Everyone knows that Arizona is hot, and that’s sometimes an understatement, especially in July and August. With temperatures soaring into the 110s, one of the only ways to keep cool and have fun outside in the summer is to be in the water.
Arizona has more than a few amusement parks, water parks, and splash pads, perfect for passing by those long, toasty summer days. With water slides, wave pools, diving boards, swimming pools, and kid-safe splash pads, there are activities at water parks for all ages.
Growing up, my siblings and I spent many a bright summer’s day playing hard at several of Arizona’s water parks near our childhood home. Read ahead to find a water park near you, put on a swimsuit and slather on the sunscreen and get ready to have some fun!
So in this guide, I’ve brought you the 15 best water parks in Arizona. (SPOILER: Some of them are Free!)
15. Founders’ Park Splash Pad
This gigantic splash pad is 4,000 square feet of water features and plenty of fun! This splash pad is known for being clean, family-friendly, and has shaded ramadas and grassy areas to escape the harsh Arizona sun when needed.
There are restrooms nearby and drinking fountains, making this a convenient place to spend an afternoon with your kids. Bring a lunch and snacks, and they’ll never want to leave!
It is totally free and fully fenced in for everyone’s safety (no toddlers escaping while your back is turned!).
Your kids will love all of the fountains and water features, including big dump buckets, sprinkler arches, and even a small water tower.
Food and drinks are not recommended inside the fence, but there are picnic tables nearby to enjoy your lunch.
Founders’ Park is a great splash pad for moms with young kids, especially during those long summer months.
14. Riverview Park Splash Pad
Another large splash pad that is a local favorite, Riverview Park is located in northwest Mesa near the Chicago Cubs spring training facility, shopping, and restaurants, and is a great picnic spot.
The splash pad itself is huge and fully fenced in, and is open for long hours year-round, perfect for those hot summer nights.
Kids will love the various misting, spraying, dumping, and water fountain features and will spend hours running back and forth, and the vast size of this splash pad ensures plenty of room for all.
The playgrounds next to the splash pad are pretty epic by most playground standards, with huge climbing towers and tall slides.
Riverview Park is conveniently located near lots of shopping and the 202 and 101 freeways. Plus, even better, the splash pad is free! Family fun doesn’t always have to come at a huge cost!
13. Cactus Springs at Funtasticks
Tucson lost its big commercial water park years back, so Cactus Springs at Funtasticks carries the load for families who want water play without the drive to Phoenix.
The main attraction is a multi-level splash structure with slides, bubbler jets, and a 1,000-gallon bucket that tips over every ten minutes and drenches anyone standing too close.
It’s attached to a family fun park, so a soaked afternoon can roll right into go-karts and mini golf. Wristbands start around $16, and little ones under 36 inches get in free.
It runs on a summer schedule, so peek at the calendar before you go.
12. Oro Valley Aquatic Center
Near Tucson and want slides without the commercial-park crowds or sticker shock? The Oro Valley Aquatic Center is your answer.
The showpiece is a 130-foot water slide that launches from 22 feet up, and the pool sits at a swimmable 80 degrees all year, so this is another one that keeps going after summer ends.
Admission is the cheap kind that only city pools pull off: about six or seven dollars for adults, less for kids, free for the under-threes. It opens seven days a week, with early mornings reserved for the lap swimmers before the slide crowd rolls in.
11. Quincie Douglas Pool
Surprisingly, there aren’t too many public pool or water park options in Tucson, but Quincie Douglas Pool wins (if it were a contest) due to the water slide and splash area for the little kids.
Like most public pools, the hours vary for when the water slide and other fun areas are open, so check before you go!
The price of admission is nice and low, making Quincie Douglas Pool a more affordable option for some families compared to other waterparks.
The 144-foot-long water slide is swift and your kids will want to ride it over and over again.
The splash pad is perfectly safe for smaller babies and toddlers, while the diving boards have varying heights for the older kids.
Enjoy the 8 competitive lap swimming lanes, and you can even enroll in swim lessons, synchronized swimming, or even rent out the pool for a family party or company event! The beach entry swimming area is another nice touch that makes this pool family-friendly.
10. Flagstaff Aquaplex
Most of this list assumes you’re trying to escape 110-degree pavement, but Flagstaff plays by different rules.
The city sits at 7,000 feet and stays cool even in July, so the Aquaplex built its fun indoors and runs it all year. It’s the one water park here you can hit in the middle of February.
Inside there’s a leisure pool with a lazy river, two body slides, and a tube slide big enough to keep the older kids busy, plus a whirlpool and a zero-depth splash area for the toddlers.
Admission runs five or six bucks a head. For a family of four, that barely dents the gas money you spent driving up from Phoenix.
9. Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center
Many high or junior high schools in the Phoenix Valley have pools and small water parks on their campus, for the swim team in the school year and for families to enjoy in the summer months.
Mesquite Groves Aquatic Center is part of Basha High School and is a much cheaper option compared to other water parks in Arizona.
The family play pool has a zero-depth entry (similar to a beach, just without the sand) and this is perfect for kids just learning how to swim and toddlers who just want to splash in shallow water. There’s even a small lazy river, a few water slides, and a splash pad for the little ones.
Unique to this water park compared to others on this list is the 8-lane competitive swimming pool, which is primarily used by the Basha swim team but can also be used by the general public in the off-season.
There’s also a 725-gallon dumping bucket that almost feels like you’re standing under a waterfall, perfect for older kids.
8. Slide Rock State Park
All of the water parks on this list are man-made, except for this one! Located on Oak Creek just outside Sedona, Slide Rock State Park is a favorite for Arizonans in the hot summer months.
The water is chillier than at the water parks and just like the name suggests, the rocks can be slippery at times, but that’s half the fun! The erosion of the river carved a natural slide into the red rocks of the creek, creating a water slide and swimming hole made by nature.
Wear sturdy shoes and swimming clothes, and enjoy some fun in the refreshing waters of Oak Creek.
Slide Rock State Park can get very busy in the summertime, so either come on a weekday or during the spring and fall months; Arizona is still warm enough during the “off” season that you can still have a good time here!
Sedona is an excellent day trip option for those coming from the Phoenix area, and Slide Rock State Park should be on your itinerary.
7. Waylon’s Water World
Yuma rarely makes Arizona travel lists, but if you find yourself in the state’s southwest corner, Waylon’s Water World is the only real water park for a long stretch in any direction. It’s part of the Z Fun Factory complex, so go-karts and an arcade are waiting the moment everyone’s gone pruny.
You get 15-plus slides, including a four-lane racing mat slide that turns siblings into rivals, a giant bowl ride, and a tube slide they named the Constrictor.
When the kids need to cool their jets, the lazy river loops the whole park. Day passes run around $30, and it’s a weekends-and-summer kind of place.
6. River Ranch Water Park
Up in north Phoenix, the Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak runs a water park called River Ranch, and its half-mile lazy river is one of the longest you’ll float in Arizona. Add a 130-foot waterslide, a couple of waterfalls, and three pools, and you’ve got a full day.
Same deal as the other resort parks: pay at the gate without booking a night, and locals have usually gotten a friendlier rate than out-of-towners. Hours move around with the season, so check before you pack the cooler.
5. JW Marriott AquaRidge Water Park
The JW Marriott at Desert Ridge sank real money into its water park recently and rebranded it AquaRidge, and the good news is you don’t need a room to get in.
The Canyon Creek lazy river is the heart of it, with three multi-story slides (Gullywasher, The Drop, and Little Eddy) for the people who’d rather plunge than float.
There’s an adults-only pool where parents can hide while the kids burn off energy.
Non-guests buy day passes through the resort’s booking site, and the price floats with demand, so a random Tuesday costs far less than a holiday weekend.
Either way, grab them early because they sell out.
4. Oasis Water Park
The Oasis Water Park is located at the beautiful Arizona Grand Hotel, and this 7-acre park is definitely worth the stay.
With a wave pool perfect for kids and adults, one of the best lazy rivers in the state, and 8-story tall water slides, this hotel water park is an excellent choice for families with kids of all ages.
There are cabanas you can rent to relax by the pool, and an on-site grill as well. The gigantic hot tub can fit up to 25 people (although that comes more in handy in the winter months) and the lazy river is a favorite of all visitors.
You don’t have to stay at the resort to enjoy the water park and amenities- day passes and cabana rentals are available to non-guests for a fee. Oasis Water Park has been rated as one of the top-10 water parks in the whole country and should be on every water park lovers list.
3. Great Wolf Lodge
Another fantastic hotel water park option is Great Wolf Lodge in Scottsdale. This is mainly marketed as a family-friendly resort, perfect for a weekend staycation.
The best part of this park? The majority of the water attractions are inside!
So if you forget the sunscreen at home, don’t fret!
Most of the slides, pools, and water activities are geared towards children, but that doesn’t mean the adults won’t have fun as well; the Wolf Tail slide is near-vertical and sure to give you a thrill! The water is a constant 84-degrees, meaning you can enjoy Great Wolf Lodge year-round.
There are private cabanas you can rent for the whole day so the parents can relax while the kids play, and the food options are incredible and sure to satisfy any palate.
The rooms in this resort are spacious and family-friendly, with fun details that are sure to keep the kids entertained.
Great Wolf Lodge is the perfect option for families looking for a staycation with a convenient indoor water park.
2. Golfland Sunsplash
One of the biggest and oldest water parks in Arizona, this family-owned park feels like an oasis in the desert on a hot day.
Located in central Mesa, one section of Golfland Sunsplash is a mini-golf course (giving patrons something to do in the winter months), while the larger part is a sprawling water park with activities for all ages.
A favorite is the wave pool, where man-made waves sweep through the giant pool on a timed schedule, allowing you to try and ride them in on your tubes. Not much for adrenaline-pumping fun?
Try the lazy river, where you can lay on your tube and float on the “river” that winds around the park, with no effort on your part.
A few attractions at Sunsplash are thrilling, including the first-of-its-kind water roller coaster called the Master Blaster, which uses water propulsion to push you up and down along a coaster-like water slide.
Some slides drop you at a near-vertical angle (not for the faint of heart) and others that closely resemble the shape of a toilet bowl, where you eventually fall through the bottom into a pool below.
Sunsplash holds a lot of fond memories for me and my family growing up, and my personal favorite attractions are the wave pool and lazy river. There’s also a toddler area for smaller kids to play safely, and cool obstacle courses for you to test your athletic skills.
1. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Phoenix
Owned by Six Flags and therefore sure to bring the adrenaline, Hurricane Harbor is known as “Arizona’s Most Thrilling Water Park” and lives up to that name! With rides with names like Anaconda, Bahama Blaster, Mammoth Falls, and Tornado, you’re sure to have a fantastic time at this water park.
There aren’t just rides and slides for the big kids, the little ones can get in on the action too! With water playgrounds, splash pads, and small slides, Hurricane Harbor is great for families with kids of all ages to play safely and most of all, have a blast!
Of course, no good water park is complete without a wave pool or a lazy river (always my personal favorite) and Hurricane Harbor delivers, with a relaxing lazy river that winds around the park complete with tipping buckets, waterfalls, and flowing water.
The wave pool, called Hurricane Bay, has four-foot-tall waves prime for body surfing and riding in on your tube.
Conclusion
Arizona’s scorching hot summer days leads people to get a little desperate to stay cool, and playing in the water is one of the few ways to make it through with your sanity intact! Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but visiting a water park can make the heat a little more bearable.
Whether you’re going for adrenaline-pumping water slides that drop at near-vertical angles, or taking your toddler to a kids-friendly splash pad, visiting any of Arizona’s water parks is sure to make for a memorable day.
Wave pools and zero-entry swimming pools can make it feel like you’re actually at the beach (just without the annoying sand), and laying out on a beach chair while reading a good book can just about transport you to a sunny California beach.
A water park is a decent substitution for the beach (which land-locked Arizona is severely lacking in) and can be just as fun!
Grab your kids, grab your sunblock, throw on your swimsuit and sunglasses, and get ready for a good, splashing time!
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