Water Parks Near San Diego

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It’s no surprise by now that I love a good water slide. And what’s better than one waterslide? How about an entire park full of them! There’s a ton of free water entertainment along the miles and miles of coastline in San Diego. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a day at a waterpark as well. If you’re looking to add a waterpark to your San Diego travel itinerary, you’re in luck. There are some great options for you when it comes to fun water parks near San Diego for all ages to enjoy.

And if you’re just visiting San Diego, you may be interested in staying in one of these San Diego hotels with the best pools.

Water Parks Near San Diego: Sesame Place San Diego

One of the newest water parks near San Diego is Sesame Place San Diego. This amusement park is a combination theme park and water park, and was formerly the Aquatica Waterpark. It has recently undergone some major renovations to transform into Sesame Place. While the new name might suggest this park is for little kids, don’t be fooled. It actually provides rides and waterslides that all ages will enjoy.

Many of the Aquatica slides have stayed the same, but a handful of dry rides have been added. These are rides that are not waterslides, like spinning swing chairs, a rollercoaster, a carousel and more.

The water park portion of Sesame Place is filled with tube slides and body slides for all ages. Race your friends down the Honker Dinger Dash or try out the funnel slide. There’s also a fun water play area for younger kids, along with a wave pool and lazy river.

The Wave – Our favorite of the small water parks near San Diego

A lesser known and much smaller water park near San Diego is The Wave waterpark in Vista. The Wave has a large competition swimming pool, a lazy river, a slide tower with four waterslides, a wave simulator, and a splash pad. While this park is small, we found that there is plenty to do to keep the kids entertained. In fact, because of the size, they were able to have a little more freedom to run off and do the slide tower or lazy river on their own, since we could pretty much always spot where they were at.

In addition to family fun, The Wave also offers summer camps, swim lessons, Flow Rider and water polo classes.

Legoland Water Park

Located inside the Legoland theme park in Carlsbad, CA, the Legoland Waterpark provides tons of family fun for all ages. There are three waterparks combined into one: the Legoland Waterpark, the Lego Chima Water Park and the Surfer’s Cove.

Within these water areas, you will find a lazy river, a wave pool, lots of water slides, splash pads, and water play structures.

It’s important to note that because the Legoland Water Park is located inside Legoland, you will need a Legoland admission in addition to the water park ticket in order to access it. The Legoland water park also has shorter hours than the Legoland theme park.

Tierrasanta Community Pool

For much less money than a full waterpark experience, the Tierrasanta Community Pool provides fun in the sun for only $4 (adults) or $2 (kids). Kids will love the large swimming pool that even has a waterslide. The younger kids will also appreciate their own waterslide in a splash pad area.

The Plunge – Year-round water park in San Diego

You can have the best of both worlds — beach and pool — when you venture over to The Plunge at Mission Beach. The Plunge is a large indoor pool, complete with a floating obstacle course. And it’s located in Belmont Park, right on Mission Beach. Because it’s an indoor pool, your kids can have fun there all year long, even when other water parks near San Diego are closed for the season. You can choose from hourly or full-day rates when you visit.

An added bonus is that you can drop the kids off (there are lifeguards on duty) and go get some shopping in or hit up the beachside bar next door if you so choose. If you choose to stay and watch the fun, you can still order food and drinks from the bar to have delivered inside to you.

The Cameron Family YMCA

For another affordable option, check out the Cameron Family YMCA. There are two outdoor pools there, both heated to 83 degrees. There’s also a fun play structure with a small waterslide in addition to a separate large waterslide that the kids will love.

If you’re visiting San Diego, be sure to check out my favorite San Diego hotels with waterslides. They’re so much fun, you might even decide to skip the water park altogether. And once you’ve worked up a good appetite, head on over to one of the many family-friendly restaurants in San Diego.

Lake Gregory Water Park

The Lake Gregory water park is a bit of a trek from San Diego, however, it’s an easy day trip or weekend getaway location, and it provides a unique twist on traditional waterparks. This park has inflatables on the lake, along with two long waterslides. It’s definitely worth the drive!

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