Ready to swap ordinary slide and splash parks for Ninja-warrior style challenges and adrenaline-inducing family fun? Across England, some of the most exciting days out are floating on lakes, reservoirs and beautiful former quarries.
These are not your usual aquatic attractions found in overcrowded waterparks and indoor wave pools. Think giant inflatable obstacle courses packed with climbing towers, balance beams, jumping platforms and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments for hardy kids, energetic teens and grown-ups who still love a challenge.
From Devon to Cornwall, Hampshire, Kent and Dorset, here are some of England’s best floating aqua parks for families looking for a fun, outdoorsy adventure.
North Devon Wake Park - North Devon
North Devon Wake Park, Devon
Best for: The full family activity-lake experience
North Devon Wake Park is a great choice for an adventurous day out, with plenty to keep everyone excited from the moment you arrive.
The floating assault course is packed with slides, climbing frames, jumping platforms and race-style challenges, plus a new Wibit Peakz expansion. This towering multi-tier challenge is designed to test your nerve and climbing skills, featuring a high-thrill 3-meter plunge straight into the water.
There is also a dedicated children’s course for kids between 4-8, which makes it easier for younger adventurers to join the fun at their own pace.
What makes it especially family-friendly is the mix of activities around the lake. Alongside the aqua park, visitors can try wakeboarding and other watersports. There’s even a lakeside sauna - a welcome retreat for knackered parents seeking a quiet moment.
Why families will love it: Family run, dog friendly with a high-energy aqua park, younger-kid options and lots of reasons to stay longer. The Lakeside Café is a great spot for all-day, casual meals spanning breakfast baps and flatbreads, sharing snacks, burgers, wraps and more substantial bowls and salads, alongside cakes, waffles and pastries, barista coffee, smoothies and drinks.
Adrenalin Quarry, Cornwall
Adrenalin Quarry, Cornwall
Best for: Big adventure energy in a dramatic quarry setting
Adrenalin Quarry is exactly the sort of place that makes kids’ eyes widen before they have even reached the water. Set in a dramatic former quarry, it turns an incredible landscape into a playground for adventurous families.
Rather than relying on one main attraction, the site brings together a bundle of adrenaline-filled activities. The water-based fun is part of a wider adventure experience, making it easy to build a full day around the visit.
Highlights include a 490-meter twin zip wire that launches riders off a 50-meter cliff, reaching speeds up to 40 mph across the quarry lake. The massive floating inflatable obstacle course on the flooded quarry features total-wipeout style slides, trampolines, and climbing walls. A gravity-fed swing hoists riders 50 meters above the water before dropping them into a massive arc.
The most exciting new addition includes “The Tower” an inflatable super-structure with six mega drop-slides, which can be booked as a bolt-on to an Aquapark session.
If that’s not enough to get your teeth stuck into, there’s an 800 meter all-weather go-kart track offering multi-session, double, and triple karting options and precision target axe throwing supervised by instructors.
Why families will love it: The quarry setting adds a real sense of excitement. With deep water, rugged surroundings and big views, it feels wild, memorable and very different from a standard waterpark
New Forest Water Park, Hampshire
New Forest Water Park, Hampshire
Best for: A classic splash-and-stay family watersports day
New Forest Water Park is a great option for families who want choice, flexibility and that relaxed outdoor-holiday feeling.
Visitors can bounce around the inflatable aqua park, then add wakeboarding, kayaking, paddleboarding or even camping into the mix. Set in 50 acres of glorious countryside New Forest Water Park has an on-site clubhouse, outside catering facility and panoramic lakeside views. Il Baretto Café serves an authentic Italian-themed menu featuring fresh homemade pizza dough, focaccia, burgers, and snacks alongside a fully licensed bar.
The inflatable course may be the first thing that catches your eye, but the wider activity offer is what makes this a proper day-out destination.
Why families will love it: A fun, watersports destination with plenty of ways to turn a splash session into a longer family adventure with authentic Italian pizza!
Bewl Water Aqua Park, Kent
Bewl Water Aqua Park, Kent
Best for: Adding splashy adventure to a bigger day outdoors
Bewl Water is the largest stretch of open water in the South East. Set within an 800-acre site in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on the Kent and Sussex border, it offers a mix of outdoor activities, scenic walking trails, and family attractions.
Families can bounce, climb, and splash across 2,400 square meters of interconnected inflatables, tackling the ice tower, springboard, aqua slide, monkey bars, and the thrilling halfpipe. And that’s not all. After a 50-minute thrash at the Aqua Park, families can find their rhythm with a plethora of other activities from open water swimming, canoeing and paddle boarding, sailing, wing-foiling, cycling or simply walking along a 13-mile shoreline trail looping the reservoir through ancient woodland and open meadows.
The Waterfront Café is a dog-friendly lakeside spot offering a newly relaunched menu, a heated terrace, an ice cream parlour, and an indoor soft play area for young children.
Why families will love it: A lively aqua park experience with plenty of extra outdoor activities nearby. Bewl Water is very dog-friendly, allowing well-behaved dogs off-lead across most of the 800-acre site, including the scenic walking trails around the reservoir.
Dorset Adventure Park, Dorset
Dorset Adventure Park, Dorset
Best for: A full-day adventure with water and land challenges
Dorset Adventure Park is made for families who like their days out muddy, splashy and action-packed.
Located in an 18-acre woodland setting with direct views of historic Corfe Castle, Dorset Adventure Park features two lifeguarded inflatable water parks on separate lakes, a massive 2 km muddy obstacle assault course, axe throwing, and family-friendly zones.
The Aqua Park features over 200 meters of floating obstacles spread across Woodland Lake and Castle Lake. Highlights include multi-height jumping platforms for plunging into the water, an action airbag that launches adrenaline seekers high into the air, lily pads and balance beams to test coordination and a 2 km muddy trail packed with over 50 obstacles designed to test stamina, slippery slope sections and the final challenge of beating the wall. Splash Castle is a dedicated shallow play space tailored for younger children aged 2 to 6. The park is also home to friendly pygmy goats, peacocks, chickens, and guinea fowl.
The result is a destination that feels built for groups, families and anyone who loves a big active day outdoors. Friendly dogs on leads are welcome. There is also free parking and a snack shack offering food, hot drinks, and cold refreshments.
Why families will love it: A brilliant mix of water obstacles and land-based challenges that keeps the adventure going.
So there you have it - 5 Aqua Parks in England for those seeking a fun family adventure!