There are plenty of things to do near LA, with picturesque beaches, exciting theme parks, and spectacular sightseeing opportunities. But one thing most people don’t realize is there are plenty of great water parks near LA that are perfect for a hot summer day!
If you’re interested in cooling off and having fun in the sun with your family, then you may want to head to Southern California. More specifically, you may want to go to one of the many water parks near Los Angeles. There are 10 wonderful options within a 1.5-hour drive of the city!
The most popular ones are of course Six Flags Hurricane Harbor and Raging Waters. However, if you’re looking for smaller, less crowded water parks, then read on to discover what else is out there!
Below, you’ll find a few bits of information alongside each water park, including the distance away from Downtown Los Angeles. Don’t miss the complete map of the 10 outdoor and indoor water parks in Southern California at the end of the post!
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10 Best Outdoor And Indoor Water Parks In Southern California
Table of Contents
1. Great Wolf Lodge
38 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles
Great Wolf Lodge is a national chain of indoor water park resorts located in different states. Lucky for you, there’s one right here in Southern California!
Great Wolf Lodge Southern California is the perfect stop for families looking to beat the summer heat. This fun family getaway offers something for everyone with indoor water parks, activities, and dining options.
Most notable is their kid-friendly indoor water park that draws families in from left and right. The water park features an array of tubes, body slides, obstacle courses, waterfalls, and other kid-friendly attractions.
Climb around Fort Mackenzie, head down the lazy river, spin around a six-story funnel in the Howlin’ Tornado, ride the rapids with the entire family on River Canyon Run, and so much more.
In addition to all the indoor water park fun, there are also shows, crafts, bowling, yoga, miniature golf, and more activities that all members of the family will love.
Good news, parents: Great Wolf Lodge has just announced a new nationwide water park day pass program! Full-day and half-day tickets are now available for day-trippers, so if you have kids who are looking to beat the heat but don’t want to book a night’s stay, consider Great Wolf Lodge. Free passes for kids aged 2 years and under.
- Address: 12681 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, CA 92840Price: Free for hotel guests; $75 for non-guests
- Type of water park: Indoor
- Overnight stay required: No.
- Admission Price: Ranges from $24 to $80 depending on the season. Full-Day and Half-Day passes can be purchased here.
- Parking: Valet Parking and self-parking are available, both at an additional cost.
Book your overnight stay at Great Wolf Lodge here.
2. Raging Waters Los Angeles
34 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles
Raging Waters Los Angeles is California’s largest outdoor waterpark. With over 50 rides and attractions spanning across 60 acres of land, you and your kids are going to have a lot of fun here. Thrill rides like Ragin’ Racer, Aqua Rocket (the state’s only hydromagnetic water coaster), and Dragon’s Den have raised the bar for water park exhilaration. You’ll love it here!
- Address: 111 Raging Waters Dr, San Dimas, CA 91773
- Type of water park: Indoor
- Admission Price: $45.99 general admission; $35.99 for kids and seniors, additional cost for parking
- Parking: Parking is $20 per vehicle.
3. Splash! La Mirada Aquatics Center (Buccaneer Bay)
30 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles
Buccaneer Bay at La Mirada Splash is one of the best family-friendly water parks in the LA area. As the name suggests, this water park is pirate-themed and the largest water park in Los Angeles County.
Kids can play in the water, run around on slides, and even play pirate-themed games. It includes three waterslides and two wave sliders, an aquatic play structure, a skull rock, a marooned ship, a warm water pool, and a lazy river.
The park is broken out into different areas for different ages, with things like slides for older kids and pools for younger kids.
Tickets are available for as little as $18, making it one of the more affordable water parks in the area. Season passes are also available for purchase.
- Address: 13806 La Mirada Blvd, La Mirada, CA 90638
- Type of water park: Outdoor
- Admission Price: $23 general admission; $18 for guests under 48” tall; free for children 2 and under
- Parking: Parking is free at the La Mirada Aquatics Center
4. Castaway Cove (Howard Johnson Anaheim)
30 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles
Castaway Cove is a pirate-themed water playground located inside the Howard Johnson Hotel in Anaheim, featuring slides, water cannons, and a pirate ship with a splash!
Little swashbucklers will love Speedy’s Sprayground featuring Speedy the turtle, splash fountains, and a toddler pool with beach-style entry. There are even toddler-friendly water slides here. While kids enjoy Castaway Cove, parents will appreciate the rejuvenating hot tub spa after a day of sightseeing.
Castaway Cove is just an 8-minute walk from Disneyland, so if you and your kids need a mid-day break, snagging a room here is just the thing for you.
- Address: 1380 S. Harbor Blvd. Anaheim, CA 92802
- Type of water park: Outdoor
- Overnight stay required: Yes
- Admission Price: Castaway Cove Water Playground is exclusively for registered hotel guests. You can book your overnight stay here.
- Parking: Free parking for hotel guests
5. Buccaneer Cove at Castle Park
1 hour from Downtown Los Angeles
Buccaneer Cove at Castle Park is one of the best water parks in Southern California if you happen to be in the Inland Empire.
Located in Riverside, CA, Buccaneer Cove features four levels of family water play with dozens of interactive water elements, including 5 colorful water slides, spray cannons, cylinder spray fountains, splash features, and more.
If your family needs a break from the fun and the sun, there are lots of lounge chairs and seating as well as private cabanas available for rent. If you know you’ll be staying there all day, cabanas are the best way to have an exclusive space for you and your family to relax.
- Address: 3500 Polk St., Riverside, CA 92505
- Type of water park: Outdoor
- Admission Price: $39.99 at the gate, additional savings if purchased online. Check their promotions page as there may be special rates for students and military personnel.
- Parking: Parking is $10 per vehicle
6. Knott’s Soak City
30 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles
Most people know of Knott’s Berry Farm, but did you also know there’s a Knott’s Soak City for all your water park needs? That’s right, you and your family can cool off at Knott’s Soak City, Orange County’s largest outdoor water park.
Knott’s Soak City is an attraction all its own. Just next door to Knott’s Berry Farm, this 15-acre water park boasts 23 waterslides, a 750,000-gallon wave pool, and one of the world’s longest water park lazy rivers.
The three-story Beach House features interactive fun in the form of 200 water guns, nozzles, sprayers and other surprises. Younger kids can enjoy hands-on water play at Gremmie Lagoon, while the older thrill-seekers can enjoy exhilarating attractions like Banzai Falls, Old Man Falls, and Malibu Run.
You can also rent cabanas and inner tubes. The park also has waiter service, which makes staying by your kids and your belongings effortless!
- Address: 8039 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90620
- Type of water park: Outdoor
- Admission Price: $28.99 general admission; $17.99 for children and seniors
- Parking: Parking is $20 for cars and motorcycles. Buses and RVs pay $25.
7. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
45 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles
Next door to Six Flags Magic Mountain, Hurricane Harbor offers more than a dozen water slides for riders of all shapes and sizes.
Two of the tallest fully-enclosed speed slides in Southern California, a 1,300-foot river, a wave pool, an interactive lagoon, and a kids’ play area round out the 22-acre waterpark. Thrillseekers will especially love the 35-foot turbo slides and fast-winding tubes on Python Plunge.
With exciting water rides, relaxing lazy rivers and wave pools, this Los Angeles waterpark has something for everyone!
- Address: 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia, CA 91355
- Type of water park: Outdoor
- Admission Price: $44.99 general admission; $36.99 for kids under 48” tall; kids under 2 get in free
- Parking: Parking is $25 per vehicle. Parking is free if you have a Six Flags season pass or membership.
8. DryTown Water Park
1 hour from Downtown Los Angeles
While this one is a bit farther from LA-proper, it’s equally as entertaining as the rest of the waterparks on this list! And don’t let the name fool you, you will not stay dry for long!
DryTown Water Park is the Antelope Valley’s best place to take kids when the weather starts to heat up. Whether you’re looking for entertainment for little ones (Little Miner’s Camp is perfect) or more thrill for the older, adventurous kids (lots of rides in this category), DryTown has got you covered.
Grab a tube and head down Big Rock River, or race for the win on the super-fast Dusty’s Mineshaft Racer!
Because of its popularity, you should check the website for the latest information on advanced reservations. Season passes are available as well.
- Address: 3850 East Avenue S Palmdale, CA 93550
- Type of water park: Outdoor
- Parking: Parking at DryTown is free.
9. Newport Dunes Waterfront
50 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles
If you’re up for a day trip out to Newport Beach, then you’re in for a treat because this is where Newport Beach’s fun and exciting inflatable water park is! But that isn’t the only water activity here–Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort & Marina offers a really wide range of water-related activities for thrill-seekers and families alike.
Whether you’re making a splash in the Newport Dunes Water Park, cruising through the Marina on a Radiant Rides SUP night tour, or meeting the friendly marine animals at the Back Bay Animal Preserve, you’ll find that Newport Dunes offers something for everyone.
For thrill-seekers, there are giant “icebergs” to scale and waterslides to scream down as you get your full-body workout on over 14 inflatables and water sports attractions..
Animal lovers looking for a more relaxing afternoon have the opportunity to get up close with sea lions, sea turtles, and stingrays at the Back Bay Animal Preserve.
- Address: 1131 Back Bay Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660
- Type of water park: Outdoor inflatable water park
- Admission Price: $8 to 15 hourly, depending on the season and if you’re a resort guest or not
- Additional Information: The inflatable water park is open to both guests and the public. No advanced reservations are needed.
10. Legoland Water Park
1 hour 30 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles
If you have kids that are absolutely obsessed with all things LEGO, then this 10-acre water wonderland is the water park for your family.
LEGOLAND Water Park offers a fun way for families to cool off on those hot SoCal summer days. Building LEGO rafts to ride and screaming down slides are just some of the park’s activities. Younger family members will enjoy the DUPLO Splash Safari and Imagination Station, while older children can ride Joker Soaker—a thrilling water ride that requires its riders to wear swim pants!
All in all, there is so much to do at LEGOLAND and CHIMA Water Park. We recommend downloading the LEGOLAND App to check the wait times for all different rides and activities.
- Address: One LEGOLAND Drive, Carlsbad, CA 92008
- Type of water park: Outdoor
- Admission Price: Tickets from $89.99
- Additional Information: Water Park entrance is inside LEGOLAND so therefore you must visit both Parks on the same day if your ticket includes the Water Park admission.
And there you have it–the 10 best outdoor and indoor water parks in Southern California! We hope you’re able to visit one or two of these with your family this season!