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Knott's Soak City Water Park
Category: Active Life Amusement Parks Amusement Parks [Edit]
1500 S Gene Autry TrlPalm Springs, CA 92264
(760) 327-0499
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
26 reviews for Knott's Soak City Water Park
Review Highlights
"Out of all the rides, the wave pool was the big hit."
(in 9 reviews)
"...enjoyed the interaction of the Lazy River and the Tide Pool..."
(in 10 reviews)
"They do have lifeguards everywhere which is really nice."
(in 6 reviews)
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa Z.
6/7/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I was planning on really disliking this place, because, well, I really don't like public pools to begin with and this place was going to be one big bathtub of humanity. Not to mention the crowds. However, the mom in me won and off the family went to Soak City.
Turns out, it was a lot of fun. My 10 year old, my 8 year old and my 42 year old all loved it. We got there right when it opened and stayed until about lunch time, which is what I'd recommend. After that, it gets crowded and chairs are at a premium.
Out of all the rides, the wave pool was the big hit. It's on for 10 minutes then off for 10 minutes for safety which I really appreciate, but it also forces the kids to take a break which is good too for that periodic application of more sunscreen. My kids wanted to stay in there most of the day. I picked an Adirondack chair right at the edge of the wave pool, settled in with a book and enjoyed the sun.
They do have lifeguards everywhere which is really nice. We knew we'd be back so we bought the season pass. Totally worth it. Beyond that, we know we're spending $10 for parking and another $10 for a locker. If you're wanting an ice cold beer, that will set you back $7 for a domestic. Ouch. Lots of people bring in coolers full of stuff, so that's always an option.
We'll be back each time we visit the desert. -
Review from Arty V.
Solana Beach, CA
9/21/2011
There is really only 2 bits with rides, on with all the tubes and the funnel ride. It won't take long to do everything. Then there is the lazy river and the wave pool and a kids ride with small tubes, all of which were closed.
I didn't heed the advice about shoes. My feet were hurting by the end of the day. Beach shoes are a good idea, for the rough surfaces and the hot surfaces. You can hold them on the rides which isn't ideal but better than cutting short your day because you can't walk.
It was quiet when we went which was good, they still ran out of rings. I guess they are forcing people to rent one, for $5. Just like you are forced to pay $10 for parking and $10 for a locker and have your bags searched on the way in for food so you have to buy their stuff. Not sure how far the security guys can go. All he did was feel our bag and ask us if we had any "food or soft drinks". We lied, cunningly wrapped up in my towel was a delicious sandwich!
There were small/no lines for rides and I had a great time. The funnel ride was megagood. Did it about 5 times, only problem was carrying up the huge tube with sore feet (see above!)
A bit costly, but all these places are. Well policed by staff and guards and great fun. -
Review from Rebecca T.
Redlands, CA
4/30/2011
A perfectly adequate way to spend a hot summer day. I had been planning on bringing my five year old here for a few months but wanted to make sure she would be tall enough to enjoy the "good" rides. As a fearless little girl I knew she would be super disappointed if she was not able to ride the "big girl" rides. So once she met that 42 inches requirement, we were on our way! I had ticket coupons for $21.99 and parking was $10.00, so about $50.00 bucks for the day. We brought in a soft sided cooler with water (which is allowed) and snuck in some fruit strips, granola bars, and pop chips to keep us from purchasing expensive, crappy, theme park food.
The park was pretty empty when we got there at 11:00 am and stayed moderately empty the rest of the day. There was less than a five minute wait for all water slides and we had no problem with snagging tubes for the wave pool or lazy river. So major pros and cons? Pros: It was not busy! There were lifeguards EVERYWHERE you looked, I felt like my daughter was safe even when I occasionally lost sight of her on rides. Although there was not a ton of water slides, the ones we went on were fun. Cons: Grounds were a little shabby in look and feeling (peeling paint, older life jackets) but nothing ever felt like dirty. There were not a lot of option for little kiddos, really only two water slides for teeny ones. Which brings up my only major pet peeve for the day: All the water slides attached to the kids areas were closed for the day, there were like four on the structure. Kind of a bummer.
Final thoughts? If I had to pay full price for the tickets, I would have been disappointed and preferred Raging Waters. However, for what we paid and for what we got for the day, I was a happy mom and my daughter was an overly happy child and by the end of the day, a tired child. -
Review from Amber E.
San Diego, CA
4/9/2011 4 photos
Probaby the most fun we had in Palm Springs -- we took the whole family, including cousins and grandma to Knott's Soak City, and everyone had a great time. Tickets are $32/ adults, $22/ kids at the gate, but if you go online, there are online discounts available, or get a season pass for just $49 - worth it if you plan on going more than once or twice (which we do, and, the season pass can be used at the Knotts Soak City in Palm Springs, San Diego and Orange County; or, for $85 total, you can get a pass that includes Knott's Berry Farm, too -- did this for the cousin who lives in OC near Knott's).
There's about 8 water slides which are all a little different, and all LOTS of fun; everyone had their favorites. There were almost no lines over spring break. Us adults preferred the red one "Surf Rider Rapids," where you went down in a 3-person raft-- fast, curvy and fun, and the huge yellow and purple funnel "Pacific Spin" -- intertubes for 2-4 people into a 132 ft long tunnel which drops 60 feet into a 70-foot funnel - OMG; scary, especially if you're the one(s) going backward, but so fun!
Then our neice loved the super-steep yellow slide "Tidal Wave Tour," which drops you 7 stories high, practically straight-down. My husband said it just gave him an atomic weggie and practically ripped the skin off his back as the rush of water slowed him down. With that description, I decided to pass.
There's also a big play area for little kids w/ slides, a 4-story beach house, bucket that drops 1,000 gallons of water every 10 miutes or so, and a splash pool. Our little girls (5 and 7) were just big enough (over 42 inches) to go on most the big slides (all of them but the yellow one and funnel) and LOVED the slides -- even the green one which was totally dark. We also liked the lazy river and the wave pool.
I would recommend bringing in lots of water, or at least some bottles to fill up at the drinking fountains (otherwise, it's $3.75 bottle inside), and water shoes if it's hot out. We checked out all the food joints, and opted for burgers at Hodad's for lunch -- not too pricey at $5.25 for burgers or $5.75 for cheeseburgers -- not NEARLY as good as the originals at Hodad's in Ocean Beach, but what do you expect at a Knott's water park -- we wondered if they officially licensed the name -- I suppose Knott's plays by the books. Overall a fun family day. -
Review from C W.
Valencia, CA
4/11/2011
It's a small but fun place. They have life guards everywhere and they are very alert and professional.
Watershoes are highly recommended. -
Review from Silla G.
La Quinta, CA
7/25/2011
Don't order food it will take an 1/2 and hour to get it. it was really fun for my son (6) and i but, most of the time he had to wear a life jacket. he was between 48" & 42". $10.00 for parking which is whatever. $10 for lockers. food and drinks over priced. wear water shoes. had fun though.
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Review from Teresa P.
La Habra, CA
8/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
On a hot day, this place rocks. Check the website to see where to get discount tickets (I bought mine at Ralph's). Food is okay, but one should really go there for the water fun, not a culinary experience.
My favorite is the Sunset River (formerly Lazy River), which is 3.5 feet deep, with strong currents that drag you along as you cling to (or sit on) an inflatable tube. I could drift in there all day.
The tide pool has giant waves that fling you about at regular and frequent intervals. You can rent a tube for $5, but there's lots of free tubes, if you're willing to wait a few moments for a kid to drop one (and they do so, often). The tide pool also has sprinklers to get you wet from above.
GMIT liked to wait until I was clinging to a tube, then drag me into the 6 foot 3 inch water depth, then strand me there. I spent most of my afternoon hiding from her in the tide pool so she couldn't strand me. My shoulders hurt for a few days afterwards, but it was fun nevertheless. I sucked at hiding from her. She always found me, thanks to other traitorous kids.
There's also water slides. Those are fun, but I enjoyed the interaction of the Lazy River and the Tide Pool more.
Parking is $10. Preferred parking is $15, and puts you closer to the park. Lockers are $10. Maybe it's worth buying the preferred parking and skipping the locker by leaving your stuff in the car. -
Review from Summer M.
Long Beach, CA
5/4/2011
Such fun!
I definitely recommend parking preferred! We got there at around 12:30 and there was only a few spots left.
We didn't need to rent a cabana b/c we found plenty of shade in the grass area. The temp. that day was mid-90's. We were too busy having fun on all the rides to even sit long enough in the shade.
I would recommend this place to anyone who lives in Southern Cali!
I can't wait to go back!
Lifeguards were friendly.
Watershoes are a MUST!
They do check your bags but I was still able to sneak in a sandwich and some chips hehehehe......
Bring plenty of bottled water! -
Review from Ms. August S.
Los Angeles, CA
8/7/2011
We visited while on a weekend getaway , because our resort pool was crowded. We had discounts tickets so we only paid half price. For the land they have not allot of rides. We purchased the tubes for $5.00 only to find out that you can only use them on one of the water slides. We give in 2 starts because the margaritas were great the food not so good and the wave pool dirty. Not the best experience .
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Review from Angela H.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2009
OKAY! When you're in Palm Springs, and it's a blazing 115 degrees out, Soak City is the best idea ever! Admission is $29, but if you have AAA or come after 3pm it's only $22 each.
We went here yesterday, and were smart and rented a Cabana - they are a bit pricey, but with a whole group of people, it works out to like $10 each, which is so worth it. It was our homebase, where we could safely leave all of our things while running around the park - they also offer waiter service, so we could order beers and food when we were hanging there. They also give you 4 innertubes to take around with you for the day, so you don't need to wait for them at the slides. If you don't get a Cabana, be ready to pay $10 for a locker...totally insane!
At first the park looks small, and I guess in retrospect it is compared to other huge waterparks, but it's actually a pretty decent size - any bigger, and the task of running around from ride to ride + climbing up a million stairs each time to the top of slides would be torturous.
I went on every slide, except for the straight down 60ft. drop. I remember a time when I was quite fearless and would go on any waterslide, no matter how high or steep, but yesterday I wasn't feeling as brave as I once was. The two best ones were the Sea Snake - which is terrifying the first couple of times, because you're speeding through a pitch black tunnel, with zero sense of direction! The other is the one we called the Funnel (I think the real name is the Twister or something?) - it's a sick slide that you can ride with 2 or 4 people. You go through a dark tunnel on an innertube, then go off a steep drop, then shot up the wall of this open funnel. It's a ridiculous amount of fun! With each time the Funnel was over, we'd all turn into 5 year olds and be yelling "MORE! MORE! MORE!" and run back up the stairs and do it all over again! (I think I went on it probably 18 times!)
All in all, Soak City was exactly what we needed for the day. If we hadn't gone, the sun would have melted all my skin off. -
Review from Jessica O.
Moreno Valley, CA
7/22/2011
This was my second time at a Knotts Soak City, but my first at the Palm Springs location (I had previously been to the one in Buena Park). I chose this location because it is smaller and since my 6 year old had never been to a waterpark before, I felt the smaller location would be good to start with.
My daughter and I arrived when the park opened at 10AM on a Friday afternoon. There was a short line of people waiting to get into the park, however, it only took about 5 to 10 minutes to get in. We immediately went to rent a locker, which was $10 for the whole day.
We then went to the Rip Tide Reef, which was a lot of fun. There was plenty of lifeguards around so I felt very secure since my daughter is new to swimming. After that we went to the Sunset Lazy River and relaxed. Kahuna's Beach House was also a lot of fun, however, watch out for when the bucket drops water on you! They also had two yellow slides for young children and my daughter enjoyed them so much she went on them 4 or 5 times!
The waterpark did get slightly crowded around 12:00PM, but it wasn't so crowded that we didn't have swimming room or that we were shoulder to shoulder with anyone. The ground does get really hot, so make sure you wear flip flops or water shoes when walking on the pavement.
Overall, my daughter and I had a GREAT day! In fact, we enjoyed ourselves so much, I got us season passes! I highly recommend this waterpark and cannot wait to go back!! -
Review from K R.
Irvine, CA
7/22/2009
A disappointing experience to say the least.
But I'll say more, because I want someone to write a more accurate review of how much this place sucks.Pulled into the parking lot and had to pay a whopping $9 just for parking, then $10 for a locker. Some of the staff I encountered were unprofessional, with me waltzing past the bag checker because I could barely hear his voice mutter "miss, I have to look through your bag". And with one quick,disinterested glance through my things I wondered why it was worth doing at all. Everything in the shops are overpriced, and the ride waits are long and the rides themselves quick and subpar. -
Review from Franklin W.
Burlingame, CA
4/12/2011
Spot is not very large but that also helps with not having a large crowd or having to park 10 minutes away.
Lifeguards were friendly.
Other could use some work, for example they have specials at the store that the cashiers don't know how to punch into the computer and they had to get a manager...also they need a better line management system to get in its like a big blob of people trying to get through security gate. -
Review from Rosadra W.
Palm Springs, CA
7/8/2010
I went to Knott's Soak City yesterday at about 4:00 pm. We didn't have to pay for parking and our tickets were only $19.99 per adult. We rented a locker for $10 and when you return the key you will get a $3 voucher. We went to the wave pool first and we left our sandals on the side so that we could get in. We were only in the wave pool for a few minutes and when we got out someone stole my sandals! I was pissed because how do you not know what shoes are yours. Of course the ground was too hot to walk bar footed. So I had to purchase another pair for $16.00. What a waste of money!
As for the water slides, the lines weren't long at all. -
Review from Theodore O.
Pacifica, CA
12/24/2008
Oasis was the place when i was a little kid. I went there almost every week with the Palm Springs YMCA around 1993-1994. When i was in High school they were bought out by Knott's and they became knott's oasis. I could deal with that, but then the scrapped the whole Oasis thing and called it Knott's soak city....BOO!!!! You can see on the google map to the right it still says Oasis water park on their maps and it will always be Oasis to me.
It's hot in the desert and this is a nice place to go cooldown and have some fun. They have rock climbing, a nice grass area to play frisbee, and an excellent tanning area in front of the wave pool. The rides range alot from fun to boring. The lazy river is a place to float on an innertube at 1 MPH and just relax. The roadrunner is the middle tube of the middle 3 rides (if the setup is still the same). It's the only one that doesn't require an innertube of the three. That ride was enough for me when i was 8 but as i got older i moved on to the scorpion, the black widow, and whatever those 2 wedgie machines were all the way over on the right side. The scropion was a kind of bragging rights for us kids and i'd say something like "yeah, well i rode the scorpion 5 TIMES today."
Raging waters and Wild Rivers in LA county are larger, but theyre not as clean and safe as oasis. I always felt like raging waters was overcrowded and even though some of the rides were more intense it was not worth the drive/hassle. Oasis is laid back and less crowded; an overall better experience. try it when your in the hot hot desert! -
Review from PB J.
San Francisco, CA
7/10/2008
I went to this water park for the first time while visiting a friend in Desert Hot Springs (next door to Palm Springs).
It would have cost $28 but they gave us $5 off because my friend lives in Southern California. We got there at about 11am on a 115 degree summer weekday and it wasn't too packed. But about half of the dozen slides were closed. We were told they would open later in the day which turned out to be after 2pm. Felt like a ripoff until those rides opened.
One of the best rides is this giant slide called something "Tower". You climb about 4 flights of stairs at the top of a hill and get a great view of Palm Springs and the surrounding desert. Then it's about a 70 foot drop to the bottom, 40 feet of which is almost straight down. The drop curves into a straightaway filled with water to slow you down. Watching someone slow down is like watching a speedboat slow down as it skims along the water.
The other super awesome ride is something my friend and I called "the toilet bowl". Again you climb several flights of stairs carrying an inflated raft for up to four people. You shoot down a pitch black curving tube into the top of a giant funnel turned on its side (the toilet), then go up and down the funnel until you slow down and go out the bottom of the funnel
Not to be missed is the giant water play structure--a mass of ropes, bridges and slides. It may look like it's only for kids but it's a lot of fun for everyone. On the sides of the bridges, there are water cannons and big perpetually-filling buckets of water that can be aimed and poured on people passing below you. At the top of the structure is a giant, water tower-sized bucket of water that automatically fills and dumps every few minutes.
There's a wave pool and a circular, slow-moving "lazy river".
At the bar next to the wave pool, my friend and I chatted with a couple of local ladies. When I tried to steer the conversation from favorite, tolerable and unbearable fast food chains to philosophy, they had to leave. Oh well, one was married and the other had a mustache and missing teeth. There was also a guy who was drinking and avoiding his wife and kids.
All said, a fun time and it never got too hot because you're always getting wet. Put on powerful sunblock though. I'm fairly white-skinned, I put on 48 SPF sunblock three times throughout the day and still got a little burned on the shoulders and back.
Minus one star for not having all the rides open and a couple life guards that kept flinging cups of water at a crowded line. They were letting one person down the slide every 5 minutes!
Guard flings water and gets it right in my eye a few times.
Me: Quit flinging water, just make the ride move faster!
Guard looks at me for a moment, then flings more water.
Still really fun time in the hot desert sun. -
Review from Valerie H.
Chino Hills, CA
6/1/2009
My husband and I took our 3yr old daughter there this past weekend. Over all, we had a good time - although it was expensive and there wasnt alot for a 3 yr old to do other than the big wave tank and the 2 little kid slides. She is 36 inches tall and most of the rides require 40-42 inches in height. Even on the lazy river... which seemed pretty short and kinda fast to me.
We splurged and rented a cabana. If you can afford it - I HIGHLY reccommend one - you get shade, misters, semi-privacy, a waiter service, and 2 free innertubes. Its not something we could afford to do every time we go, but its definately worth it if you could split the cost with another family. The food thru the waiter is about $2 more per item than if you waited in line for yourself to get it, and you can order food items in the cabanas that you cant get elsewhere in the park. Also, you can have alcohol served to you in the cabana - as opposed to having to remain in the bar area if you arent from a cabana.
The staff was pretty attentive - the lifeguards and medical staff were always watchfull. Due to my daughter being so small, we couldnt go on alot of rides - there is one area that has 6 or 7 little slides on it and it looks like its geared to kids - but the water is the coldest on the planet.
We will probably go again sometime... but not anytime soon due to the cost. -
Review from Rob P.
Sherman Oaks, CA
7/25/2011
I had never spent less than three hours at a water park in my life. Dallas's Wet n Wild, Denver's Water World, the amazing Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels Texas, all complete day trips where I exited exhausted after 10 hours vowing to cover the rest of the park tomorrow. Not here. There are a couple of mildly challenging tube rides here, but it's absolutely a place for 10 and unders. I found a $27 adult ticket and still didn't feel satisfied. If you live in LA, don't make the trip here for the water park.
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Review from Gregg M.
5/6/2010
If you have kids under 5 you may want to skip this place. Not much for them to do as the only rides they can go on are very cold. Also super expensive. Locker $10 and parking $10. $100 all in just to get in the door with 2 adults and 1 3 year old plus expensive and unhealthy food once inside. They do not allow outside food or drinks. Overall suggest saving your money until kids are older.
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Review from a c.
Murrieta, CA
4/16/2011
This place was great...especially when you've got three youngsters! First they offer preferred parking which put us right at the entrance of the park. This was great for lunch time, back at the car. They have shaded area's that are up for grabs if your first into the park. The crowd was amazing! Not overwhelming at all! The park is just the right size for little ones to keep up...there are barely any lines to wait in! The whole family was able to ride all the slides three or four times! Overall arrive there early, get preferred parking, save your money and eat a picnic lunch at the car, and wear your water shoes...your feet will be thanking you later! Great alternative to the beach! The season passes for the water park and preferred parking are well worth it! Great way to spend the summer and not go broke!
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Review from Lauren F.
Chatsworth, CA
8/29/2009
I went to this park on a Friday afternoon, it wasn't very busy at all. Admission was $24.99 (ask for Southern California Resident Discount). I must say the park isn't worth too much more. It's very small with 7 slides, 1 small lazy river, and a wave pool. Locker rentals are pricey at $10 all day and the food is also expensive as well, but still pretty good. If you're thirsty I suggest asking at the food place for cups of water from the soda machine. I did it a few times and the lady gave me the regular sized drinks filled with ice water. Don't bother renting your own intertube for $6. All the rides that need them provide them for you. After going on some of the rides over and over, this park got boring. Since they are out in the desert you'd think they would have more attractions.
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Review from Kevin G.
West Hills, CA
6/18/2010
Loved it. We might go back for another day. Do the "4-pack" and save yourself $10 per ticket, which does offset the cost of the $10 locker. We did not stay to experience the food because we knew it was going to be low quality and expensive. So we just left and got Mexican food someplace else. All rides were super fun. The wait started getting long around one pm. The review below about chipped paint was right on.
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Review from Pops F.
Palo Alto, CA
3/26/2009
Soak City is an apt name for what will happen to you when you show up here, and it's not the water, it's what will happen to your bank account. If you stop at the MacDonald's at I-10 and Ramon, you can save $7 a ticket (look for the coupons by the napkins).
First, there's $9 to park. Want a locker (as in a YMCA style take-the-orange-key locker?), $10 more. That's not a typo... who has ever paid $10 for a ski-resort style locker? Not even at Vail would they try that on you. Want an inner tube? $5 more per person. Want a cabana? I didn't ask. The only thing that's free after you turn into the park are the bathrooms, and I'm honestly surprised that they didn't charge for those, too.
Eat before you come, because there are long lines for just about everything you might want to buy here. Given their bent toward making a buck, someone forgot to tell them to staff up their concessions to move people through the lines faster.
Be careful when you go; during spring break week they were only open Th - Su. The park is a forlorn area of town near the airport. and some warehouses. When you drive up, you'll see all the knowledgable people parking on the street or in vacant parts of the desert.
The staff was attentive and safety was clearly a priority. The setup is good for kids over 8-10; if your kids are younger and not daredevils, this may not be the place for them. They have some rides geared toward the younger kids, but the majority of the park caters to the tween and above set.
Overall, they have a lot of creative water rides. Expect pretty long lines for the better ones -- maybe waiting 20 minutes to ride for 30 seconds.
1 star for the nickel and diming; overall, I wouldn't call this a good value.
My 9 year old son gave it "at least 4 stars" for the rides, most of which he was too afraid to go on. But he didn't pay the bill. -
Review from Robby H.
Temecula, CA
3/30/2011
Needed to find some sun, the beach was cold and cloudy, so we went here! You can catch some rays and hang in the water, and believe it or not you can buy a beer. We had a great afternoon!
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Review from peter c.
San Diego, CA
8/2/2009
Management is not customer focused...rules are very strict...no water shoes on rides, can't ride a tube without waiting forever, no kicking in the lazy river....Can't bring any beverages in the park, which is dangerous with 120 degree heat. At $5-7 a drink, this is a rip-off.
You can't escape the heat as there is no air conditioning. By 2pm, the 20 in our party were ready to go. One person was dehydrated and the rest looked wiped out.
There is one good ride at the park...we called it toilet bowl ride. Great fun. The rest of the park, I could do without. Management/workers need to realize that the customers pay their salary and focus on making the stay enjoyable. -
Review from Darwin A.
Hillside, NJ
7/24/2009
This place is ok. You have a choice of parking $9 for regular and $15 for Preferred. Not much difference in the parking. The only advantage is when its scorching hot its a shorter walk. I recommend renting a cabana because it is a life saver. We reserved one online a couple days before I went. You do not have to rent a locker and fight for seats in the shade. The cabanas are located near the tidal wave area and runs along the side. Cabanas are $99 and the private ones run for $109. Check the website. They have misters connected, couple of beach chairs, 2 rubber tubes, and a picnic table with chairs. You check in and then you are assigned a waiter. At the cabanas, you get unlimited water to keep you hydrated. We ordered a special for $60 where you get four hotdogs, four hambugers, assortment of chips, and a unlimted thermal cooler to fill with any soda you want. We went with this food package because it was a good deal for our party. The bathrooms were actually clean. They are located in different parts of the park but not too far of a walk wherever you may be. The water park attractions were nice. The tidal wave beach is probably the highlight because of the wave machine that happens every 30 mins or so. The slides are your typical ones you would see at raging waters or other water parks. I wish there were more pools for infants. The only really complaint I have was our waiter. He was ok. I know its hot and all but do your job. It took forever to order food but he did deliver fast. The first order of soda we ordered was not cold and flat. The second one was ok. He was suppose to come back to take a group picture and never did. But hey I would hate to work in a 117 degree weather. Would I go back? Yes I went on a Monday so it was not bad. Not sure if I would go on a Friday or weekend.
