When you think of Las Vegas, images of dazzling lights, grand casinos, and the iconic Las Vegas Strip probably come to mind. But did you know that amidst the desert heat and vibrant city life, a refreshing oasis of aquatic fun awaits you? Welcome to Cowabunga Canyon, one of the best water parks in the Las Vegas area and a must-visit destination during the scorching summer months.
Attractions for All
Right in Clark County, about 20 minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip is Cowabunga Canyon, one of the best water parks in the area - a perfect place for a fun day with the whole family! Twelve water attractions fit the needs and wants of every single member of your party. For starters, like most typical water parks you will find a Lazy River and a Wave Pool! The lazy river is called Cactus Creek - it is 1,100 feet of endless winding river and they have single and double tubes for you to float in. The wave pool is called Cadillac Shores Wave Pool - it is themed like an old western drive-in movie with Cadillacs. They also have tubes inside the wave pool, so you can bounce around as the waves roll in!
Attractions for the Younger Guests
For those 30 inches or smaller, there is Buckaroo Bay - it has three slides perfect for younger children. Piñata Falls is another attraction exclusively made for young children, but it can accommodate adults as well. This multi-level aquatic playground has 11 regular slides, a tipping water bucket, and water cannons. The water levels in these two areas are pretty low, so you do not need to worry about your kids being strong swimmers. However, for extra precaution, you can grab a life jacket for your kiddo - they are free of charge!
Attractions for Thrill - Ordered from Moderate to High Intensity
There are eight regular water slides - six of them have a minimum height requirement of 42", and two have a minimum height requirement of 48". Boot, Scoot, and Boogie are three intertwined slides that offer dips, twists, and turns - each one is a little different, so I recommend going on all three! Have you ever wanted to slide down a giant toilet bowl? It may be your chance with the Dust Bowl - you enter an enclosed tube before you get dropped into a gigantic bowl, where you will swirl around until you enter the final tube to be flushed out! The Lone Ranger and Hi-Ho Silver are two moderate-level water slides that you can go on with a friend and experience the thrill of corkscrew turns, minor drops, and some centrifugal forces.
Approaching the higher intensity side is Ricochet Racer, where you slide down a 360-foot raceway at 20 feet per second as you race five other racers! Near the wave pool, you will find Boomer Wrangler and Texas Tornado - both slides will have you feeling weightless with their vertical drops and menacing back-and-forth wall-to-wall movement. Lastly, for the ultimate thrill hop on Deuce's Wild, where you will plummet a few stories down this open slide.
Food & Drinks
You are not allowed to bring outside food or drinks into the park. However, you can leave the park to grab food and then re-enter later on. But do not worry - there are plenty of food options within the park that you do not have to leave! You can grab a bite to eat at:
- Chicken Tender Kiosk - They serve chicken tenders, fries, and drinks
- Chowabunga! Vittles, Fixin' & Grub - They serve chicken tenders, cheeseburgers, hot dog baskets, pizza slices, sides, ICEEs, and an orange chicken bowl
- Lea Lana'a Bananas - They sell chocolate frozen bananas
- Funnel Cakes - They offer funnel cakes, fried Oreos, churros, and drinks
- Dippin' Dots - They have a few delicious flavor options to choose from!
Seating
There are plenty of seating options at Cowabunga Canyon. We arrived in the evening of a workday in June and found a great place to sit with a lounge chair each. However, if you are planning an entire day at the park and want something more secluded consider renting one of the private cabanas.
Special Events
Throughout the summer season, they host special events like Friday Night Slides, where you can go to the waterpark from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at a reduced rate. During Labor Day weekend, they have a Fire & Ice Festival that allows you to visit both Cowabunga Canyon and Cowabunga Bay Waterpark for the price of one! They also have Neon Nite, 21+ After Hours Bash, live music, and other fun festivities.
Other Important Details for your visit to this Las Vegas Waterpark:
- They are not open year-round, so check their website for more information on their operating hours
- They sell one-day passes, both park passes, and season passes
- There is a $10 parking fee
- There are lockers for rent if needed
- This is a family-friendly park, especially in the rides. If you want more thrilling rides, check out their sister waterpark, Cowabunga Bay!
More "Water Park" Fun in Las Vegas
Mandalay Bay Beach
Mandalay Bay has one of the most impressive pool areas of all the Las Vegas Hotels. They have a giant wave pool that makes you feel like you are at a sandy beach with palm trees, a relaxing quarter-mile lazy river, and a few other pools. It is perfect for a family fun day on the Strip! If you are a hotel guest at the Mandalay Bay Resort, you can use the pools and amenities for free. Non-hotel guests can purchase a Day Pass Monday through Thursday to enjoy the amenities.
Golden Nugget Hotel
The Golden Nugget is located in Downtown Las Vegas and features a beautiful pool area. Their Tank Pool consists of a 200,000-gallon shark tank with a clear enclosed three-story twisting and turning waterslide that allows you to swim with the sharks! The Shark Tank contains 300 marine animals from around the world, and to add to the ambiance, some waterfalls cascade directly into the pool. Hotel guests can use the pool for free, and non-hotel guests can purchase day passes.
Lake Las Vegas Water Sports
A bit further away from the Strip is Lake Las Vegas where you can find Lake Las Vegas Water Sport. This company offers water sports rentals on Lake Las Vegas at a low price. You can rent electric boats, paddle boards, kayaks, and more! They also have experiences that you can purchase like a Flyboard experience, Cable Park, and E Foil Lessons. They also have special events like Neon Paddle, Latin Night, and Yacht After Dark Neon Party. There is plenty to do and experience at Lake Las Vegas! It is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the Strip and have an adventurous or chill day by the water.
For more Fun Ideas on your visit to Las Vegas check out these blog posts:
Backstory on how we found this waterpark and why we went TWICE
The First Time - Wet 'n Wild Las Vegas
Growing up in Central Florida, my family frequented Wet 'n Wild Orlando. I had so many unforgettable memories there from birthday celebrations, friends and family gatherings, introducing my husband (and his family) to Wet 'n Wild and grad night to staying from open to close when they closed at midnight, bouncing around on Bubble Up, and the delicious George's Famous Ice Cream! Unfortunately, Wet 'n Wild closed in 2016 and was destroyed to make way for one of Universal Studios' Resorts. I was devasted and set out to visit some of the Wet 'n Wilds around the United States. Luckily, Las Vegas had one, and we went on our last day there! We had a lot of fun, and it was great to reminisce! Towards the end of our visit, Matthew hurt his toe in the kid's aqua park section. I thought he was exaggerating, and we continued with our day, flew back home, and by the next morning, his toe was SWOLLEN! A pair of crutches, a leg boot, six months of recovery, and almost $1,000 later, we learned that he had sprained his toe at the waterpark.
The Re-Return - Cowabunga Canyon Waterpark
A few years later, we decided to go back to Las Vegas since we had so much fun the first time, and Matthew insisted we go back to that waterpark so he could conquer the slide that conquered him the time before. Unfortunately, Wet 'n Wild Las Vegas did not exist anymore, but fortunately, it had been transformed into Cowabunga Canyon Waterpark with only cosmetic changes being done to it. As such, Matthew tackled a second match with the infamous purple water slide in the kid's play structure of the park and WON!
Splash on over for a Great Time!
The Las Vegas area is not just about the high-stakes excitement of casinos and the glitz of the Strip. It is also home to some fantastic water parks, each offering a unique experience to beat the summer heat and have a splash-tastic time with family and friends! So, whether you are diving into the wild waves of Cowabunga Canyon or exploring the marine wonders of Mandalay Bay Beach, the water parks of Las Vegas are sure to make your summer days and Vegas experience unforgettable!
Have you been to any of these Las Vegas waterparks? If so, let us know in the comments below - we would love to know which one you think is the best! If you have not gone, would you consider adding it to your Las Vegas itinerary? Let us know in the comments below, and share this article with the person or people you want to go with! Either way, SUBSCRIBE below to learn about other places you should add to your "To Visit" List! Ready? Okay, vamos. Time to have fun!
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