Splash Down Beach, one soaking day to remember!

When July came last weekend it brought with it very hot and humid weather.  My husband and I were discussing ways to cool off for a couple of days and thought a water park would be a great idea.  So I did some research and found a water park called SplashDown Beach located in Fishkill, N.Y.  The slogan on their website says, “America’s Biggest Little Water Park.”  I liked the sound of that since we were looking for something with small crowds that didn’t have much walking between attractions.

            Our journey started on Sunday afternoon.  The drive up to Fishkill from NYC took around 1.5 hours.  We got to our hotel the day before that way we would have an early start at Splash Down Beach.  On Monday morning after eating breakfast we arrived at Splash Down Beach around 1015am.  The park opens at 10am so there weren’t that many people there before us. 

            Upon arrival there was an attendant in the parking lot who directed us to a spot.  The parking was free which was great.  At the entrance to the park there was a worker who was checking peoples bags.  He checked ours without incident.  There was a big sign that said, “No outside food or beverages”.  So we assume that is what the bag search was for.  They didn’t seem to mind our several bottles of water.  We then walked up to the right of the ticket booth and told them we were there for our media passes.  After they located the correct employee they let us right in.  To clarify it was my husband, my two kids ages 9 and 6 and myself. 

            We went then went over and got a family sized locker rental, which costs $10 dollars for the day.  I thought that was a little steep being that everyone really does need a locker to stow their valuables, towels, sunscreen and change of clothes.  I think a more reasonable price would be $5 dollars for the daily rental.  After we changed, sprayed up with sunscreen and put our stuff away we hit the slides. 

            In one section of the park there are three slides that are right next to each other.  Two of them allow you to ride double and the other only allows single tubes.  There is Bullet Bowl (toilet bowl as my kids called it), Pirates Revenge and Pirates Plunge.  

My husband and the kids really liked Bullet bowl.  It drops you down this dark tunnel before sending you into this toilet bowl type spin, which then drops you off into the large pool.  My favorite was the Pirates Plunge.  This is a single tube ride that has a steep drop and some bumps.  You end up entering the pool at a fast rate of speed and if you do it right you will glide on the surface of the water.  So cool. 

            After hitting these three slides I decided to try Humunga Half Pipe.  

This is a great adrenaline rush ride that offers a 4-story drop into a steep half-pipe.  You really feel your stomach drop during this one.  All of us then headed over to the large wave pool.  This was great fun.  The kids really enjoyed the controlled atmosphere of the waves and crystal clear water.  We then headed over to Cowabunga Falls which is an area containing three body slides.  This was pretty exciting as well and the lines were short and fast.  Right next to this area they have a kiddy slide and swim area, which is fantastic for the little ones who cannot ride on the bigger slides.  Up the hill from this is Bob the Builder Splash Works. Which is exclusively for the small ones under 42” in height.  I am glad they included this area that way families with tots can have fun too. 

            We then made our way over to lazy river, which is basically a round river pattern that you go through on tubes.  It is very relaxing and a great way to cool off.  There is a slight current so if you have young ones keep them close.  Above the lazy river is a regular swimming pool, which offers another area to hang out and cool off.  There were also plenty of chairs and loungers to lie out in the sun. 

            Before hitting some more of the slides again we decided to grab a bite to eat for lunch.  We were quite surprised with the prices of the food.  For a family of four without drinks we paid $29 dollars for 3 hamburgers, a slice of pizza and a side of cheese fries.  A bit pricey for a small town them park.  And I have to say the food was not that impressive taste wise.  Next time I think we would leave the park or pack food in our car and have a picnic by the entrance.  They do allow re-entry, which is good. After lunch we learned about a live animal show that was going on.  This was quite a surprise.  There were tigers, including a white Bengal tiger and an assortment of other exotic animals.  Despite the sun blaring down on us it was a good show and a great break after lunch. 

            For the remainder of the day we switched off between all of the different areas of the park.  The tube water slides, wave pool, lazy river, half-pipe, body slides and the pool.  The park is small enough that you can get from one area to the other without putting to much stress on your feet.  And there is plenty to do.  If you wanted to take a break from the outdoors there is also an arcade with a variety of games.  All and all we would give SplashDown Beach 3 ½ Stars out of 4.  This is a great water park nestled in the mountains of Fishkill, N.Y.  I would definitely recommend this park for a great day trip.   

*Disclaimer: I received a FREE admission to Splash Down beach for media purposes. The views expressed in this review are mine and mine alone.