Roaring Springs and Wahooz are the a perfect family-friendly places to visit in Boise — actually Meridian, Idaho. Whether you are just visiting or are a lifetime resident, Roaring Springs and Wahooz are fun for kids and adults alike.
Roaring Springs
Roaring Springs is located just outside of Boise in Meridian, Idaho. The park has dozens of slides for all ages, and you can spend hours at at the park. Or, if your kids are old enough, you can drop them off for the day.
Buy Your Wahooz and Roaring Springs Tickets here
We went to Roaring Springs last on a very hot summer day, with a 8-year-old and two 12-year-olds. All three went their own ways early in the day and came back hours later to find a partner for rides that need two people to ride. But it showed the park is safe and full of things to do for kids of all ages.
Roaring Springs Meridian has an area for younger children to play or ride some slides, but then the rest of the slides are for people that are 42 inches or taller (to give you an idea, my 8-year-old niece is around 50 inches and pretty average for her age).
Lines & Wait Times
The lines at Roaring Springs can get pretty long, but the longest we stood in line for a ride was around 20 minutes. For many of them, there is no wait time — depending on the time of day.
Dealing with the Heat
The downsides of Roaring Springs have to do mostly with the heat. You are not allowed to bring any sort of umbrellas to the park. And although there are lounge chairs that are shaded, those fill up as soon as the park opens, so plan to be out in the sun all day.
On our visit, I sunscreened my entire body and still ended up with a burn. We were in the sun for four straight hours, and that can be dangerous.
Spend a summer day at Esther Simplot Park and Boise Whitewater Park
The other downside was that the entire park is concrete. Although there is some grass, all the paths are concrete and can get very hot during the day. You are not allowed to wear your sandals on rides, which causes most people to walk barefoot to their next ride. I left that day with burned feet and many blisters.
If I were to go back, I would wear my shows from ride to ride and then just leave them in the grass outside — I saw many people doing this (but a little too late).
Wahooz
Wahooz in Meridian is a fun park that is attached to Roaring Springs. You can buy passes for both Wahooz and Roaring Springs, but that can make for a very long day.
Wahooz includes an arcade, as well as some outdoor activities, including go karts.
If you are visiting during winter, Wahooz will be the only location open, but you can spend the day playing the games or driving the go karts. They also have birthday or other party packages, as well as a bowling alley (Pinz).
