Wilderness Territory Waterpark Resort
No matter how cold it gets outside, you'll always find temperatures in the 80s in these indoor water parks, where you can do everything from surfing 35-mph waves to riding a lazy river. Text by Laura Kiniry, Budget Travel.
Four distinct parks make up Wilderness Territory Waterpark Resort in Wisconsin Dells. This massive 600-acre resort stays a balmy 88 degrees regardless of the temperature outside. It may take several seasons to experience all of the rides here, but the park's tour de force 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. 511 E. Adams St., Wisconsin Dells, Wis., 800/867-9453. Park access for resort guests only; doubles from $99. Short drive from Madison, Wis. (55 miles).
Splash Lagoon
The first water park in the U.S. opened in 1989, and 13 years later Pennsylvania finally caught onto the trend with Splash Lagoon in Erie, Pa. It may have taken a while, but as this park proves — some things are worth waiting for. The park attracts about 400,000 annual visitors and will open a new 30,000-square-foot wave pool this summer.8091 Peach St., Erie, Penn., 866/377-5274. Day passes from $35; rooms at varying hotels in the area from $119 (includes water park tickets). Short drive from Cleveland (102 miles), Buffalo (96 miles), Pittsburgh (128 miles).
Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark
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. The park is 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. Tickets from $19; double rooms at Boyne Mountain Resort from $181 per night (includes water park tickets and free arcade tokens). Short drive from Traverse City , Mich. (58 miles), Grand Rapids (169 miles).
Kalahari Resort
The African-themed Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio, 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.
7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky, Ohio, 877/525-2427. Day passes from $39; rooms from $159 (includes water park tickets and sleeps four). Short drive from Toledo (60 miles), Cleveland (62 miles).
Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Indoor Waterpark
Schlitterbahn, a family-owned operation with four parks in the Midwest, invented the lazy river. The concept is so popular that it's now practically a requirement at any water park. Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Indoor Waterpark in Galveston, Texas, is the company's latest outpost. It boasts Torrent River, a river that is nearly a quarter-mile long.
2026 Lockheed St., Galveston, Tex., 409/770-9283. Day passes from $28. Short drive from Houston (50 miles), Austin (215 miles).
Water Park of America
Water Park of America in Bloomington, Minn., is a 70,000-square-foot water park right next to the gargantuan Mall of America. It refreshes 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. Day passes from $20; rooms from $180 (includes water park tickets and sleeps four). Short drive from Minneapolis (13 miles), Cedar Rapids, Iowa (266 miles).
Great Wolf Lodge
America's largest family of indoor water park hotels, Great Wolf has 12 lodges to its name. Great Wolf Lodge Grand Mound, north of Centralia, Wash., 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.
Massanutten Resort
Massanutten Resort in Massanutten, Va., 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.
KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort
Part of a 414-room resort, KeyLime's 65,000-square-foot water park in Gurnee, Ill, is decorated in dazzling colors, easily brightening up any Midwest winter. The real claim to fame is the dizzying Hurricane Vortex, which shoots raft riders 40 mph into an orange-and-yellow swirling bowl and then drops them on a 44-foot plunge.
Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark
Silver Rapids Indoor Waterpark in Kellogg, Idaho, is the state's largest indoor water park and 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.
