Water Country USA, touted as the Mid-Atlantic’s largest outdoor water park (and the largest water park in Virginia), is located in York County, Virginia, near Williamsburg (176 Water Country Pkwy.). The water park offers live entertainment, shops and restaurants, water rides, and other family attractions. The park turns 40 years old this summer and is a popular destination for many nearby, as it’s approximately 150 miles south of D.C. and about 2.5 hours away.
The park is just a few miles away from Busch Gardens Williamsburg, and a multi-park passes are available that allow for parking and same-day entry to both. Water Country USA offers 43 acres of pools, children’s play areas, lazy rivers and water rides. Celebrating the music of the 1950s and ’60s, Rock ‘n’ Roll Island features nearly 600 feet of body slides, a 700-foot lazy river and a 1,000-square-foot pool. Hubba Hubba Highway is a free-floating interactive river ride where coconuts, cacti and geysers provide a drenching experience. Colossal Curl is the water park’s newest attraction and features a combination of funnel and wave elements. Vanish Point is a 75-foot-tall vertical drop slide.
Visitors can experience the rush of a thrilling wipeout on Malibu Pipeline or take a family white-water rafting ride aboard Aquazoid. Racers can see who passes the finish line first on Nitro Racer, a super-speed slide. Other rides include Jet Scream; Rampage; Surfer’s Bay, a wave pool; and a water-soaked children’s area with H2O UFO, Kritter Korral and Cow-A-Bunga.
The park is open on weekdays from 10:30am until 7:00pm and on weekends from 10am until 8pm. Single-Day General Parking is $32 and summer discounts currently have single day tickets available for $34.99 per person (subject to change). No outside food, beverages, or coolers are allowed to be brought into Water Country USA, as the park had many dining options and programs. You may bring a bottle of water or a refillable water bottle. Exceptions may be made for Guests with special dietary needs, including food allergies and baby food/formula.
U.S. News & World Report recently included the park in its list of “28 Best Water Parks in the U.S. for 2024“: “Water Country USA is easy to reach from Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and the Yorktown Battlefield, should you need a break from Williamsburg’s historical attractions. Noteworthy amenities include a chilled-out lazy river, multiple slides and a huge wave pool – plus Big Daddy Falls, a whitewater rafting adventure. As of 2023, parkgoers can now race each other through the 520-foot-long Riptide Race; there’s also Aquazoid Amped, a slide that opened in 2022 and plunges 864 feet.”
Featured photo courtesy @WaterCountryUSA on instagram.