There are a bunch of water parks in Utah but if you’re looking for the best water park you’ve got two options: Cowabunga Bay or Splash Summit. While there are also a bunch of smaller municipal water parks and some parks which are great for small kids, there are really only two water parks which deserve the “best” title.
Cowabunga Bay and Splash Summit really do deserve to be on a different list. These are real water parks with slides that will get your adrenaline pumping but also have plenty of other attractions which will cater to everyone in your group.
The real difference here is probably location. Cowabunga Bay is located in Draper, UT just outside of Salt Lake City. Splash Summit is located 30 miles south in Provo. If you live in or are visiting the Salt Lake City area, Cowabunga Bay is your best option. If you’re in Provo or coming from the south, Splash Summit should be your first choice.
Whichever you decide, you’re in for a great day at the water park.
Let’s get to it! Here are the best water parks in Utah:
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Cowabunga Bay
Address: 12047 State St, Draper, UT 84020
Cowabunga Bay has all the water park staples in a fun bright colored package. They have slides, a lazy river, a kids play area and a decent snack bar to keep your energy levels up.
Their eleven slides range from the most extreme called Mondo to some toddler slides at the Kids Cove area. In addition to the Mondo, there are two more slides (Bombora and Banzai) which are fast enough to get you screaming on the way down. These are some of the most intense water slides you’ll find in Utah – although, that is caveated by the fact that Utah doesn’t have the same level of thrill as somewhere like Wisconsin Dells (the Water Park Capital of the World).
The lazy river is called Cowabunga River and is 600’ feet long and connects into a zero-entry pool. It features a bunch of water spraying elements and even has a car in the middle of the river.
- Day Passes: A day pass at Cowabunga Bay in Draper is $23.99 for guests over 48” and $19.99 for those under that height. If you’re bringing grandparents, they also have a discounted seniors rate of $9.99. Keep in mind that they run two “sessions” each day. When you buy a day pass, it’s actually only for one session. Their sessions are 10:30AM to 2PM or 2:30PM to 6PM.
- A fun fact.. they have “spectator wristbands” which are chemical-sensitive. If you have someone in your group who wants to join, but doesn’t want to get wet. They can get a $5.00 refund at the end of the day if they can show a wristband that never got wet. Keep your distance from those splashy kids!
- Cabanas: There are cabanas for rent at a cost of $125 per session or $75 per session for a Tiki Lounge. They have two types of cabanas, “VIP and “Beach”. Both have seating for 6-8 guests and wait staff, but the Beach Cabanas are slightly larger. The Tiki Lounge has two shaded chaise loungers and three beach chairs (fully exposed to the sun). These also include access to the wait staff.
- Signature Ride: The Mondo. This slide is 800 feet and is fully enclosed so you’re in the dark the entire way down. This is the most intense slide at the park.
- Pros: This is one of the best options if you’re a seeking high intensity slides in Utah.
- Cons: Cowabunga Bay is missing a proper wave pool and while the park has lots of fun attractions, you’ll have to cram it into a few hours because they don’t have day passes, only sessions.
While this is arguably the best water park in Utah, it’s not that impressive from a national perspective. If you’re a true water park fan, you’re going to have to look outside of Utah to experience next level attractions.
If you’re up for a drive, you can also check out the Cowabunga Bay or Cowabunga Canyon in Las Vegas.
Splash Summit
Address: 1330 East 300 North, Provo, UT 84606
Splash Summit was formerly know as Seven Peaks Waterpark but has been taken over by new ownership who have changed the name.
Splash Summit has pretty much everything you would expect of an outdoor water park with a tower of slides for people seeking a thrill or a lazy river for the more laid back guests. They also have a wave pool and kids splash pad. If you’re looking for an overview of the park, I really love this tour on their website which gives you a great idea of everything the park has to offer.
Did I mention that the water park is nestled into the edge of the mountains? If you’re from Utah, this probably isn’t that special. But if you’re visiting from out of town, this is such a cool part of the water park. You can be floating through the lazy river and looking up at the mountain rising out of the ground next to you.
- Day Passes: A day pass a Splash Summit is $24.99 for guests over 48” and $17.99 for those under the height limit, as well as seniors over 65 years old.
- Something to consider if trying to decide between Cowabunga Bay and Splash Summit – the price is about the same but keep in mind Cowabunga Bay you will only give you access for a few hours while a day pass to Splash Summit will give you access for the full day.
- But don’t go to Splash Summit expecting it to be cheaper.. they have additional charges. While Cowabunga Bay has free parking, at Splash Summit it’s a $10 charge per day. Also, if you want to ride some of the best slides, you’ll need a tube. That’s going to cost you an additional $6 per tube.
- If you’re local and would come back often, they offer a lifetime membership which seems like good value. It’s $69.99 and includes tubes for the season and parking for life.
- Cabanas: Splash Summit offers cabana rentals which is always a nice perk. It is a pretty expensive perk as it costs between $150 to $350 for a full day rental and the cabanas have a max of 10 people. If you reserve a cabana, it’ll come with drinks, some cabanas include snacks and all cabanas include express entry into the park which can be a huge perk on busy days.
- Signature Ride: There is no clear winner for the signature ride here, but I like Cave In. It’s not a really intense ride, but it’s fully enclosed and feels like you’re sliding down the slide in some blue tie-die world. You can also ride with a two person tube which is fun.
- Pros: Similar to Cowabunga Bay, these two parks are a cut above the rest. They’re two of the best options for water parks in Utah.
- Cons: I don’t love all the extra charges like parking and tube rental. Also as a heads up, if you have kids under 48” who don’t love life jackets, they will be required to wear a life jacket to ride the slides.
Here’s a quick 30 second overview of the park:
Cherry Hill Water Park
Address: 1325 South Main Street, Kaysville, UT 84037
Cherry Hill Water Park is located in Kaysville, Utah – just north of Salt Lake City. This park is targeted towards younger families and the water park specifically is on the smaller scale. There are many other dry attractions like mini golf, the “Jungle Maze” or a 30’ climbing wall. If you’re planning on hanging out here all day, you may need to consider these as the water park itself is unlikely to keep you busy for the full day.
If you’re going with young kids, the highlight of the water park is going to be the Grant’s Gulch Lazy River and the Pirates Cover splash pad. The Lazy River takes you through an old mining town which “explodes” every 45 minutes with waves and water spraying. The Pirates Cove splash pad look like an awesome place to spend some time with the little ones in your group. There is an 18” splash pool surrounding a pirate ship and water spraying all over to cool you down on those hot Summer Utah days.
Cherry Hill Water park does feature some smaller slides, but nothing that’s going to get your heart racing too fast.
Prices are listed at $40-$45 for the unlimited pass (which includes all the dry activities) or $35-$40 for water park only passes. Keep in mind, there is a small discount if you book your tickets online ahead of time.
This is a solid water park, especially if you’re looking for something to do with young kids. If you’ve got teenagers in your party, you may want to look elsewhere for something for older kids.
Lagoon-a-Beach
Address: 375 North Lagoon Drive, Farmington, Utah 84025
Lagoon-a-Beach is located with the Lagoon Park in Farmington, Utah which is just north of Salt Lake City. The Lagoon Park is a large theme park and Lagoon-a-Beach is a smaller water park located inside. While it’s not as large and impressive as the first two water parks on this list, this is a mid-sized water park and is a great option if you’re at the theme park and are looking to cool down or take a break from the rides.
This water park has nice splash area for the little kids with toddler slides, a water fall feature and shallow pool. For older kids looking for something more intense, there are some water slides including a drop slide and some side by side racing slides. This water park has most of the staples of a larger park with the exception of a wave pool which this place is missing.
- Day Passes: Access to Lagoon-a-Beach is included as part of the day pass to the theme park. It’s great that there is so much included in that day pass, but it’s really expensive if you’re just looking for access to the water park. Current pricing is $75 for a child under 48” and $93 for anyone over that height (although they have a slightly discounted price for anyone over 65 years old). Season passes are available for about $200, so if you’re local and you will come here often that could make sense.
Keep in mind that they charge for tube rentals and parking though! Tube rentals are $5 per tube or $2 per tube if you have a season pass. Or you can bring your own tube for the lazy river, but you can’t use your own tubes on the slides or in the pool.
Classic Waterslides
Address: 4465 S 600 W, Riverdale, UT 84405
This water park is located in Riverdale, Utah and is pretty similar to Cherry Hill Water Park as it’s best for younger kids. They have three water slides which are longer and will actually throw you around a little while the rest of the slides are pretty tame and would be toddler friendly.
This is a small water park but it does have cabana rentals and space for private parties and birthdays parties.
Provo Beach
Address: 4801 N University Ave #210, Provo, UT 84604
While this isn’t really a water park, I thought it was worthwhile to include as it has a FlowRider which is one of the most popular attractions at some of the water parks.
The cost is listed at $20 per person, per hour but you’ll have to share with up to 40 people at a time. If you want to rent it out privately for a function, there is that option but it’ll cost $400 an hour or $200 an hour to rent out half of it.
If you’re interested in learning to surf or you already know and are looking to catch some waves in a landlocked state, this could be a fun place to spend some time.
AquaXZone – CLOSED
In my research, I found this place which looks awesome! I love these alternative water parks that are set in lakes. Unfortunately, this one closed in 2020 for COVID-19 and hasn’t re-opened. This was located in Jordanelle State Park in Heber City, Utah but there is no trace of it anymore on their website and the AquaXZone website no longer works. Their social profiles were last updated with a “closed” post in 2020.
I will keep checking to see if this comes back but for now, it looks like we’re out of luck on this one.
Raging Waters – Salt Lake City
Raging Waters was once one of the best water parks in Salt Lake City, but it closed in 2018. There are plans to turn it into a really impressive public park so stay tuned for that if you live in the area or are coming back. Unfortunately though for the water park enthusiasts, this park is no longer an option.
What are the best water parks in Utah?
It’s really easy to name the best two water parks in Utah, but to pick between them is tough. If you go to either Cowabunga Bay or Splash Summit, I think you’ll be happy. The other water parks on this list are great for small kids or a few hours to cool off, but they’re just not as big and impressive as the main two water parks.
If you enjoyed this, please check out my other water park research here.