CALIFORNIA — With summer around the corner, the weather is warming up, schools are almost out and water parks are opening in California. Some parks, in fact, have already opened for the summer season. Whether your kids like thrilling water slides or relaxing lazy rivers, here are some of the best water parks for families in the Golden State. Hurricane Harbor Concord is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Billed as Northern California's biggest water park, Hurricane Harbor Concord is slated to open May 17 for the summer season. The 30-acre park features more than 35 water attractions, including the area's longest lazy river at 1,100 feet long, as well as the region's largest wave pool. The park is located at 1950 Waterworld Parkway in Concord. Hurricane Harbor Los Angeles was the first of Six Flags' Hurricane Harbor parks. The park opened June 16, 1995, meaning it will also celebrate its 30th anniversary this summer. The park, located adjacent to Six Flags Magic Mountain, is slated to open May 24 and run through Labor Day. For this milestone season, the park underwent a multimillion-dollar transformation. While there are no new attractions, it will feel like a brand-new park, a park spokesperson told Patch. Hurricane Harbor LA has been reimagined as a tropical island village. Improvements include repainting, slide restoration, new landscaping, more cabanas, refreshed restrooms, new food and drink options, and more. Hurricane Harbor LA boasts more than 1.5 million gallons of water across 25 acres, including three dozen slides and attractions. The park features two of the tallest fully-enclosed speed slides on the West Coast, a 1,300-foot river cruise, a wave pool, an interactive lagoon and two children's splash and play areas. The park is located at 26101 Magic Mountain Parkway in Valencia. Knott's Soak City will soon be open for its 25th season. The water park, located adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, is slated to open May 17 and run on select dates through Sept. 7. The 15-acre park boasts 23 water speed, tube and body slides, a 750,000-gallon wave pool, a family raft ride, a one-third-mile lazy river, and a three-story Beach House, featuring 200 water guns, nozzles, sprayers and more. The park is located at 8200 Beach Blvd. in Buena Park. Legoland California Water Park kicked off summer early as the park has been open since March 28. The water park is located inside Legoland California Resort. The park features seven slides, sandy beaches and a build-a-raft river. The park is located at 1 Legoland Drive in Carlsbad. Sesame Place San Diego is the only theme park on the West Coast based entirely on the award-winning children's show, "Sesame Street." Located in Chula Vista, the water park opened May 10. The 17-acre theme park features 18 themed rides and water attractions, including a family-friendly rollercoaster and a 500,000-gallon wave pool, which is one of the largest in Southern California. The park also features an an interactive "Sesame Street" neighborhood, live character shows, a musical play area, a parade and photo opportunities with characters. It was also the first theme park in the San Diego region to be designated as a Certified Autism Center in 2022. The park is located at 2052 Entertainment Circle in Chula Vista. Raging Waters is California's largest water park. Located in San Dimas, the water park will be open May 17 through Sept. 28. The 60-acre Southern California water park has more than 50 rides, slides and attractions. There's a wide variety of tube and body slides, a one-million-gallon wave pool, a 30,000-square-foot water playground, and a lazy river. The park has an all-new Mexican restaurant, Señor Solis, offering a variety of options including tacos, burritos and bowls. Raging Waters has also continued its park-wide enhancement project, which launched in 2024, to improve the guest experience with new lockers, more shading, eco-conscious and water-saving turf and more for this summer season. The park is located at 11 Raging Waters Drive in San Dimas. South Bay Shores is located at California's Great America amusement park in Santa Clara. The park is slated to open May 24 and is included with admission to the theme park. South Bay Shores features extreme water slides like the six-story drop on Pacific Surge to the relaxing and meandering streams of Rushin' River. Families can ride the waves of Breakers Bay wave pool. The park is also home to Northern California's largest drop slide complex. The park is located at 4701 Great America Parkway in Santa Clara. Patch Parents is written by Patch Editor Kristina Houck, a mom of three boys. Have a story idea? Email kristina.houck@patch.com.
