Every time we drive by Silver Lake Water Park, my kids ask to go there. I am not that fond of lake swimming myself. Give me the clear water of a pool or the saltwater of the ocean. When I was a kid I went to 4-H camp and learned to canoe. They required us to turn our canoe over in the lake. I really didn't mind the idea of going in the water. I was a good swimmer. What I did not expect was the icky, squishy stuff on the muddy bottom of the lake. I sank down to my ankles. I vowed no more lake swimming for me. Then when I went to college some friends talked me into inter-tubing in an old rock quarry. This experience confirmed why I decided that I'd rather risk the sharks and crabs in the ocean than to swim in a lake. There were fish nibbling at my rear end the entire time. No, I did not really want to take my kids to a lake unless they could swim on their own while I kept a close watch from the comforts of shore.
I couldn't put it off any longer. I finally took my kids to Silver Lake for the first time and they loved all the activities they had to choose from. Sure the water was dirty. Wear a white t-shirt to protect you from the sun and it will be brown when you leave. One of my daughters is too young to swim so I was relieved to find that they have an area walled off at the edge of the lake that is less than 2 feet deep. This area has plenty of activities for the little ones, too. There are slides with sprinklers, a big raft to climb in, floating hippos to play on and other kids to play with. I was even happier to learn that the bottom is sandy. There is a sandy beach area for relaxing in the sun or building sand castles. A lifeguard is stationed on the beach, but I would still keep a watchful eye on your kids. There are a lot of people in a large area and one lifeguard can't possibly see everything.
Just beyond the wall there is an area that is probably 3-4 feet deep with activities for older kids. There are plenty of slides along the shore. The water gradually gets deeper as you move to activities that are further from shore. There are floating objects with a rope for balancing acts. A little further out, there are floating logs without a rope to really test your skill. Beyond that there is a floating dock and even further out is a diving platform that is in deeper water. For an additional admission fee swimmers age 6 and older can enjoy unlimited use of 'The Beast,' a giant water slide. This was my favorite part of Silver Lake! Thanks to a little extra weight, I think adults enjoy a faster ride than the kids. It is a 'beastly' blast. If you are going to make a day of it, there are also pedal boats and bumper boats that you can enjoy if you choose to pay yet a higher admission price. My girls were immediately drawn to the two large white swan pedal boats. The swans are designed for two passengers, but there are plenty of four passenger pedal boats.
The snack bars offer drinks, hotdogs, hamburgers, French fries and a few other snacks including popcorn, snow cones, ice cream and even funnel cakes. It ends up being an expensive day if you pay for admission to all of the activities the park offers and you eat lunch or dinner there, but we'll do it again. It is close to home and really is a lot of fun for the whole family.
Monday-Friday Saturday, Sunday
& Holidays
Admission $6.95 $7.95
Admission w/ "The Beast," $9.95 $10.95
Admission w/ " The Beast,"
Bumper Boats & Pedal Boats $12.95 $14.95
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