Sometimes, you just gotta get away from it all… While still seeking out some thrills, beating the summer heat and keeping the little ones happy, too.
It sounds like a lot, but it can truly all be accomplished at Jolly Roger Splash Mountain Water Park. Surely you’ve seen the Jolly Roger Ferris Wheel as you drive past 30th Street on Coastal Highway, but look a little further towards the bay and you’ll also see slides that tower hundreds of feet into the sky, and hear the screamin’ sounds of kids having fun.
I recently spent the day at Splash Mountain, and even though I’m a giant kid and thoroughly enjoyed almost all of the slides (only chickening out of one!), I found that there’s a good amount of fun for adults, too, thanks to the wave pool, the lazy river and the general sunbathing. There were plenty of food and drinks available for purchase, but what’s nice about the park is that you’re allowed to reenter and bring outside food and coolers in, too. On certain days you’ll find the Splash Mountain Mermaids lounging around the kiddie pool, and on every day you’ll find lots of fun and excitement of every thrill level.
You’ve got the ocean to the east and the bay to the west, but sometimes the only water you want is careening down a fiberglass slide at 1,000 miles a minute.
BEFORE: The Jolly Roger pirate sits innocently at the top of the Rainforest Play Area. It’s one of the first things you see when you walk into the park, and you’ll want to walk around it, not under, when staking out your lounge chairs, because…AFTER! It soaks everyone in its path (if a rambunctious park-goer didn’t already get you with one of the many water guns).Flowers are in bloom all around the park. Here, they frame the 6-Person Speed Slide, but don’t let this view fool you…It’s called a Speed Slide for a reason! Going down on just a tiny raft, you almost feel like you’re flying as you race down. (By the time you get to the bottom, your heart’s racing too fast to even care who won).Charlotte and Yasemin goofing off near the Splash Pad.Tops of the Eye of the Hurricane and the Aqualoop. For those thrill-chasers wondering what the most treacherous slide in Ocean City might be, I will direct you to the Aqualoop. The ground literally is pulled from beneath your feet, sending you speeding down 480 feet and through a 360-degree loop before you hit the bottom. (This is the one that I did not try!)Here’s the top from another angle… As soon as a person is sent down via the trap door, the transparent slide allows you to see their shadow flying through. (Again, no, I did not participate!)This one is called Stealth. The vertical ramp is kind of shaped like a half-pipe, so it feels just like skateboarding, only much more terrifying.Here’s another look at the Hurricane and the Aqualoop, and the wave pool just below them, a much more relaxing attraction.The Jolly Roger ferris wheel through the gate bars of Splash Mountain. Once it gets dark and Splash Mountain shuts down, it’s time to head to the dry rides.
Kristin is a writer and photographer in Ocean City, Maryland, and is the content manager for OceanCity.com and other State Ventures, LLC sites. She loves getting reader-submitted stories and photos, so send her an email anytime. She also works part-time at the Art League of Ocean City and the Ocean City Film Festival and lives just off the peninsula with her dog and fiancé. Her photos can be found on Instagram @oc_kristin.
