Noah’s Ark Waterpark
In the afternoon, I headed to Noah’s Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells. With its enormous selection of water slides, Noah’s Ark is one of the best-known water parks in the United States, so I was quite curious to see what the park had to offer.
I started my visit at the upper end of the park, where one of the large parking lots is located. Parking at Noah’s Ark is anything but cheap, which was ultimately one of the reasons why I only drove to the water park once during my stay in Wisconsin Dells. From here, I gradually made my way through the long, narrow park towards the main road.
Black Thunder
The first slides on my way were the Black Thunder Slides. These different black hole slides run completely in the dark and offer slightly different layouts depending on which one you choose. I particularly enjoyed the middle slides, which basically consist of one large drop. Racing down such a big drop completely in the dark is great fun.
Monkey Rapids and Big Kahuna
Next up were Monkey Rapids, several classic tube slides that wind their way down the hillside before eventually ending directly in the Adventure River. Their location on the hillside is quite nice, although the slides themselves are nothing particularly special.
Right next door is Big Kahuna, one of the large wave pools at Noah’s Ark. I spent a little time here before continuing with the next slides.
Chameleon
Things get a little more interesting with Chameleon. This family raft slide runs mostly in the dark and features various lighting effects along the way. The large raft swings nicely from side to side during the ride, while the effects add a little extra atmosphere. Chameleon was quite fun overall, although it wasn’t one of the stronger slides in the park for me.
Congo Bongo Rapids and Bermuda Triangle
Congo Bongo Rapids is another family raft slide that has been nicely integrated into the hillside. This time, the entire course is open and runs through several turns on its way down. A few small jumps along the way add some movement to the raft. Overall, it’s quite a fun ride.
Right next door, Bermuda Triangle offers several classic old-school tube slides. The courses feature numerous changes of direction, causing the tube to swing back and forth along the way. The ride never gets particularly spectacular, though, and overall Bermuda Triangle was rather so-so for me.
Time Warp
Time Warp is a much more unusual slide. It is a ProSlide Mammoth Bowl where you first travel through an enclosed tube in a large raft before entering the huge bowl. Various lighting effects add a little extra to the experience.
Before I could try the slide, however, I first had to find a suitable group. There is a weight restriction for the rafts, which meant that as a single rider I couldn’t simply join any group. It therefore took me a while before I could finally give it a go.
The ride itself was quite nice, although I had expected a little more from the huge bowl. Rather than completing several laps, the raft loses height relatively quickly and soon slides down the slope in the middle towards the exit. With such a large bowl, I would have liked to spend a little more time in the main element.
Flamingo Falls, Toucan Twisters and Parrots Plunge
Flamingo Falls, Toucan Twisters and Parrots Plunge are a collection of old-school body slides of all kinds. The different courses wind their way down the hillside through numerous turns and reach surprisingly high speeds along the way.
The wild swinging from side to side through the turns is particularly good fun. There are also several small jumps where you can briefly lift off the surface of the slide. I really enjoyed this slightly unpredictable ride experience, making these older slides one of the most entertaining areas of Noah’s Ark.
Endless River
Things get a little more relaxing on the Endless River. The lazy river winds its way through this part of the water park and even passes directly underneath some of the surrounding slides. That alone makes a lap on the Endless River pretty cool and offers a nice change of pace between the slides.
Paradise Lagoon
Paradise Lagoon is a slightly more unusual area of Noah’s Ark. Alongside the rope swings, there are several short slides that all end a few meters above the surface of the water. Instead of a conventional runout, you simply drop straight into the pool at the end.
The rope swings work in much the same way: at some point, you have to let go and drop several meters into the water. This combination makes Paradise Lagoon great fun and a little test of courage at the same time.
Tadpole Bay and The Wave
Tadpole Bay is a large water playground aimed at younger visitors. Alongside several smaller slides, there are numerous water play features and, of course, the obligatory giant tipping bucket that regularly empties itself over everyone below. I moved on fairly quickly.
Right next door is The Wave, another large wave pool at Noah’s Ark. Once the waves start, there is plenty of movement in the water and it’s a good place to cool off for a while before continuing through the park.
Surfing Safari and Raja
On my way to Raja, I first passed Surfing Safari. I skipped the water park’s FlowRider, however, and headed straight for Raja, which at the time was the world’s largest King Cobra water slide.
The large snake-themed tube slide features two lanes that initially run parallel through two large helices. This is followed by a surprisingly large drop into the halfpipe element, where you swing far up the opposite side. You then continue swinging back and forth between the two sides until the tube eventually comes to a stop. It’s certainly an unusual ride, and I quite enjoyed it.
Flash Flood
Flash Flood is a classic Hopkins Shoot-the-Chute, which was already enough to win me over. After the lift, there is a large drop straight into the water, with the boat producing an enormous wave. Getting completely soaked is obviously guaranteed – but in a water park, where you’re already wearing swimwear, that hardly matters.
It’s actually a shame that you don’t find rides like this in water parks more often. For me, a proper spillwater ride simply belongs in a water park.
Stingray
Stingray is a rather unusual tube slide that basically consists of one enormous halfpipe element. From the start, you head straight down a very steep drop before swinging far up the opposite side.
You then swing back and forth between both sides several times, gradually losing height until the tube eventually comes to a stop. The enormous drop and the height you reach on the opposite side make Stingray a really great and surprisingly wild slide.
Kowabunga
Kowabunga is a family raft slide that looks fairly unassuming at first due to its completely straight layout. Instead of large turns, you race down a long series of waves at considerable speed. The large raft repeatedly lifts off over the crests, providing a surprising amount of airtime.
As the rafts require a minimum number of riders, being a single rider actually worked to my advantage here. I was quickly added to another group and therefore didn’t have to wait very long. The ride itself really impressed me: fast, full of airtime and considerably wilder than its simple layout might suggest.
Quadzilla
Quadzilla is a mat racer featuring four different lanes. The upper section is particularly interesting, as the slides are initially intertwined rather than simply running parallel to one another. Riding headfirst on the mat, you race through the first turns at a decent speed before the four lanes eventually come together again and continue side by side over several waves towards the splashdown. I really enjoyed Quadzilla.
Scorpion’s Tail
Scorpion’s Tail is one of the first looping water slides to feature a drop-floor start. Stepping into the capsule is already a little test of courage: cross your arms and legs, wait, and at some point the floor suddenly disappears beneath your feet. You immediately pick up plenty of speed before racing through the tube and into the loop.
The ride certainly isn’t particularly smooth. Some of the transitions are rather rough and it feels like you can sense almost every single seam in the slide. This makes Scorpion’s Tail feel even wilder than the layout already suggests. To finish things off, there is another sizeable drop into the splash pool. It’s a pretty intense experience and one of those slides you don’t necessarily volunteer to ride a second time after surviving the first.
Point of No Return
Right next door is Point of No Return, a classic kamikaze slide. From the top of the tall slide tower, you can look almost straight down the steep drop before racing towards the splash pool at considerable speed. It’s a straightforward slide, but still a proper test of courage.
Black Anaconda
Black Anaconda was one of the most unusual slides waiting for me towards the end of my visit. As the slide is ridden by several people in a raft, it took me a little while to find a suitable group to join. The wait, however, was well worth it.
Black Anaconda is an early water coaster and an absolutely crazy ride. The unusually long course features one large drop after another, alternating with fast uphill sections. The technology is particularly interesting: instead of the water jets commonly used on modern water coasters, the rafts are pulled up the uphill sections by fast-moving conveyor belts before immediately plunging down the next drop.
With all those ups and downs, the ride lasts surprisingly long, and the larger drops are great fun. Black Anaconda was the best water coaster I had ridden up to that point.
Pictures Noah’s Ark Waterpark
Conclusion Noah’s Ark Waterpark
What impressed me most about Noah’s Ark was the enormous variety of slides. Some parts of the park certainly feel a little dated, and compared with nearby Mt. Olympus there are surprisingly few truly modern slides. On the other hand, Noah’s Ark has plenty of unusual and wonderfully wild old-school slides that give the water park a character of its own.
I really enjoyed this variety and could easily have spent even more time here. Overall, Noah’s Ark is a really good water park, and for me it is especially the older and more unusual attractions that make it such an interesting place to visit.
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