Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas is the best water park in Las Vegas. Of the two Cowabunga water parks in Vegas, this is the more popular one and is jammed full of fun things to do anyone who loves water parks. I’ve put together this overview so that you can be prepared for an amazing day at Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas.
The park features a variety of attractions, including water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and a children’s play area. One of the things that sets Cowabunga Bay apart from other water parks is its theming. The park has a retro beach theme, with a 1950s themed drive-in theatre/wave pool and a ‘67 Volkswagen bus in the lazy river area. This creates a fun and unique atmosphere that adds to the overall experience.
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Location and History of Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas
Location
Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas is located in Henderson, Nevada, just a 20-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip. The park is situated off I-95 and Galleria, making it easily accessible for both locals and tourists. The water park covers 23 acres and features over 25 attractions, including water slides, a lazy river, and a wave pool.
History
Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas is part of the Cowabunga group, which also includes Cowabunga Canyon in Summerlin and Cowabunga Bay in Draper, Utah.
This location was the second water park in the chain to open. The Draper, UT location opened in 2009 while the Cowabunga Bay in Las Vegas opened in 2014. The Cowabunga Canyon in Las Vegas opened in 2022, although it was originally built in 2013 as Wet ‘n’ Wild Las Vegas.
source: Las Vegas Review Journal
Cowabunga Bay was developed by Huish Entertainment, the same company that operates the Cowabunga Bay water park in Utah. When the Cowabunga Group took over the former Wet ‘n’ Wild water park in Las Vegas, they joined forces with the Pyek Group. The partnership between Huish and Pyek now runs both Cowabunga Bay and Cowabunga Canyon in Las Vegas. The Pyek Group is the same group behind the Typhoon Texas water parks in Texas and has lots of experience running water parks.
Read My Listing of The Best Water Parks in Las Vegas Here
Attractions at Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas
Cowabunga Bay is jammed full of great slides and attractions and they are all pretty new since the park only opened in 2014 which is pretty recent compared to many regional water parks.
Slides
Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas boasts over 25 water slides and attractions, including some unique slides that you won’t find anywhere else in Nevada. The park’s attractions include a wave pool, endless river, kids play area, and splash pools.
The Signature Ride at Cowabunga Bay in Las Vegas is the Wild Surf which was opened for the 2015 season. This slide has a 55’ drop into a half pipe that looks like a wave where your tube will slide from side to side before leading down into the exit.
The Wild Surf was created by a company called Polin Waterparks which is a Turkey based water slide company that has installed a bunch of slides at Cowabunga Bay. In 2015 Cowabunga Bay also opened another Polin water slide called Beach Blanket Banzai which is a family rafting slide. This slide is much less intense and would be great for younger kids or those who are looking for an easy going raft slide.
For people looking for something more intense, you can head over to the seven-story tall Zuma ZOOMa body slide which features a 73-foot drop and a top speed of 40 mph. This is a drop slide where the floor disappears below you, so it’s not for the faint of heart!
One of my favorite slides at Cowabunga Bay in Las Vegas is Point Panic. It’s a pretty easy going tube ride, but it features “Natural Light Effect Technology” which lets some light into the otherwise dark tube ride. The result is some really cool rings of light as you’re going down the slide.
If you like the Natural Light Effect feature, you can also check out the Rock-A-Hoola slide which features some of the same lighting but also includes a giant bowl which I like to call a toilet bowl slide as you rinse around the outside until you swirl down the hole at the bottom!
Finally, one of the other slides with Natural Light Effects is the Surf-A-Go-Go which has two capsule shaped features where you slide from slide to side before dropping out and continuing on with the slide.
Cowabunga Bay has a great selection of water slides for those who want a high intensity thrill or easy going family tube slides for those who enjoy a more peaceful water slide experience.
Pools
In addition to the slides, Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas has a bunch of other places to spend your time and relax.
If you have young kids, Aloha Shores is a great spot where you’ll find Cowabunga Kids Cove which is a large water playground for kids. It features a shallow pool, 10 mini water slides, water falls and a giant tipping bucket.
One of the highlights to the park is the 35,000 square foot wave pool which is called the Surf-a-Rama Wave Pool. One cool feature here is that it includes a large screen which is designed like a drive-in theater. On some nights you can watch a movie while floating in the wave pool.
The lazy river here is called Cowabunga River and is retro surfing themed with a ‘67 VW bug and surfboards all around.
Cabanas
If you’re looking for a more private and comfortable experience, Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas offers VIP cabanas for rent. These cabanas come equipped with a private seating area, a mini-fridge, and other amenities.
Don’t expect these cabanas to be the same quality as the cabanas on the strip, but on a really busy scorching hot day it’s such a nice feature to be able to have a space to put your things and the privacy to relax.
Cowabunga Bay has three different types of cabanas: Lounge Cabanas, Standard Cabanas and VIP Cabanas. They range from $55 up to $250 depending on which cabanas you select and what day of the week you’re looking at.
While the cabanas are always nice to escape the sun and take a break, the park also has several lounges and seating areas throughout the park where you can relax and put your feet up.
Read My Listing of The Best Water Parks in Las Vegas Here
Food and Drink
When it comes to food and drink, Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas has got you covered. The park features several dining options, including a pizza restaurant, a burger joint, and a snack bar.
If you’re looking for a stiff drink, there are also several bars throughout the park where you can grab a cold drink or a frozen cocktail. Just keep in mind that all their frozen drinks are wine based as they do not sell hard liquor. I’ve never had a wine based margarita, but if you try it let me know what you think!
In addition to all their bars and food options, they also have cabana service for anyone who rents a cabana. This is always a nice way to avoid the lines for food.
Special Events at Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas
Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas is known for its exciting special events that take place throughout the year. One of the most popular events is the Festival of Lanterns, which runs from November to mid-February. During this time, the park is transformed into a magical wonderland with thousands of lanterns lighting up the night sky. There are also special food and beverage offerings, as well as live entertainment.
This video is from the 2021 season, but it gives you a good idea of what to expect.
In addition to the Festival of Lanterns, Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas also hosts other special events throughout the year, such as movie nights on the big screen at the wave pool, live music performances, and more.
For the adults, Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas will usually do a special 21+ event once or twice a year. It is called Cowabunga Bay After Hours. For this event, they keep the water park open late (it usually runs from 8PM to midnight) and they have really fun neon/LED lighting throughout the park, live music and serve alcohol. Keep in mind they don’t serve hard liquor so you can only get beer, wine and wine based cocktails.
Cowabunga Bay After Hours is usually in June and/or August. Keep you eyes on their socials for this year’s dates.
In addition to After Hours, they also have Cowabunga Bay Neon Night which is more family friendly, but is a similar event with cool lighting, live music and dance parties in your swimsuits. This even was held on July 16th, 2022 so hopefully it’ll be back again this year! Stay tuned to their socials to see when it’ll be this year.
Pricing at Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas
Day Passes
Cowabunga Bay has multiple options for day passes. The most flexible option is the “Any Day” ticket which, as the name implies, allows you to use the ticket any day. This is great if you aren’t sure when you will be going to the water park or for gifts. An “Any Day” ticket will cost you $46.99 for guests over 42” and $34.99 for guests under 42”.
If you know which day you’ll be going, you can book in advance and buy for a specific day. This price can vary based on the demand, but based on my research it seemed like most days were $25 per person. This will probably increase if you’re booking prime summer days on short notice, but you can save by booking in advance!
If you live locally or would be going for multiple days per season, you could consider the season pass. This is $99.99 for everyone, except seniors who can save a bit by paying only $69.99. The coolest part about the season pass is that it’s valid at both Cowabunga Bay and Cowabunga Canyon!
Parking
Parking at Cowabunga Bay is $8.00 for the day, but it’s included for free with all season passes.
Lockers
Cowabunga Bay has three different locker sizes and the prices range from $11.00 for a small locker for the day up to $15.00 for a large locker for the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cowabunga Bay Provide Towels?
No – Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas does not have towel service. It’s highly recommended that you bring your own, or else you’ll have to air dry! You may be able to find some for sale at the park, but you are better off bringing your own.
Does Cowabunga Bay Serve Alcohol?
Yes, Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas has bars on site as well as cabana service which will serve alcohol. However, keep in mind that they do not sell hard liquor. That means you can only get beer, wine and cocktails which are wine based.
Does Cowabunga Bay Have a Lazy River?
Yes! Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas has a lazy river. It’s called Cowabunga River and is retro beach themed with a ’67 Volkswagen bug and surfboards as decorations. It’s connected to a zero entry pool for ease of entry. Children under 42″ need to be supervised by an adult.
How Much Are Lockers at Cowabunga Bay?
Cowabunga Bay has three sizes of lockers. They will cost you $11 for a small (10″x13″), $13 for a medium size (10″x17″), $15 for a large locker (13″x23″). This will give you access to the locker for the full day.
How Deep Are The Pools at Cowabunga Bay?
The main pool at Cowabunga Bay Las Vegas is the wave pool. This pool is deep enough that most people will not be able to touch the ground, especially when the wave machine is running. In the lazy river, many adults can walk along the ground when out of their tubes. If you’re looking for shallow water, there are also zero entry pools for little ones.
Is Cowabunga Bay Water Heated?
Yes, most of the water in the pools heated. This includes the lazy river, so you don’t have to worry about a shock to the system by jumping into cold water. This is much appreciated on the cooler days. If you’re looking for some refreshing cooler water, you can jump on a water slide as that water isn’t heated.
Read My Listing of The Best Water Parks in Las Vegas Here
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