9 Best Colorado Waterparks

When summer begins, families start flocking to water parks across the country. The same is true in the state of Colorado. Fortunately, the state is home to a few indoor water parks, which means residents and visitors alike in Colorado can enjoy fun water attractions any time throughout the year. These water parks provide big splashes, plenty of adventure, heart-pounding, thrilling adrenaline, memorable moments, and hours of fun and laughter. Attractions range from laid-back, fun kiddie areas to thrill rides, offering something for visitors of all ages to enjoy. Photo: ivan kmit/Fotolia

The Water Park at Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado is open during the summer season, from the weekend of Memorial Day to the weekend of Labor Day. Admission to the water park is included with the admission to the theme park. There are numerous rides and attractions throughout both parks for visitors to enjoy. Gangplanks consists of two river-run, continuous tube slides, while the award-winning Tube Top offers quite a bit of whirling excitement for riders. Canonball Falls lets guests have a splashing good time sliding down one of two enclosed tube slides. RipQurl is a two-person, high-energy bowl ride. Contact: 2000 Elitch Cir, Denver, CO 80204, Phone: 303-595-4386 Photo: Elitch Gardens

The Great Wolf Lodge at Colorado Springs is a destination resort, complete with dining options, shopping, and most important of all, a water park. The famous resort provides guests with both adventures on land and an indoor water park, offering something to do for basically everyone. From wine down service for adults to an array of different dining choices to indoor activities for children and more all in one destination, there is plenty to do at the Great Wolf Lodge. Located not too far from the city of Denver, the indoor water park is maintained at a consistent 84-degrees throughout the year. Contact: 9494 Federal Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921, Phone: 844-553-9653 Photo: Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs

The Hotel Glenwood Springs offers an ideal destination for family vacations, offering the area’s only indoor water park. Glenwood Springs is only a short walk away from the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park as well.The hotel offers spacious guests suites that offer plenty of room for families. The indoor Splash Pool Family Fun Center is a unique water park that features an indoor waterslide, wading pool, kiddie water slide, large indoor pool, recreation area, whirlpool, and more. The water park includes an area just for children that has a zero depth entrance and a Rain Tree fountain in the shallow play area. Contact: 52000 Two Rivers Plaza Rd, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601, Phone: 888-411-8188 Photo: Hotel Glenwood Springs

The Old Town Hot Springs in Steamboat Springs offers an unusual water park experience, providing guests with all-natural hot springs in a downtown area. Visitors can soak and relax throughout the year in the outdoor natural hot spring pools. During the summer season, guests have the opportunity to cool off on water slides, deep-end and lap pools, and a kiddie pool. The hot spring pool have existed for more than one hundred years, and were used by the Ute Native Americans who were the first to settle the area, followed by homesteaders. There eight pools at the Old Town Hot Springs. Contact: 136 Lincoln Ave, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477, Phone: 970-879-1828 Photo: Old Town Hot Springs

The Pirates Cove Water Park is an outdoor water park in Englewood, Colorado. The Leisure Pool at Pirates Cove provides a massive structure for playing in the water, including zero depth entry and a giant dump bucket. The park also features a water slide tower of 35 feet that contains three different slides that vary in speed and length. The Lazy River at Pirates Cove winds through the upper level of the water park, going around the bottom of the water slides. More adventurous guests can take a thrilling ride on the Swirling Vortex from the river. Contact: 1225 W Belleview Ave, Englewood CO 80120, Phone: 303-762-2683 Photo: bortnikau/Fotolia

The Splash at Fossil Trace is Jefferson County’s largest water park. The open season for the outdoor water park typically runs from around the end of May until the end of August. The water park has an adult swim/rest break every hour for ten minutes in the leisure pool and the lap pool. The water park includes two large tube and body water slides, in addition to its popular leisure pool that contains a structure for play, spray fountains, a 500-gallon massive dump bucket, and smaller water slides. There is also a beach-like area of sand for visitors of all ages. Contact: 3151 Illinois St, Golden, CO 80401, Phone: 303-277-8700 Photo: Dmitry Perov/Fotolia

The Brighton Oasis Family Aquatic Park provides water-filled fun for anyone in the city of Brighton, Colorado. There are many different water attractions within this small water park, including a deep water pool, wave generator, lazy river with a zero-depth entrance, a water basketball court, two thrilling water slides, and a climbing wall. The water park also features a tot pool that contains several interactive water features and an entry with zero depth. The Brighton Oasis Family Aquatic Park offers locker rentals, a full snack stand, and pavilion and party rentals. Guests can also bring their own drinks and food. Contact: 1852 E Bromley Ln, Brighton, CO 80601, Phone: 303-655-2095 Photo: Brighton Oasis Family Aquatic Park

The Walsenburg Wild Waters outdoor water park features three pools, two large water slides, and a lazy river, as well as many different interactive water features, such as dump buckets, sprays, and fountains. Children can have a splashing fun time in the zero depth entry pool, designed for the youngest guests to have fun without their parents worrying about deep water. The giant slides at the park are more than thirty feet high, including one enclosed water slide and one open slide. Both water slides provide a turning, twisting, exhilarating ride that ends with a large splash. Contact: 700 W 7th St, Walsenburg, CO 81089, Phone: 719-738-2628 Photo: Walsenburg Wild Waters

Water World in Federal Heights, Colorado is one of the premier water amusement parks in the United States, featuring more than fifteen fun attractions for visitors of all ages located just minutes away from Denver. The outdoor water park features areas for smaller children, speed rides, family raft rides, dark rides, wave pools, the first water coaster in the state of Colorado, and much more. There’s something for everyone at Water World, from the thrilling Lost River of the Pharaohs to the kid-friendly Wally World to the Lazy River and massive wave pool, and so much more. Contact: 8801 N. Pecos St, Federal Heights, CO 80260, Phone: 303-427-7873 Photo: Water World