Just For Kids
Make A Splash At An NC Water Park
When the summertime heat is on, there’s no better place to cool off than in the water. In North Carolina, there are plenty of opportunities to get wet naturally, whether swimming at the beach, floating down a mountain river, or skiing across a piedmont lake. But if you want to combine the refreshing chill of the water with the thrill of an amusement park, it's time to head to a water park. Here’s a listing of North Carolina’s man-made watery attractions:
Carowinds’ Boomerang
Bay, Charlotte
As part of the Carowinds theme
park straddling the NC/SC border, this 20-acre water park comes with roller
coasters and live entertainment included in the price of admission. Boomerang
Bay includes a 34,000 square-foot wave pool, a 1,000-foot long lazy river, and
11 waterslides, including the high-octane thrills of Pipeline Peak.
Wet N Wild’s Emerald
Pointe, Greensboro
The largest water park in the
Carolinas offers a full day of family fun with 36 rides and attractions
containing three million gallons of watery thrills. Among the more frightening
offerings is “Dr. VonDark’s Tunnel of Terror”, where riders experience a
40-foot drop, back-to-back vertical banks, and two high-speed 360 spins… all in
COMPLETE DARKNESS. There are also more tame options for smaller children, and a
variety of food and snack options available throughout the park.
Fantasy
Lake Water Park, Hope Mills
This six-acre man-made lake is a great substitute for a day at the beach just
south of Fayetteville. Surrounded by clean white sand beaches, this park
includes slides and a jump tower for thrill seekers, as well as pedal boats and
porch swings for those looking to relax. On the shore, there’s a deli, surf
shop, and even six courts of sand volleyball to enjoy.
Great
Wolf Lodge & Resort, Concord
Bad weather is no problem at Great
Wolf, where there are 19 slides, six pools, a lazy river, and a giant water
fort indoors, as well as a 60,000 square foot outdoor water park outdoors,
weather permitting. Guests staying at the lodge get free and exclusive
admission to all the water park areas, and there are games, an arcade, and a
tech center for those who want to stay dry.
Jungle Rapids
Family Fun Park, Wilmington
This fun center between Wilmington
and Wrightsville Beach has something for everyone: Go Karts, Laser Tag, Mini
Golf, and an arcade. But in the summertime, the big draw is the facility’s
water park, which includes a million gallon wave pool, a half-pipe waterslide,
and something called the “Jungle Rapids Super Bowl”, a slide that winds riders
‘round and ‘round a giant bowl and down into a lazy river.
Ray’s
Splash Planet, Charlotte
Operated by the Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Department, this indoor
water park is a tidal wave of fun in any weather conditions. This 117,000 gallon
park includes the three-story “Blue Comet” slide, a beach-like entry pool, and
“Saturation Station”, where kids will find four slides, interactive water play
and a tumble bucket.
Sun
Crest Waterpark, Taylorsville
This outdoor facility north of
Hickory bills itself as an “affordable day of fun in the sun” where visitors
can enjoy an old fashioned swinging rope and a water slide, or a just find a
place to hang out in the summer weather and enjoy the relaxing scenery of the
NC foothills.
White
Lake Waterpark, Elizabethton
Located about 30 miles east of
Lumberton, this water park boasts a number of fun attractions for kids of all
ages. There’s the Double Turbo Twister Slide, a 5,000 square foot interactive
wading pool and wet deck, and Bubble Bench, where hydrotherapy jets will
massage your back into a state of complete relaxation. Attractions also include
a lazy river and a bumper boat pool.
added: May 5, 2010
updated: August 11, 2010
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