With summer in full swing now and temperatures reaching into the 80s, we’re all looking for ways to cool off. A dip in the pool or a swim in the lake is fun, but there really isn’t anything quite like throwing yourself down a giant water slide, splashing in a wave pool, or floating down a lazy river to cool off during the summertime.
Michigan is home to more than 20 different water parks that are great for families. Whether you want to wade in the shallow end with the kids, race each other down steep water slides, or rent a cabana for the day, each water park offers something unique for the family.
Here’s a list of the top 5 water parks in Michigan:
Full Blast
Battle Creek, MI
Full Blast Recreation Center is a fitness center and water park combination. Full Blast is known mostly for its indoor/outdoor water park, Flash Flood. The water park is open between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It features just about everything for kids and young teens, including zero depth entry pools, a water playground for younger kids, two 200-foot outdoor water slides and two 100-foot indoor water slides. What makes Full Blast unique is that it’s a recreation center with concessions, basketball courts, inflatable obstacle courses, and more.
Soaring Eagle Waterpark & Hotel
Mount Pleasant, MI
This resort and water park hotel has it all. Soaring Eagle Waterpark & Hotel has an indoor water park featuring water playgrounds, a 3-story waterslide (that runs inside and outside the building), a lazy river, a large adult hot tub, and cabanas for relaxation. Currently, when you book a standard room at the hotel, you’ll receive 4 water park passes for free.
Red Oaks Waterpark
Madison Heights, MI
Red Oaks Waterpark located in Oakland County features the Terrific Tides wave-action pool, a triple-flume waterslide, a soak station, spray & play area for toddlers, and a lazy river stretching 990-feet long. Some attractions are also heated, including the lazy river and wave pool, so on cloudy days, you don’t have to worry about colder water temps!
Red Oaks also features shelters for reservation that have tables and grills if you want to have a cook-out with the family on the property.
Great Wolf Lodge
Traverse City, MI
There are a lot of Great Wolf Lodges throughout North America, but luckily, Michigan has one right in beautiful Traverse City. It’s a pretty common resort destination for families. Great Wolf Lodge is usually known for its indoor water park, featuring water playgrounds and indoor slides but Traverse City also includes a heated outdoor water park called Thunder Bay. And of course, there are cabana rentals available and Manitoba tubs.
Wildwater Adventure at Michigan’s Adventure
Muskegon, MI
Saving the best for last, is Wildwater Adventure at Michigan’s Adventure. The Michigan’s Adventure water park is easily one of the more well-known parks in Michigan. The park features just about everything, including a family water playground, two wave pools, a large cyclone water slide, several large water slides featuring tunnels and straight plummets, a lagoon, a relaxing lazy river, and the popular Funnel of Fear.
The Funnel of Fear is a large tornado water slide where riders can ride individually or in a group inner tube down a long dark slide and plummet into a massive funnel. The pink and yellow Funnel of Fear has been claimed by many to be the best slide in the park.
Wildwater Adventure also has many cabana rentals along the wave pools, which is great for those looking to relax. And what makes this water park so great is that admission not only includes the water park, but also Michigan’s Adventure.
