Pennsylvania
Want to cool off at a water park this summer? Check out these 7 parks
Is Your Child Ready to Stay Home Alone? Summer Safety Guide
As summer vacation approaches, many parents wonder if their children are ready to stay home alone. Here are some recommendations to help you decide.
With warm weather here, families are setting their sights on cooling off in the water.
If you want to switch up your weekends and trade the beach for a water park, here are some options around the region offering fun for the whole family.
Killens Pond State Park, near Felton
Killens Pond State Park, named after the 66-acre Killens Pond, was once home to the Lenape people. It now houses a variety of fish, like crappies and sunfish, and is frequented by guests looking for an afternoon of serenity or recreation, according to Delaware State Parks.
The park offers watercraft rentals and features the popular Pondside Loop Trail and a water park.
The water park features four water slides and designated baby, toddler and main pool areas with water jets, a lily pad walk and more. The largest slide at the park begins 54 feet off the ground.
The water park is open for two sessions per day – 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Memorial Day through Labor Day. Guests can stay the full day if they purchase tickets for both sessions.
While you’re in the area, be sure to check out what else the state park has to offer. Other activities at Killens Pond include:
- Visiting the park’s nature center to see live animal exhibits
- Playing on the playground
- Playing sports like baseball, volleyball and disc golf
5025 Killens Pond Road, Felton, (302) 284-4526; destateparks.com/PondsRivers/KillensPond.
Great Wolf Lodge Maryland – Perryville, Maryland
The largest Great Wolf Lodge water park, which opened in 2023, is located just off I-95 at 1240 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway in Perryville, Maryland, less than half an hour from Newark.
The water park covers more than 126,000 square feet of the resort, which boasts more than 700 rooms. There are 22 individual slides varying in intensity, along with a lazy river, hot springs and other water attractions.
Indoor and outdoor cabanas are available, but they cannot be reserved unless a stay has been booked. No matter the length of your stay, a pass includes access to the water park from open to close, life jackets and towels as needed, among other perks.
If you aren’t staying overnight, day passes are offered and allow guests to enjoy the indoor water parks (with towels included). All-day passes are valid from open to close, which is 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Half-day passes are valid from 4 p.m. to close.
If waterpark access isn’t all you’re looking for, the day pass bundle includes access to attractions like MagiQuest and arcade games. Attractions and dining packages cannot be added to regular day passes.
1240 Chesapeake Overlook Parkway, Perryville, Maryland; greatwolf.com/maryland.
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions – Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania
Kalahari Resorts, in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, is known for its sprawling water park and its entertainment options for the not-so-water-borne adults.
Kalahari has over 250,000 square feet of water parks, dining areas and entertainment areas like arcades and spas. The water park has over 20 different water slides, a water basketball court, lazy river and a swim-up bar.
The resort is a roughly two-hour drive from Wilmington. Day passes are available for a quick trip, and additional options are available for early waterpark access or passes to skip the lines on some of the biggest rides.
250 Kalahari Blvd., Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania, (877) 535-2427; kalahariresorts.com.
Viking Golf & Thunder Lagoon Water Park – Fenwick Island
The Fenwick Fun site, located just blocks away from Ocean City, Maryland, is not your average outdoor water park. A 19-hole mini golf course, go-kart track, theme park and boardwalk are all in the same campus as the Thunder Lagoon water park, perfect for guests of all ages and interests to enjoy.
Thunder Lagoon is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, weather permitting. The water park includes six water slides, a 400-foot tropical lazy river, pools for various ages and the “legendary” tipping Viking ship.
Tickets for the water park are sold in two-hour and four-hour blocks. Visitors can also purchase multi-day passes to save on visits, which is a great option for a week on vacation
38960 Island St., Fenwick Island, (302) 539-1644; fenwickfun.com.
Camelback Resort – Tannersville, Pennsylvania
Located a two-hour drive from Wilmington in Tannersville, Pennsylvania, Camelback Resort’s Aquatopia water park has 13 water slides, one of which holds the title as the longest indoor water coaster slide in the world.
The 125,000-square-foot water park lights up at night and has a transparent roof so guests can get their vitamin D fix during the day. Aquatopia also has a wave pool, lazy river, a toddler area, a simulated surfing area and a swim-up bar.
Aside from water park activities, the resort also has 170,000 square feet of indoor games for the whole family, as well as over 450 suites available for an extended stay.
Aquatopia is open Sundays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Bookings can be made online through the Camelback Resort website.
193 Resort Drive, Tannersville, Pennsylvania, (570) 629-1661; camelbackresort.com.
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom – near Allentown, Pennsylvania
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom near Allentown, Pennsylvania, is around an half and a half drive from Wilmington.
Beyond the roller coasters at Dorney Park and the large collection of kiddie rides at Planet Snoopy, Wildwater Kingdom is brimming with water fun to help you cool off on a hot day.
Wildwater Kingdom has 16 water attractions, including wave pools, rivers for tubing and a variety of variety slides. Poolside dining is available, along with cabanas for reservation.
This year’s season opens with a reimagined Lightning Falls and Cascade, the new 21° and Colder bar experience and updates to the Tradewinds retail location. Also new this summer is the SPLASH! Water Parade, which brings “an interactive, water-themed spectacle to the park,” including floats, live performers and surprises.
4000 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, Pennsylvania;www.sixflags.com/dorneypark.
Splash Mountain Water Park – Ocean City, Maryland
Jolly Roger Splash Mountain in Ocean City, Maryland, has been a mainstay at the beach for over 50 years.
Attractions at Splash Mountain include the thrilling Aqualoop, a water slide that catapults riders down a near-vertical drop before sending them around a loop that makes normal roller coasters; and Stealth, a half pipe ride with a 45-foot vertical ramp.
For the less adrenaline-rush-driven people, the park’s wave pool, lazy lagoon and rainforest play area are equally popular attractions.
Various passes are available for Splash Mountain.
2901 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, Maryland; (410) 289-3477; splashmountainoc.com.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com.