attraction of Shipwreck Island Waterpark has been consistently considered among the best US waterparks.

Earning multiple accolades and praise for being well-run, filled with fun, and tip-top cleanliness, this is one waterpark you shouldn't miss if you're in the area.

Shipwreck Island Waterpark's centerpiece is "Zip from the Ship", or the Great Shipwreck.

This attraction is the park's signature and is a replica of a genuine 17th-century vessel. Its purpose is not as a typical park ride but as a zip line spot for you to zoom down from.

Shipwreck Island Waterpark also has a lot of other notable attractions that are so diverse that you'll never feel like they're repeating ideas.

There's the Tree Top Drop which is a pair of slides that drop down from a platform 65 feet in the air, Skull Island for the kids, and The Zoom Flume for flume riders who want to finish with a big splash.

One must also try the 500,000-gallon wave pool of Shipwreck Island Waterpark. It produces shocking three-foot waves every single ten minutes for surfers of all skill levels to try.

If you want to challenge yourself, try tackling the Raging Rapids, where you'll use a tubing slide to try and fight the river rapids in a safe environment.

Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii is one of Oahu's most loved and visited tourist attractions, and it's also one of the best waterparks in the USA.

Covering 29 acres across natural cliffs and lush verdancy, you'll almost forget that you're on a ride as you explore this fantastic location.

There are many different rides worth trying at the park, like the Big Kahuna, Keki Kove, Cutter's Island, Volcano Express, Surfsliders, and much more. Regardless of what you give a shot, you'll be pretty satisfied with your outing.