Silverwood and Other Idaho Amusement Parks and Water Parks

There aren't many amusement parks or theme parks in Idaho. If you want to get your fix high-profile, themed attractions, you'd have to head to other states. Park-happy California, for example, offers Legoland California and Universal Studios Hollywood. But there are some fun places to visit in the state, including the major amusement park, Silverwood, which are listed below.

Idaho offers more selection when it comes to water parks. There are both outdoor parks, which operate seasonally, and indoor parks, which are open year-round. The state's amusement parks and water parks are listed alphabetically.

Downata Hot Springs in Downata

Outdoor and indoor water park

This isn't really a water park, per se, but really more of a water playground. Activities at Downata Hot Springs include a naturally heated pool, hot tub, 2 hydro tubes, and water slides. The facility also offers a campground, cabins, and a spa.

Funland at the Zoo in Idaho Falls

Outdoor amusement park

Dating back to 1947, this delightful little amusement park closed, but plans to reopen in 2022. It will include restored rides such as a carousel, Ferris wheel, spinning planes, and a train, as well as new rides. It will also feature an 18-hole mini-golf course.

Lava Hot Springs in Lava

Outdoor and indoor water park

Like Donwata Hot Springs, Lava is really more about the hot springs than a traditional water park. Features include a natural mineral pool, olympic AAU pool, 33-foot high diving tower, and water slides. Indoor facilities include an aquatic center and Kiddie Cove, a water play area for tykes.

Raptor Reef Waterpark and Triple Play Family Fun Park in Hayden

Indoor water park and an indoor/outdoor family fun center

Raptor Reef is a comparatively small dinosaur-themed indoor water park. Features include the Velociraptor Vortex bowl ride, the Lost Falls tube slide, the Prehistoric Plunge body slide, a small wave pool, and an interactive water play structure with a tipping bucket. Triple Play's activities include a ropes course, bumper cars, mini golf, and laser tag.

Roaring Springs and Wahooz in Meridian

Outdoor water park and an indoor/outdoor family fun center

The 15-acre outdoor Roaring Springs offers a wave pool, lazy river, kids' play area, a thrilling speed slide and looping slide, and other attractions. Wahooz offers go-karts, laser tag, an arcade, bumper boats, batting cages, and bowling, among other activities.

For 2021, the park will be introducing Snake River Run, a water slide in which two-passenger rafts will navigate two "flying saucer” elements that will whip them around.

Silver Rapids Water Park at Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg

Indoor water park

The state's largest indoor water park includes a FlowRider surfing attraction, a family raft ride, water slides, and an activity pool with water basketball.

Silverwood and Boulder Beach in Athol

Outdoor amusement park and water park

Idaho's largest amusement park and water park (one price gets you into both parks) features seven roller coasters including the acclaimed wooden coasters, Timber Terror and Tremors. Silverwood offers a good roundup of other thrill rides, family rides, kiddie rides, and shows. The water park, Boulder Beach, offers plenty of ways to get wet including a huge wave pool, two family raft rides, and plenty of water slides.

In 2021, Silverwood will debut Stunt Pilot, a single-rail coaster that will deliver an especially nimble ride with abrupt transitions between elements, including three inversions.

Yellowstone Bear World in Rexburg

Outdoor attraction

Yellowstone Bear World is a drive-thru wildlife park (and yes, bears are in the park), but it also includes some amusement rides such as a small roller coaster and a train.

Nearby parks

• Las Vegas-area theme parks
• California theme parks

Bygone Parks

There used to be a few more places to find fun in Idaho. For example, Meridell Park in Pocatello operated in the early 1900s and featured the wooden coaster (actually there were only wooden coasters back then), Scenic Railway. There was another Scenic Railway coaster (the name was quite popular in the early days of amusement parks) at White City in Boise. That park also opened in the early 1900s. It's unclear when it closed, but it has been defunct for many years.