The South is the land of bipolar weather.  In a single year, Tennessee can experience hurricanes, tornados, floods, droughts, a blizzard’s worth of snow, and a heat index in the triple digits all within the span of one month.

But there’s something about the Southern heat that will make you repent and ask Sweet Baby Jesus to forgive you for all of your sins because you clearly won’t do well in Hell.  There is an old saying that women in the south don’t sweat—we “glisten” but the heat wave of 2018 has me sweating and in need of a water park.

Water Parks In Tennessee Will Help You Cool Down From The Summer Heat

When you consider temperatures dipping down into the 90s a cold front there is clearly something wrong and the only cure is to take advantage of one the water parks in Tennessee.

There is nothing like visiting water parks in Tennessee with your family during the hot summer months. The humidity is so thick you can barely breathe and the only thing that will help beat the heat are waterslides and swimming pools.  Tennessee offers so much more than country music,  Elvis Presley, and the Smoky Mountains.

Related Post: 5 Things To Do At Margaritaville in Pigeon Forge

Tennessee has some of the best of waterparks and so if your family is dying to cool off from the summer heat add waterparks to your family “to do” list.

I can’t think of anything that lights up Madison’s face more than me telling her we are staying at a hotel and we are going to have fun at a waterpark!  All of a sudden I become the best mommy in the world.

What are you waiting for? Grab your swimming suits, sunscreen, and towels as I help you navigate through which waterparks in Tennessee will help your family escape the summer heat.

My daughter loves Wilderness At The Smokies and Dollywood Splash Country as her favorite water park in Tennessee. I, on the other hand, am not a big fan of Wilderness At The Smokies but it’s not because of the waterpark; I am not a big fan of the rooms.  The rooms at Wilderness At The Smokies have wood everywhere! OMG! I was on wood overload but I do understand the cabin theme but still, it drives me nuts.

Wilderness at the Smokies has three water parks on the property.  There are Two outdoor water parks and the resort is also Tennessee’s largest indoor water park The Wild WaterDome.

While I will admit that I am a little bourgeois in my taste and I prefer contemporary luxury decor with clean lines, I know everybody does not have the same requirements I do (sorry if I am sounding a little snooty but it is what it is).  If decor doesn’t matter to you then Wilderness At The Smokies offers a  wide variety of accommodations and all rooms come with kitchens and separate living and sleeping areas.

Wilderness At The Smokies also has a huge arcade center, indoor three-story ropes course, laser tag, black light miniature golf and an indoor playground for the little ones.

The second waterpark on Madison’s list is Dollywood Splash Country.  Dollywood Splash Country is your typical water park but with its own Tennessee twist and also has the same theme as Dollywood Park which it shares a parking lot with.

Dollywood Splash Country is nestled in the beautiful Smoky Mountains.  I am more of a lazy river kinda girl but Madison on the hand loves the wave pool and getting on water rides.

Splash Country is also home to Tennessee’s only water coaster RiverRush which races through the trees four stories in the air as you experience four drops along 1,175 feet of track that thrills with multiple turns and dark tunnels—all combined with rushing water!

Who Knew Nashville Had Its Very Own Water Park

If you can’t make the long drive to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge,  Nashville has it’s very own water park as well!  Nashville Shores is perfect for packing up the kids to escape the sweltering heat of Nashville summers.  Nashville typically will reach triple digits and Nashville Shores is a local favorite and you don’t have to drive far.

Nashville Shores has eight water slides, a wave pool, lazy river, and Kowabunga Beach which is a four-story tall water play structure with over seventy different water spray features and slides. Nashville Shores is housed on Percy Preist lake which is great for camping or even renting a cabin for the night.

Wetlands Water Park is in Jonesborough, Tennessee which is located just on the other side of Johnson City. If you hate the crowds of the larger water parks in Tennessee make sure you check out Wetlands.

Wetlands Water Park has water slides for everybody in your family including the little ones.   My favorite, of course, is the lazy river but the water park also features a zero depth wading area, tumble buckets, and children’s otter slide.

Another great feature of Wetlands Water Park is tubes are available to rent so what are you waiting on?

I love exploring Tennessee and all that this great state has to offer so if you are in one of our neighboring states and looking for a quick weekend getaway with the kids to cool off from the summer heat the water parks in Tennessee need to be on your bucket list for your next family getaway.

Which are your favorite water parks in Tennessee and Did you even know Tennessee had water parks?

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