- Noah’s Ark and Bonanza Camping Resort
Pack Up For Cool Trips to Water Parks with RV Camping
Is it hot enough for you yet? High summertime temps can affect RVers too. But we are lucky can pack up our rigs and park next to some cooler places. Some of these places just happen to offer water parks with lazy rivers, body slides, and tube rides.
These places are a massive summer destination in themselves. They are family friendly and offer a wide range of activities for all abilities and ages. What makes these eight featured water parks so great is that they also have RV parks within them or right next to them.
Some of the RV parks or campgrounds are partnered with the water parks and offer entry discounts, while some of them are just conveniently located a short drive or walk away from the water park.
Stay and Play at these Favorite RV Campgrounds with Water Parks
When summertime comes around, it’s most likely that many of these parks and their RV sites fill up quickly, so make reservations ahead of time and use RV LIFE Trip Wizard to plan your trip and read the campground reviews.
1. North Texas Jellystone Park, Texas
Just about all the Jellystone parks have some sort of water park. However, the Burlson, Texas location has its own water park named Pirate’s Cove. This park features several tube slides, a beach and lazy river, pirate-inspired rope courses, and racer slides. Just next door is the Jellystone RV Resort with a multitude of places to stay.
Not only does the park have “red carpet” RV sites with shade coverings and concrete pads, but there are also cabins and RVs for rent. For the ultimate swashbuckling experience, this Jellystone park features vacation cabins inside a 260-foot long pirate ship.
2. Bonanza Camping Resort, Wisconsin
At less than a mile from the largest water park in the U.S., Bonanza has a prime location in the Wisconsin Dells, or “The Water Park Capital of the World.” The nearby Noah’s Ark water park has two wave pools and over 20 thrill rides on 70 acres.
Bonanza is a destination on its own. Not only are there 95 full hookup sites at Bonanza, but the resort has a heated pool, store, jumping pillow, and a mini golf course. The Bonanza is also close to the indoor Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort.
3. Splashway Water Park & RV, Texas
Splashway Water Park in Sheridan, Texas is centrally located to both Austin and San Antonio as well as Houston. The park is consistently rated as one of the best in the Lone Star State and has over 20 attractions such as the Tubular Tornado and multiple tube slides.
The campground has everything from cabins and cottage rentals to full hookup sites and tent sites. The campground also has several sports parks, a lake for fishing, and a dog park.
4. Waterloo/Lost Island Water Park KOA Resort, Iowa
This KOA is located right next to Lost Island Water Park and offers discounted vouchers for the park. Along with an adventure golf course and go-karts, the water park has over 15 island-themed water slides including the extreme Molokini Crater raft slide. They also have mermaids.
The KOA is full of amenities such as big rig friendly sites, bike rentals, and a fishing lake.
- Lost Island Water Park
5. Landa RV & Campgrounds, Texas
The Schlitterbahn Waterpark & Resort in New Braunfels, Texas is unique in that it utilizes portions of the nearby Comal River for some of its water rides. While this 70-acre park doesn’t have its own RV park, the Landa RV & Campgrounds is walking distance to the water park.
The RV park is also right on the river and you can do some relaxed tubing here when not visiting the water park. The campground has riverfront sites, tent sites, and laundry facilities.
- Schlitterbahn New Braunfels
6. Ripplin’ Waters Campground, Tennessee
This forested campground near Gatlinburg, Tennessee is not located next to just one water park but two water parks. Ripplin’ Waters is about five minutes up the road from both Wilderness at the Smokies Water Park Resort and the Soaky Mountain Water Park.
Wilderness is home to Tennessee’s largest indoor water park as well as two outdoor water parks. At Soaky Mountain, enjoy the Avalaunch Watercoaster and the wild Black Bear Rapids. Once you catch your breath, you can enjoy the relaxing RV or log cabin sites at Ripplin’ Waters. This RV-only campground (no tents) also features a camp store and laundry facilities.
- Soaky Mountain Water Park
7. Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort, Indiana
Not only is Lake Rudolph located right next to the Holiday World Theme Park & Splashin’ Safari Water Park in Santa Claus, Indiana, but it has been ranked as one of the top family RV parks by U.S. News & World Report and TravelChannel.com.
This huge RV resort has both RV and tents sites, deluxe RV sites, and over 300 cabins for rent. The park and the water park (like the town they are located in) celebrate the holidays year-round with a Christmas theme. The water park goes a little wild with safari-themed rides like the Wildebeest Water Coaster.
- Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort
8. Timberland Lake Campground, New Jersey
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is located about five minutes up the road from this campground, but this resort in Jackson Township boasts its own watery fun. The campground’s 54 acres are anchored by a beautiful private lake as well as an Olympic size pool.
If you like to take it easy, getting an RV spot from one of Timberland’s 200 sites might just be enough. However, if you feel need to head to Hurricane Harbor, you will find 12 attractions. These include the four-story Big Wave Racer and the Tornado with its 132-foot funnel tunnel.
- Timberland Lake Campground
Find more cool RV camping spots
For all of your camping and trip planning needs, look no further than RV LIFE Campgrounds and RV LIFE Trip Wizard. RV LIFE Campgrounds is a trusted source of campground and RV park reviews offered by camping and RV enthusiasts just like you. With its accompanying RV LIFE App, RV LIFE Trip Wizard gets you to your camping destinations utilizing RV-friendly routes specific to your RV and travel preferences.
Christina is a writer and designer who has written about camping, tiny houses, and alternative living since 2008. She recently traded in her teardrop trailer for a 13-foot fiberglass trailer from 1982.
The article itself is nice, but the clickbait headline really ruins it for me. I came here to see “water parks with RV campgrounds”… but instead I got a list of water parks and RV campgrounds that are “near” each other. This is NOT the same. The headline implies that the RV park and Water Park are associated with the same owner/business — so I would assume the water amenities are included, or provided at a discount should I camp at the campground. It also implies that I’m likely going to walk straight from my RV site to the water park — not pile into a car/vehicle, drive across the road or 5 minutes down the road, pay to park the vehicle, line everyone up, purchase tickets for everyone, enter a water park, etc., etc. I don’t want to be a gump about this — I might have enjoyed the content if the headline had not been misleading, but I’m guessing it’s misleading on purpose (clickbait).
http://www.pointmallardpark.com/ Point Mallard Water Park and campground. In Northern Alabama.
Complete with water slide, flume, wavepool, and Olympic sized pool with side pool with 3 diving platforms. Oh, and a great splash pad for the kids
Don’t overlook Reunion Lake RV Resort in Ponchatoula, Louisiana!
Let’s make sure to mention Silverwood theme park which actually has an RV campground attached to the facility but also has many quality RV parks close by that will shuttle you to the park.
Adventureland in Des Moines, IA has both too.
Northern Virginia Regional Parks operates two such facilities:
Pohick Bay sits on the Potomac River in Lorton.
Facilities include RV campsites, cabins, tent campsites, boat rentals, and 4 boat launch ramps.
Bull Run Park is near the Manassas National Battlefield.
Both have on-site waterparks.
But, don’t tell anybody. We love going to both and we don’t want them to become overrun.
This is a really nice list of camping spots. Great