By Guest Blogger:
Eric Proper from “Proper Way to Travel”
We’ve finally made it to our number one water park, a classic favorite and a top national water park as voted on by TripAdvisor readers. None other than the Enchanted Forest/Water Safari.
Price per Adult: $=$20 or less, $$=$21-30, $$$=$31-40, $$$$=$41-50, $$$$$=$51 and up
#1. Enchanted Forest / Water Safari
- Location: 3183 State Route 28, Old Forge, NY 13420
- Hours: June 13-Sept 3, Park opens at 10am, Closing times vary between 4pm to 6:30pm
- Price: $$$
If you live in Upstate New York it’s unlikely that you have never heard the famous tagline of “Enchanted Forest/Water Safari, where the fun never stops!”. That jungle has been ingrained into my head from numerous radio and television ads over the ads. And while not physically possible, the fun is consistently awesome and has been a tradition for many families. The park oozes nostalgia with its classic rides and storybook land, and has some of the best water rides in the State and even the Northeast. While the park started out as a Storyland park during the 50’s it has evolved into something more yet still keeps its charm and character.
The Saw Mill Children’s area
The park also has the most water rides of any park in New York with over 30. There is certainly no shortage of things to enjoy. Slides vary from kid-friendly that look like the bigger slides to intense thrill slides, most of the bigger slides require riders to be a certain height but families can find lots to do together. When we visited our daughter wasn’t tall enough for slides like The Black River and The Shadow. But we were able to ride together on the classic Amazon and Cascade Falls raft slides.
Nairobi Narrows on the left, Bombay Blasters on the Right
The Waterpark is divided into two main sections, the original Water Safari with it’s tropical/African theme and the newer Adirondack Expedition which has clever names like Rondaxe Run and the Log Jammer that play well to the Adirondacks history. The rest of the park features a mechanical ride section in the back, a large petting zoo and a storybook lane from the original park. Families also love this park because it is one of the few left that you can bring a picnic lunch and even grill on the public grills available. Large groups and companies can even rent out large pavilions.
The water park is quite large and the layout will require some backtracking. There are also some hills to consider when traveling the park but is all handicapped accessible. Another great perk of this park is the heated water, due to its northern location it really makes a difference. Lines are also very manageable despite the park’s popularity which makes for a fun day for any family and no camping trip would be complete without a trip here. They even have their own campground and hotel which you can get package deals to save even more.
Water Safari Hill L-R Serengeti Surf Hill, Kilimanjaro Speed Slide, and Curse of the Silverback
Best Slide: Curse of the Silverback
The newest slide is easily the best slide in the park, but most slides here are great. The Silverback starts with a large twisting drop down a pitch black tunnel in an inner tube. You’re then shot into a giant bowl where you sound around a few times before dropping out into a catch pool. All while a large Gorilla statue watches over you in the middle. Easily one of the most popular rides it needs to be hit early or the lines may be too long, something that doesn’t usually happen here. The ride has everything a great thrill slides needs and is very re-rideable but is only for the taller family members due to the height requirement of 48″.
