Best water parks around Phoenix: 11 hotels and parks with waterslides, wave pools and more
With summer right around the corner and Phoenix already experiencing its first of many 100-degree days, you may already be looking into how to escape Arizona’s notoriously dry heat.
Not to mention, with kids out of school soon and needing to be entertained, there is a way to kill two birds with one stone: Visit a water park.
Metro Phoenix has numerous water parks with lazy rivers, wave pools, thrilling waterslides and shady pools to cool off at, including the brand new 38-acre Cannon Beach expected to open in Mesa in June.
Hours and ride availability at each location might change depending on the day and weather conditions. Call or check the park's website ahead of your visit for the latest updates.
Here are 11 water parks and attractions across metro Phoenix.
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
The Princess has family-friendly pools and waterslides as well as an adults-only pool.
Among the six pools is the Sonoran Splash Pool, which has two 200-foot twisting waterslides. The Sunset Beach Pool is the largest, with a splash pad and white sand beach, according to the resort's website.
Buy day passes at resortpass.com.
Details: 7575 E. Princess Drive, Scottsdale. Day passes from $80 ($55 for ages 3-12; free for ages 2 and younger). 480-585-4848, fairmont.com/scottsdale.
Golfland Sunsplash
Golfland Sunsplash in Mesa is open on weekends through May 18 and starts daily operations on May 24. Hours vary depending on the day.
Sunsplash's attractions include speed slides, an open swim area, an activity pool with games, a "roller coaster water slide," a lazy river, a wave pool and a halfpipe-style slide. Call ahead to find out whether any are closed on the day you plan to visit.
On some days, limited attractions are open, and on a few days, they only have late afternoon-evening hours. Select days have night splash hours beginning at 5 p.m. Check the online calendar for the full schedule: golfland.com/mesa.
Buy tickets online to save a few dollars.
Details: Days and hours vary; check the website. 155 W. Hampton Ave., Mesa. From $52 for kids and adults (from $41.99 online), $5.99 for ages 12 months to 35 months. 480-834-8319, golfland.com/mesa.
Great Wolf Lodge Arizona
If you want to visit the temperature-regulated indoor water park at Great Wolf Lodge, Arizona, near Scottsdale without booking an overnight stay, full- and half-day passes are available at greatwolf.com. You can also call 800-905-9653.
The water park, which is maintained at 84 degrees year-round, offers a four-person high-speed raft ride, a lazy river and tandem tube rides, among other attractions.
Here are the pricing options:
Mondays-Thursdays: A full-day pass is $55 per person; a half-day pass is $49.50.
Fridays and Sundays: A full-day pass is $65 per person; a half-day pass is $58.50.
Saturdays: A full-day pass is $100 per person; a half-day pass is $90.
Details: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. weekends. 7333 N. Pima Road, on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale. From $49.50; free for ages 2 and younger. 888-962-9653, greatwolf.com/arizona.
Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak
The Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak's River Ranch Water Park is open year-round with three pools, a half-mile lazy river and a 130-foot waterslide. It's currently on springtime hours; check the online calendar for summer hours.
For day passes, go to ResortPass.
Details: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. 7677 N. 16th St., Phoenix. From $50 ($35 for children, free for ages 2 and younger). 602-997-2626, hiltonphoenixresortatthepeak.com.
Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch
The Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch is undergoing renovations that will lead to its rebranding as the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort and Spa.
Upgrades to the pool area include new restaurants, cabanas and patio furniture. Visitors can use the resort's 10 pools, 45 waterfalls, sandy beach and three-story water slide between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. every day by purchasing day passes on ResortPass.
Details: 6 a.m.-11 p.m. daily through June 4. 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Road, Scottsdale. From $55 ($20 for children); free for ages 2 and younger. 480-444-1234, hyatt.com.
H2-Whoa Lake Pleasant
H2-Whoa's floating waterslide on Lake Pleasant is open just in time for warmer weather and Memorial Day weekend.
Going down the slide — and up in the air before you land in the water — is "the closest thing to flying outside of an airplane," H2-Whoa's website advertises. Participants have to be 7 years or older. It costs $35-$40 per person for an hour on the slide, $50 for a half day and $65 for a full day
Details: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends through May (closed the weekend of May 17), 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily June through August, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends September through October. From $35. 480-466-2904, h2-whoa.com.
Oasis Water Park at Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
Arizona Grand Resort & Spa's 7-acre Oasis water park — which features an eight-story tower with three slides, a 25-person hot tub, an "active" river and a wave pool — is open. There are six pools in total, including a lap pool. Dive-in movie screenings are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Buy day passes at ResortPass.
Details: Hours vary throughout the summer; check the website. 8000 Arizona Grand Parkway, Phoenix. From $55 for adults, $45 for ages 3-12, free for age 2 and younger. 877-800-4888, arizonagrandresort.com.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
Attractions at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Glendale, which include "gravity-defying water coasters," a lazy river and a wave pool, are open for the season.
The water park is open on weekends through May 14, daily from May 20 to July 28, and weekends only through Sept. 8. For the full schedule, go to sixflags.com/phoenix. Call ahead to make sure your favorite attractions are open on the day you visit.
Details: Days and hours vary; check the online calendar. 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Glendale. From $35 online; parking is extra. 623-201-2000, sixflags.com/phoenix.
Salt River Tubing
Salt River Tubing, in Tonto National Forest in east Mesa, is open for the 2024 season.
If you're a first-timer, make sure to plan ahead: Bring closed-toe shoes, something to cover the tube — which can get hot under full sun exposure — plenty of water, sunscreen, a cooler and something to store your trash. You can float anywhere from 1? to five hours, depending on where you start and end.
The tube rental company, which shuttles guests to the lower Salt River, offers online reservations.
Details: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily through Aug. 31; weekends only through Sept. 29. 9200 N. Bush Highway, Mesa. 480-984-3305, saltrivertubing.com.
Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
The Westin Kierland's Adventure Water Park is open, offering a FlowRider surfing simulator (for an extra fee), lazy river and a 110-foot-long waterslide. Buy day passes at ResortPass.
Details: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. 6902 E. Greenway Parkway, Phoenix. From $45 for adults, $35 for kids, free for age 2 and younger. 480-624-1000, marriott.com.
Cannon Beach in Mesa
Mesa is expanding its waterworks fun with the new 38-acre Cannon Beach waterpark expected to soft open in June or July and fully open later in the summer.
The mixed-use development will feature Revel Surf, the first surf park development in the world to feature both a large traveling wave pool and a stationary rapid wave pool in one park.
There will also be fire pits, cabanas, water features, splash pads and outdoor games.
No hours or prices have been announced yet. Keep up to date on developments by following @cannonbeachaz on Instagram or visit cannonbeachaz.com.
Meredith G. White is the entertainment reporter for The Arizona Republic | azcentral.com. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and X, formerly Twitter: @meredithgwhite, and email her at [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best water parks in Arizona 2024: Guide to prices, hours
