Getting Wet and Wild in Las Vegas

Splash Canyon Water Park

Vegas Chatter: Back in the day, it wasn't a Vegas vacation without a stop at Wet N' Wild on The Strip. Right next to the Sahara and before the reign of the Vegas day pool scene, the mega-waterpark was the cool place to get cool... at least until it turned off the spigots for good back in 2004.

Now, a new water attraction is about to make a splash, but don't look for it on Las Vegas Boulevard. Splash Canyon will keep the wet and wild times about 15 miles southwest of The Strip. Scheduled to open next Memorial Day Weekend, the H₂O complex will feature the requisite wave pool with 3-foot-high waves and Lazy River as well as 20 slides, a kids play zone, cabanas, picnic areas, restaurants, and probably a gift shop ready to teach us a lesson about forgetting sunscreen, our sunglasses, or Chapstick in the hotel room.

But, we know what you really want to hear about is the rides -- and if you'll be taken for one to get in. The water slides will include two 7-story Speed Slides, a six-lane, head-first Mat Racer, and a three-slide, multi-rider Tube Complex where 2 to 3 people can get drenched at once. Unlike Wet n' Wild, the inner tubes will be free here. We can't remember how much we forked over to get in back then, but Splash Canyon will charge us a top ticket price of $29.99 for adults or really tall kids. Tykes under 48 inches will get in for eight bucks less as will seniors and the military. Children under two will be free.

If you come to Vegas a lot, the best option, though, is a special $99 season pass available "while supplies last." Once those are gone, they'll go up by $40 bucks. Of course, tourists will need to factor in a rental car, too, or a really expensive cab ride for a day of fun in the sun off The Strip.