Even The Little Ones Can Splash About in Wildwood

In a few days, summer will officially descend upon New Jersey. But we’ve already experienced summer-like heat, and all reasonable expectations suggest more to come.

What to do about it? Some of the best options have something in common: large wading pools with their slides and rafts. But for parents of small children, that’s not an acceptable choice.

Splash Zone Water Park in Wildwood has been specifically designed for the entire family, said marketing director Lisa Fagan.

"Splash Zone is a fully gated, fully enclosed park for families with young children," she said. "All the pools in the complex are shallow, with the largest only going three feet deep. For even younger children, we have the 'Zoey Zone,' which is a one-foot-deep wading pool."

Even with smaller pool depths, Splash Zone has a variety of wet thrills and heat-busting chills like the five-person raft ride Beast of the East, and the Tipping Bucket, which fills to a 1,000 gallon capacity every three minutes, then splashes all of it on the patrons below. The Abyss and the Speed Dominator are super-flumes where people can feel the rush as they vault through mega-slides and hit to water pools below.

Feeling a little nervous about the high-capacity, deep-pool water parks? Not ready to take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean yet? Feeling like taking a trip down to South Jersey to see the sights? Then Splash Zone might fit the bill, so we've selected it for this installment of Day Tripper, a weekly look at destinations that are out of town, but in reach, and worth the trip.

DAY TRIPPER DIGEST

Estimated Travel Time: 3 hours, 10 minutes.

Why it’s Worth the Trip: Finding a facility that has the combination of water park action and the security of enclosure and manageable pool sizes, especially for the smallest patrons, can be difficult. But that's what Splash Zone offers all summer long.

How to Get There from Here: Detailed driving directions.

You’ll Probably Get Hungry:  Splash Zone is located directly acrossMorey’s Pier in Wildwood, so there are many places to grab a bite to eat. However, Splash Zone has its own facility, the Zone Grill, right inside the park. The Zone Grill features pizza and chicken nuggets, as well as a variety of wraps. Come snack-time, they also have Dippin’ Dots ice cream. From July 10 to August 28, the park will offer a breakfast menu as well, just right for people who spend the weekend in town and get to the park early.

While you’re in the Area:  If you need to pick up some t-shirts, flip-flops or even forgot your bathing suit, never feat. The Five-Mile Marketplace is right in the heart of Wildwood’s Boardwalk Central and has everything you need for your stay. Also, the boardwalk has an array of amusement rides, roller coasters and arcades.

Lisa Fagan suggested a family would not need to bring much to the park.

“A bathing suit, some flip-flops and a towel is really all anyone needs,” she said. “We have free beach chairs and free high-SPF sunscreen lotion available to everyone."

With the purchase of all-day pass, visitors can enjoy the park in the morning, leave for a few hours, and then return later to pick up on the action. Because of that option, the park doesn’t allow outside food or coolers into the facility, as people can easily step out and visit the boardwalk eateries.

Fagan said people might rather enjoy staying put to visit the Zone Grill.

“We have three kinds of wraps at the Zone Grill,” Fagan said. “You can get cheesesteak, chicken Caesar or Buffalo chicken. We also havefries, pizza, chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks. We run the gamut of food choices here.”

Adults who seek a thrill or two will find, outside of the complex, the only mechanical bull in Wildwood.

“It’s not excessively fast,” Fagan said, “but it bucks enough to give you a fun ride.”

There are many spots in and around Splash Zone that offer enjoyment with a concern for safety, and Fagan invites everyone to come and see for themselves.

“Bring your bathing suit, your flip-flops and a towel and leave the rest to us,” she said.