Ready to make a big splash? These 4 water parks are less than an hour's drive from Gadsden

Donna Thornton, The Gadsden Times
·3 min read
Pirates Bay Water Park in Leesburg is roughly 25 miles from Gadsden, and offers water slides, pools, a kid's play area and other activities.
Pirates Bay Water Park in Leesburg is roughly 25 miles from Gadsden, and offers water slides, pools, a kid's play area and other activities.

It's a few weeks into summer break, and the kids probably are ready for an adventure. With recent extremely warm weather, a water park might be just the ticket. Here are some parks not too far away that offer more than your average pool.

Pirates Bay Water Park

4541 County Road 147, Leesburg

The park is about 25 miles from the downtown Gadsden area, and it offers waterslides, a kids water zone and pools featuring "roaring waterfalls." There are also activities for landlubbers, such as mini-golf and table tennis.

Tickets are $29 for ages 3 and up; guests 2 and under get in free; Parking is $5 (cash only). Park hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The park closes for inclement weather; no refunds.

Guests receive a wristband; they may leave and re-enter the park if wearing the wristband of the day.

Sand Mountain Park
Sand Mountain Park

Sand Mountain Park

1325 SMPA Boulevard, Albertville

Sand Mountain Park's outdoor water park is a small part of what the facility has to offer, but that portion gives visitors a lot of bang for the buck. There are two 25-foot water slides, a splash pad, a two-lane lap pool, a 600-foot lazy river, a vortex pool, a shade feature, sunbathing chairs, poolside concessions and more.

Day passes are $15, with kids 4 and under free. Park hours are noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; noon to 6 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The park is about 27 miles from Gadsden.

Spring Valley Beach

2340 County Highway 55, Blountsville

Spring Valley Beach has a two-acre pool (the Southeast's largest), 10 water slides, a huge kids' water playground and more than 20 gazebos and pavilion areas, where visitors can bring their own picnic baskets or grills. Concessions are available, along with free suntan lotion and free parking.

Admission is $30 for guests 4 feet or taller; $24 for age 3 or up to 4 feet; kids 2 and under are free; $24 for seniors.

The park is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week. No refunds or rainchecks are offered, but the park doesn't close for rain; if there's lightning, everyone must get out of the pool till it subsides, but the park will remain open.

Spring Valley Beach is about 40 miles from Gadsden.

WildWater

1707 Main Avenue SW, Cullman

Wildwater features seven water slides, a drift river, splash pads and child-sized waterslides, plus a 22,000 square-foot wave pool.

Park hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday; and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. "Twilight Tuesdays" are hel from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in limited areas of the water park.

Regular admission to the park is $29.95; for guests 48 inches or shorter and seniors, admission is $23.95; children 2 and under are free.

The park is about a 55-mile drive from Gadsden.

Contact Gadsden Times reporter Donna Thornton at 256-393-3284 or donna.thornton@gadsdentimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Water parks near Gadsden offer fun and sun for the family