California is known for nothing if not warm weather and sunny days. It should come as no surprise, then, that the state is home to some spectacular water parks that make the most of the state’s enviable climate. Here are just a handful of our favorites throughout the state.

Raging Waters San Diego / Photo by Don DeBold / CC BY

Raging Waters Los Angeles - San Dimas

Raging Waters Los Angeles is California’s largest water park. Their flagship park is in San Dimas, but they also have locations in Sacramento and San José. Raging Waters has more than 50 rides and slides, including California’s only hydromagnetic water coaster. What does that mean? The rafts move as fast as the cars on a roller coaster, but they aren’t attached to a track – instead, they slide up and fly down the hills at 30mph, spitting you into a huge pool. If relaxing on a raft is more your speed, they’ve got you covered, too. The Amazon Adventure River takes you on a long, slow ride through the park with no hills or splashing.

Sea World Aquatica - San Diego

Sea World’s Aquatica in San Diego offers slides, rides, and the chance to mingle with animals in the water. If you’re looking to enjoy the sun with just a little bit of action, the slides will keep you busy all day. For the less adventurous, Loggerhead Lane is a rafting river that winds around the park and gets you up close and personal with flamingos and turtles.

Photo by Legoland Water Park

Legoland Water Park - Carlsbad

Legoland Water Park is the place to be in Carlsbad for families. Children of all ages will love bobbing down the Build-a-Raft River on giant floating Legos. The little ones will get a kick out of the Soak-n-Sail, a giant pirate ship built from Legos that dumps a 300-gallon bucket of water from high above. If you’ve got toddlers who love to play, they’ll have a blast at the Splash Zoo, where huge Lego animal statues spray on command. It’s like playing in the bathtub, but way more fun (and no mess to clean up).

Boomerang Bay - Santa Clara

Boomerang Bay, which is in Santa Clara near San Francisco, isn’t just about the water – they also offer familiar dining choices and upscale options. This Australian-themed park has rafting, slides, a wave pool, and splash pads for kids. Grown-ups can enjoy a private cabana by booking this VIP option in advance. With a Wave Pool Cabana reservation, six guests enjoy a semi-private cabana with chaise lounge chairs, one all-day tube rental, poolside service, and more.

Photo by Wake Island Waterpark

Wake Island - Sacramento

Wake Island in Sacramento has anything and everything you could want to do on the water. Wakeboarding, swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, corcls (sort of like little kayaks), paddle boats, and a huge, new aqua park. The aqua park is a series of inflatable slides, runways, jumping pillows, and bouncers all connected and floating in a large, clean lake. It features swings, ramps, jumps, ladders, a trampoline, a slide, wiggle bridges, and much more.

Island Water Park - Fresno

Open only during the summer, Island Water Park in Fresno offers water rides, pools, slides, and kid’s play areas. Since you’re able to bring outside food into the park, this is the perfect spot to splash all morning and have a picnic lunch with the little ones. They’re all about summer fun for the whole family, but on weekend nights the party really begins. All seven slides are open, movies are shown on the beach, and there’s a 21-and-older party zone featuring DJs and live music.

Photo by Brian Shamblen / CC BY

Waterworld California - Concord

Waterworld California has all the great rides and slides you expect, plus an amazing area just for kids. This Concord spot is just 25 miles east of San Francisco and is accessible by public transportation. The newest and most exciting addition to their lineup is the Break Point Plunge. This will take brave riders up six stories where they’ll get a view of the park. Then they step into an enclosed launch capsule where the countdown begins. Within seconds, the floor below drops out, sending riders through a heart-pounding 270-foot long looping adventure.

The Great Wolf Lodge - Anaheim

The Great Wolf Lodge in Anaheim is the place for upscale fun in the water. Imperfect weather doesn’t happen too often in Southern California, but when it does you can head here, to SoCal’s first and only indoor water park. There are plenty of exciting slides and raft rides in this weatherproof vacation spot – plus very glamorous cabanas for the grownups. The waterpark is just one part of what the Lodge has to offer; guests can book spa trips, dine at world-class restaurants, and shop at high-end boutiques all in one spot.

The Lodge offers several options for guests, including standard, no-frills rooms and forest-themed rooms for the whole family. With every reservation, you have access to the water park, the fitness center, and special activities just for kids.