Summer Waves Water Park: Family Fun on Jekyll Island
Nature’s Revenge | Image by James Lewis
It gets hot in South Georgia during the summer months - really hot.
If you find yourself in the Golden Isles looking for a fun place to cool off with the kiddos, I recommend Summer Waves Water Park located on Jekyll Island. If you are not familiar with this part of the world, the Golden Isles consists of four barrier islands halfway between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL: St. Simons Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island and Jekyll Island.
Jekyll Island is a state park, so an entry fee ($10 per day per vehicle) is required at the main gate when driving onto the island, which supports the island’s maintenance and conservation programs. This access pass can be purchased in advance (online) or in person (cash or card). Options include single-day, multi-day or annual passes, depending on your length of stay.
After you cross the Jekyll Creek Bridge, take your first right onto South Riverview Drive. The park entrance is less than a mile down on the right. Summer Waves is open from May 11th through September 2nd but operates 7 days a week between Memorial Day and Labor Day starting at 11AM until 6PM on weekdays and 7PM on weekends.
Tickets are $25 per person Monday through Thursday and $28 on Friday, Saturday and holidays. Annual passes can be purchased for $80 per person (pays for itself after the third visit). Locker rentals are available at the main entrance and Shark Tooth Cove for wallets, key fobs, phones, etc. But honestly, your priority after locking up any personal belongings should be establishing a home base in the shade. There are a few shaded public seating areas located throughout the park, and I fully advocate getting there early to stake your claim. You can remove the guesswork by securing a private cabana which range in price from $175 per day to $225 per day depending on the size and capacity (please note that cabana rentals do not include park admission). The cabanas are located by the Shark Tooth Cove and Splash Zone play areas as well as the Frantic Atlantic wave pool. Each cabana includes lounge seating, a refrigerated cooler (with complimentary water bottles), a charging station and ceiling fan. After establishing basecamp, it is time to move onto the attractions which I have organized by height restriction.
Splash Zone | Image by James Lewis
No Height Restriction
Shark Tooth Cove and the Splash Zone are the two primary kids’ zones (think splash pad). The Turtle Creek (3-foot depth) lazy river has a mild current and takes you full circle around the park with two entry/exit points. The Frantic Atlantic pool (up to 7-foot depth) has over 500,000 gallons of water and 2-foot waves which activate every 5 to 10 minutes if you or your child is an innertube soul surfer. One detail I will mention is that swim diapers are required for all children ages 3 and under.
Minimum Height 42 inches (Medium Thrill)
Onto the slides. Nature’s Revenge is a 40-foot-tall tower with two spiraling full-body slides, the Hurricane and the Tornado. The 32-foot-tall Force 3 offers two options in this category, the Flash Flood which is a double innertube twister and the Lightning which is a full-body tube.
Minimum Height 48 inches (High Thrill)
The Man o’ War features four slides in total: two single or double innertube slides and two full-body slides which intertwine down into the plunge pool. The Thunder is located next door at Force 3 right next to its Lightning counterpart. But the crown jewel is Pirate’s Passage, a five-story double innertube drop that is the park’s most exhilarating experience by far. As a bonus, it provides the best view of the park and surrounding marsh before you take the plunge.
Pirate’s Passage | Image by James Lewis
Hungry yet?
After repeatedly climbing water towers (talk about getting your steps in), you will likely work up an appetite. Yes, you are allowed to bring in outside food (small items), but there are several onsite options if you don’t. Larry’s Giant Subs has the largest variety including fresh subs, salads, pizza, hot dogs, chips, ice cream, and fountain drinks. There are additional snack kiosks near Force 3 and Shark Tooth Cove that offer soft pretzels, popcorn, sno-cones, Dippin’ Dots, cotton candy and bottled water & sodas. You can also request a re-entry stamp if you want to leave the park and return after trying one of the restaurant options on Jekyll.
Additional Family Friendly Attractions on Jekyll
The entrance to Shark Tooth Beach is about 1,000 feet past the Summer Waves parking lot entrance. It is an unmarked metal gate on the right side of Riverview Road. Go at low tide and be prepared for a 20-minute walk from Riverview Road to the beach (bring water, bug spray and comfortable shoes). We have yet to find shark’s teeth, but we keep going back. The Georgia Sea Turtle Center located by the Jekyll Island Club Resort is open year-round and serves as the only sea turtle rehabilitation and educational facility in the state. Closer to the beach you can find Mini Golf at Great Dunes Park which is directly across the street from Tortuga Jack’s. Open daily from 8AM to 9PM, this oceanfront Baja Mexican themed restaurant features live music and cold margaritas.
Bottom line, there is no shortage of activities on Jekyll. But if you are looking to beat the heat, Summer Waves may just be your port of call.