The Grand Strand has 60 miles of beautiful beaches (Pawley’s Island, Litchfield, Murrell’s Inlet, Garden City, Surfside, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach) ready to welcome the tourists who visit to enjoy the sand and surf as well as the many things to do in Myrtle Beach. Fifteen million people travel to the Myrtle Beach area each year, and when they want to combine the sand, surf and the thrill of a ride, they head for our waterparks. We currently have four that are open to the public—Myrtle Waves, Wild Water and Wheels, Family Kingdom, and Shark Wave Park. Below is a little information about each one, so you can make your choice wisely:
Myrtle Waves Water Park located at 3000 10th Avenue North Ext., Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is the biggest water park in South Carolina with over 20 acres of wild rides and fun for the entire family, young and old. It has been a favorite among visitors for many years with seven waterslides, two lazy river rides, a wave pool and several pools.
If you want to relax and enjoy the water and sun, you can float on the lazy river, lounge by the wave pool, or rent a cabana. If you are much more adventuresome, twist and turn on the Riptide Rockets or Turbo Twisters which are both fast-paced slides, 10 stories high, that rocket you through the water at 50 feet per second. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
The little ones will enjoy the shallow Bubble Bay with 18-inch deep waters, water sprinklers and water umbrellas that will make them squeal in delight. Saturation station is another great stop for the smaller ones which combines a playground with tons of water fun. It is island themed with waterfalls, squirters, water slides and a large water bucket that dumps water every ten minutes on those underneath.
If you really enjoy waterslides, Snake Mountain has three different slides—the Python, Water Moccasin and the King Cobra. Grab a raft and spiral down the slide of your choice. If you still want more slide thrills, try the Rockin’ Ray, Night Flight, Super Chute, and Thunderbolt Speed Slides.
There are plenty of lounge chairs on a first come, first serve basis. Tubes, mats and life jackets are provided for the rides that need them. Innertubes are available for rent for the pools and lazy rivers if you would like. There are places to get snacks or meals and covered picnic tables available as well as lockers for you to store your belongings. Some people say, for the best waterpark Myrtle Beach, try Myrtle Waves. For more information, visit their website at myrtlewaves.com.
Wild Water & Wheels located at 910 Highway 17 South, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is a great Surfside Beach attraction that offers water slides, go-karts, an 18-hole miniature golf course, and a food court on its 16-acre facility. There is lots of fun for all ages.
You can relax on the 950-foot lazy river or try some or all of the 24 water slides, including the Dark Hole which was described by Southern Living Magazine as the “best scary ride” in Myrtle Beach. If that is not scary enough for you, try the Free Fall Cliff Dive where sliders can reach speeds of up to 45 miles an hour. Slow things down with the adult lounge pool, splash around in eight unique types of waves in the wave pool or try your skill on the bumper boats.
The Race Zone has five different types of go-kart experiences for a variety of ages and height. For ages six to nine, there is a specially-designed junior racers’ track. For ages twelve and up, there is a speed-racers’ track as well as tracks for the ages in between.
Wild Water & Wheels is a great destination for families, group outings or a fun day spent with friends. Admission prices vary based on how much of the park you want to enjoy as well as height and age. For more information, visit their website at wild-water.com.
Family Kingdom Amusement Park and Water Park located at 300 South Ocean Boulevard, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is in the heart of downtown Myrtle Beach and the only oceanfront attraction of its kind on the Grand Strand. Located just across Ocean Boulevard from one another, they provide visitors with a choice of high-flying thrill rides or wet-and-wild waterslides. Of course, you can try both and get a special discount for hopping between the two.
The Myrtle Beach amusement park has more than 35 rides ranging from kiddie rides to hair-raising thrill rides. For the older guests, you can take a ride down memory lane on the old wooden “Swamp Fox” roller coaster or try the new modern steel Twist ‘N Shout roller coaster. There is also the Slingshot DropZone, which drops passengers to a 110-foot freefall, and the Kite flyer, which lets guests soar through the sky. For the little ones, there are the Dune Buggies, Magic Bikes, Frog Hopper and Flight School rides.
Splashes Water Park Myrtle Beach, just across the boulevard, gives guests the opportunity to zip down the twisting Flume Slides and zoom down the towering Speed Slides. For the smaller guests, there is an aquatic playground and smaller slides as well as a huge Lazy River for those who prefer to relax and float. A big plus for these two parks is that parents and grandparents are admitted free if you only want to watch the fun and not ride. All-day passes to either or both parks are available at various prices depending on what you want to ride. For more information, visit their website at familykingdomfun.com.
Shark Wake Park (Park 843) located in the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex, 150 Citizens Circle, Little River, South Carolina is a new floating water park and is a part of the larger Shark Wake Park. It is an enormous floating playground or obstacle course that is situated on a portion of the freshwater lake. “It includes a series of inflatable slides, runways, jumping pillows, and bouncers, all connected together and floating in the lake. It also offers swings, ramps, ladders, trampolines, slides, wiggle bridges, and more ‘” as described by the City of North Myrtle Beach. The floating obstacle courses offers four different challenge sections.
The Shark Wake Park offers Cable Wakeboarding which is a form of wakeboarding where riders are pulled by a high-tech pulley system instead of a boat. The pulley system picks up ropes from the starting dock and pulls riders in a circle around the lake. Riders can utilize the ramps and rails on the sides of the lake to try new tricks.
There is no experience, boat or gear required to experience an awesome day on the water at the Shark Wake Park. They have a trained staff to help you get up on a wakeboard for the first time. You can just get some tips from the operator at the starting dock or take lessons from one of the coaches to help make your first wakeboarding experience a success.
The Shark Wake Park has a 5-tower full-size cable and 2-tower cable system which allows advanced riders and pros to be as daring as they want, but is one of the easiest systems for beginners to learn on. You must be 10 years old to ride the full-size cable, but any age can ride the two-tower system. Children under ten are required to take a Cable Safety lesson before they ride. If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must accompany you. For more information, go to info@sharkwakepark.com.
There you are! All you need to know about the waterparks on the Grand Strand. If you still have questions, please give them a call or visit their web site. Regardless of your age or spirit of adventure, there is a waterpark for you. Have fun and stay safe!
