Upstater Destinations: Splashdown Beach, Fishkill

  |  March 22, 2012

Most of us know about that other water park in the Catskills/Hudson Valley region, but did you know there’s one in Dutchess County, too? Billing itself as the “America’s Biggest Little Water Park,” SplashDown Beach is located in the unlikely location of Route 9 in West Fishkill, tucked away among the strip malls and chain stores just enough that we’ve driven past it a number of time without knowing it was there.

True to its name, SplashDown Beach isn’t terribly big, but they pack a lot of activities in a relatively small space. There are about a half-dozen attractions and slides that range from easy-going, like the wave pool and Croc Creek Lazy River, to the slightly stressful and faster, like the Bullet Bowl and Pirates Plunge.

Going to a water park is an expensive proposition. One has to accept the fact that some cash will be dropped when one plans to go. We suggest bringing your own food and springing for the locker rental. There are restaurants at the park, but you’ll be stuck with exorbitantly pricy pizza, hot dogs, French fries, which is not always our favorite fare when forced to walk around in public wearing a bathing suit. Or, if you’ve got some dough burning a hole in your pocket, rent a private cabana, where $80 (weekday) or $100 (weekends and holidays) gets you a shady place to sit, waiter service and free locker rental.

SplashDown Beach is closed for the season but starts back up again in May. All information on hours of operation, admission price, etc. can be found on their website. As is usually the case with these things, a season pass might be the cheapest bet if you think you’ll be going there a few times. SplashDown also holds special events throughout the season (think tweeny singers and Glee-like songs), and the park can accommodate birthday parties and groups.

GMAP

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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