This Nevada oasis is the wildest place to cool down in summer, and offers plenty of thrills year-round.
Wild Island Family Adventure Park holds a monopoly on water parks in Nevada, but it certainly isn’t resting on its laurels. The park has an extensive range of indoor and outdoor activities that are open year-round, as well as water slides that operate seasonally.
During the busy summer months, it’s best to arrive early to beat the lines. Get started on your wet and wild day by heading to the far side of the park and jumping on the Black Widow. This is an easy first slide before stepping up to the larger and more intense Red Viper: a six-story free-fall.
Adrenaline junkies can take on the four-story half pipe of the Scorpion. Challenge your friends to a tube race on Fire and Ice. For bigger groups, jump onboard Zulu, the four-lane mat race that drops you along a 270-foot (80-metre) challenging, bumpy slide.
There are plenty of gentle options for younger children. They can splash in the wave pools, cruise down a meandering river, and the big Hurricane Cove offers a fun place to play in shallow waters. Be aware that a number of rides have height restrictions, and some require an adult to ride with younger children.
The miniature golf courses and bowling lanes are a great way to relax after a hard day riding the slides. If you want to keep the intensity up, jump into a go-kart and do a few laps round the track. There is also a massive ball pit for younger kids to explore and challenging laser mazes to keep teenagers occupied.
Wild Island Family Adventure Park is open year-round, but the water park is only open between mid-May and early September. During the other months, some rides are closed depending on the weather. You can’t bring your own food, however, fast-food options are available. The park is located off I-80 in Sparks, Nevada, about a 15-minute drive from Reno.
