Tired of the cold, the snow, and the dreariness of winter? Can’t wait to get in the water and have some fun? Well, until summer gets here we thought you might enjoy some indoor water parks! One of the greatest things about RVing is you don’t have to wait for summer to come to enjoy some summertime activities, just pack up the family and head to one of these super fun parks…your family will thank you!
Wilderness Territory Waterpark Resort, Wisconsin Dells
Four distinct parks make up this massive 600-acre resort, which stays a balmy 88 degrees regardless of the temperature outside. The park's big attraction is the Hurricane—a family raft ride that drops 58 feet then spins into a funnel that mimics a hurricane in enough detail (lightning and fog machine alert!) to be as terrifying as it is fun. Not interested in the Hurricane, you may like their idea of filling up the kiddie pool with "Bumper Boats" and a word to the wise: The Great Wave—a 15,450-square-foot wave pool that pits swimmers against five-foot swells—is addictive. 511 E. Adams St., Wisconsin Dells, Wis., 800/867-9453, wildernessresort.com
Splash Lagoon, Erie, Pennsylvania
The first water park in the U.S. opened in 1989, and 13 years later Pennsylvania finally caught on onto the trend with Splash Lagoon. The Tiki Treehouse is right at the top of the park's greatest hit list—half fortress, half obstacle course, the attraction is a favorite among kids who love the bridges, slides and the huge bucket of water that periodically deluges unsuspecting guests. Of course, waterslides feature prominently here and the two standouts are: Shark Attack, a furiously fast body slide that twists and turns outside the building; and the Black Hole, a tunnel slide that leaves you in the dark until the very end. 8091 Peach St., Erie, Penn., 866/377-5274, splashlagoon.com.
Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark, Boyne Falls, Michigan
In Michigan's northwestern region, Boyne is best known as a ski escape. But the area is also home to the 88,000-square-foot Avalanche Bay, where skiers often thaw out in the 84-degree temperatures. Adventure-seekers should head to the South Wall, a 25-foot-high climbing wall that pours H2O on daredevils attempting to summit. Those keen to stay on the ground should listen for the Splasherhorn's rumblings—the four-story play structure dumps 800 gallons of water on passers-by throughout the day. The park is also home to Michigan's only surf simulator, the Rip Zone, where guests can try either stand-up surfing or boogie boarding. 1 Boyne Mountain Rd., Boyne Falls, Mich., 800/462-6963, avalanchebay.com.
Kalahari Resort, Sandusky, Ohio
The African-themed Kalahari is an expansive 173,000 square feet (it's the largest water park under one roof in the U.S.) and features a spectrum of thrill rides, from the 55-foot-tall Cheetah Race waterslide to the speedy, 400-foot-long Rippling Rhino tube ride. But a must-do is the 500-foot-long Zip Coaster: Utilizing a conveyor belt system, it launches two-person rafts into a series of free-fall drops, on-a-dime turns, and tunnels, all in a 30-second blur. 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky, Ohio, 877/525-2427, kalahariresorts.com/oh.
Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Indoor Waterpark, Galveston, Texas
Meet the chain that invented the lazy river—a concept so popular that it's now practically a requirement at any water park worth its salt. The latest outpost from Schlitterbahn—a family-owned operation with four parks in the Midwest—has put a twist on the concept by adding waves to a river that is nearly a quarter-mile long (called Torrent River, this splashy adventure is anything but lazy). The company has another first under its belt with this Galveston Island park, too; it's the first "convertible" water park in the world, which means that it can convert from indoor to outdoor, depending on the weather. 2026 Lockheed St., Galveston, Tex., 409/770-9283, schlitterbahn.com/gal.
Water Park of America, Bloomington, Minnesota
This 70,000-square-foot water park is right next to the gargantuan Mall of America, refreshing tired shoppers with more than 300,000 gallons of water daily. The park's signature is a 10-story-tall tower waterslide for raft riders that drops and curves for more than a mile (the enclosed-tube ride is so long that it even takes a loop outside the building!). 1700 American Blvd. East, Bloomington, Minn., 952/ 698-8888, waterparkofamerica.com.
Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound, Washington
America's largest family of indoor water park hotels, Great Wolf has 12 lodges to its name. Its only West Coast location is in Grand Mound and draws much of its attendance from nearby Seattle. Those looking for thrills either head to the Howlin' Tornado, a raft ride that swirls riders up its funneled 30-foot sides, or the River Canyon Run, where a round raft drops six stories through a chute, sailing over 500 feet of water in all. 20500 Old Highway 99 SW, Centralia, Wash., 800/640-9653, greatwolf.com/grandmound/waterpark.
Massanutten Resort, McGaheysville, Virginia
Massanutten offers more than just warm water temperatures and eight big attractions: The 42,000-square-foot glass-walled, pyramid-shaped structure also has views of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. As for rides, the Melting Mogul body slide sends folks on a heart-stopping descent into total darkness, and the Peak Splash slide is more than 440 feet high and moves 2,000 gallons of water per minute. Parents can recover from it all in the Shenandoah Hot Springs, an indoor/outdoor hot tub that's open year round. 1822 Resort Dr., McGaheysville, Va., 540/289-9441, massresort.com.
Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark, Kellogg, Idaho
Idaho's largest indoor water park was built especially with teens in mind. The park's calling card is Hoop Lagoon—a court-sized, three-foot deep, warm-water pool with real basketball hoops suspended overhead for friendly games. There's also a Flow Rider surf wave that moves at 35 mph and the Crossing, where kids can jump between floating obstacles like lily pads. For together time, families flock to the Moose Sluice, a raft waterslide that sends parties of four careening through a dark tunnel. 610 Bunker Ave., Kellogg, Idaho, 866/344-2675, silvermt.com.
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