The Best Public Water Parks in the Mid Columbia

With the temperatures quickly approaching one hundred degrees this week, everyone will be looking for a place to cool off. There are a surprising number of good options within just a few hour drive, and that is great news for parents.

One of the first water parks that I heard about when I moved here almost 10 years ago was the Surf n Slide Water Park in Moses Lake. It was about then that they added a surfing wave, and still have yet to find another park that has a surf wave. Everyone that I have talked to that has been there had great things to say. For being just over an hour away, this would be my first choice for size and variety.

Another nice water park almost an hour away is the Pendleton Family Aquatic Center. Per their description the have 'two tower waterslides, over 200' of open and closed tubes, plus additional smaller slides; there are three pools, a zero-depth pool, 50 meter pool, and a dive well; children's water features and family picnic areas make this an amazing family facility.' I have never been there, but it looks really nice.

Connell, Hermiston, and Othello all have what I would call mini water parks, but they are all great options. Most of these have some sort of waterslides, a lazy river and lots of big pools. One great thing about these, besides being close is that they are all very affordable for families.