5 Best Water Parks in the Country

Everybody loves a water park. After all, there's nothing better on a hot summer day then getting the family, packing up the car, and driving down to a day filled with cool, refreshing wade pools and water slides.

However, not all water parks are the same. Some are much, much better than others, leading us, here at Travelers Today, to forge a list of the five absolute best water parks in the country. Listed below, these fun-filled aquatic wonderlands are sure to leave you and your family drenched, happy, and hungry for more, just the thing you'd want out of a trip full of water-based fun.

5. Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach - Orlando, Florida

This combo of Disney World water-themed parks may seem like the new kid on the block. But, as anyone who's ever been there will tell you, the fun it offers should not be ignored. From once-in-a-lifetime opportunities like Shark Reef (where you snorkel with real sharks) to more traditional slides like the Summit Plummet (which boasts a near-vertical 12 story drop) Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach have something for everyone, proving Disney World is not just for Mickey Mouse.

4. Water World, Denver - Colorado

You might not immediately associate the mile-high city with water-parks (after all, wouldn't the altitude make all the water freeze over), but, as all the locals know, Water World is a pretty big deal. Indeed, spread over 65 acres and offering 49 individual rides, the park is enough to make a vacation out of. Plus, one of their newest attractions, the Mile High Flyer, offers a water-slide experience that's one of the most extensive in the country, plummeting you up, over, and around, and offering some of the best views of the park anywhere.

3. Splashin' Safari and World Tour - Santa Claus, Indiana

While certainly one of the best things about this water park is the name of the town it's located in (Santa Claus - really, Santa Claus) the park itself is no slouch either. From the pervasive safari theme (almost every ride is named after an animal) to the gargantuan slides themselves (two of which are the longest and second-longest in the country, respectively) Splashin' Safari provides its riders with fun in style. That, in combination with some of the best lazy-rivers and tide-pools in the country, has this wild park splashing its way into the number three spot.

2. Noah's Ark - Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Of course, any list of water parks wouldn't be complete without mention of one of the many parks in Wisconsin Dells, the self-proclaimed water park capital of the world. However, even among the competition provided by the small city, Noah's Ark is clearly the crown jewel. Weighing in at the largest park in the country, this 70 acre Leviathan offers some of the biggest aquatic thrills anywhere in the country. Plus, for anyone with a competitive streak, consider boarding their four-lane racing ride, one of this author's personal favorites. That, and a number of other unforgettable attractions, mark Noah's Ark as, definitively, one of the best water parks in the country.

1. Schlitterbahn - New Braunfels, Texas

However, even the giant that is Noah's Ark can't compete with the best park offered by a state where everything's bigger. Indeed, if water parks are any measure of a state's quality, than Texas has to take the cake, housing one of the best water parks (or amusement parks in general) in the country. From Schlitterbahn's three trademark up-hill slides, to their 3,600 feet "The Falls," one of the most extensive artificial tubing experiences in the world, this park has it all. Which, in combination with the park's various suites, lounges, and restaurants, confirm its spot as the best water park in the country, somewhere any true lover of aquatic fun should visit at least once in their lives.