The Best Splash Pads in Phoenix
We all know the valley of the sun gets hot. Extremely hot. "How can anything survive this" hot. But even during the dog days and the big heat, splash pads offer a wonderful, safe way for the kids to cool off and have fun.
To make life easier, we've rounded up some of the best splash pads around the valley, for convenience divided into four parts of town. For a complete list of all 34 splash pads in the greater Phoenix metro area, just click here.
City of Phoenix Splash Pads
- Altadena Park "is a great splash pad for the hot Arizona summer. It is very unique compared to the normal splash pads here. It does get crowded in the summer so the earlier in the day you go the better."
- The Phoenix Zoo features, in the words of one reviewer, "a killer splash pad!" Another ParkGrades contributor says, "Sometimes we just go in the summer to play at the water parks." Sounds like an endorsement to us!
Scottsdale and Fountain Hills Splash Pads
As a satirist might imagine, three of the best splash pads in Scottsdale are located in shopping centers, not city parks:
- Desert Ridge Marketplace entices families with an excellent splash pad next to an outdoor fireplace.
- Farther south, two competing outdoor shopping centers (which are literally across the road from each other) offer excellent (but unique) places to cool off: the Kierland Commons Splash Pad and Scottsdale Quarter Splash Pad.
- Fountain Park, a vast city park in Fountain Hills, has a great sprayground and regular playground. One reviewer said of the park, "During cool evenings and mornings it truly does resemble a resort."
East Valley (Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Queen Creek) Splash Pads
- Tempe Beach Park offers one of the most unique water play areas around, with "a shower waterfall, water guns, overhanging water dumping buckets, and a water slide" -- get there early to beat the rush!
- Desert Breeze Park not only boasts a great splash pad, it also offers a train, carousel, and more!
- Espee Park in Chandler features a splash pad that's been called "one of the best in the Chandler area" -- but come early; the splash pad isn't shaded, and it can get crowded on weekends.
- The splash pad in Chandler's Chuparosa Park is less crowded, and also comes recommended!
West Valley (Glendale, Peoria, Surprise, Goodyear, Avondale) Splash Pads
- Rio Vista Community Park, one of the best parks in Arizona, has an extremely nice, shaded splash pad!
- Goodyear Community Park's splash pad features arches spraying water -- kids will love running underneath the spray!
Bonus: Anthem Community Park in the suburb of the same name (north on I-17) is one of the best parks around, and the splash pad is no different!
Disagree with our picks? Know of a better splash pad in the Phoenix area? Let us know!
