Updated 6/2018
It’s our annual guide- the biggest, wettest list of outdoor wading pools, spraygrounds, fountains, and water features in the South Puget Sound. For the sake of my sanity, I’ve only listed public, outdoor venues. Here they are, listed by city:
SeaTac
Angle Lake Park – OPEN Spray park is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Spray park hours are 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. There is also a swimming area here but no lifeguards
Burien Town Square Plaza water feature OPEN May through October. Yes, it’s working this year!
Federal Way
Town Square Plaza Park This should be OPEN, but we have not yet confirmed. This park opened in the summer of 2016. Our awesome readers say it’s a lot of fun, as is the playground. Note there is not shade here, so bring your own sunscreen and umbrella! 11AM-8PM *Note there is a park with a similar name in downtown Kent. This one is different.
Renton
Henry Moses Aquatic Center – will open June 23rd You see this one from the freeway. It has waterslides, water features, toddler play area, and more. Admission is pricey if you’re not a resident, and they do limit capacity. You could arrive and find it closed to further entry, so my suggestion is to go early on a warm day and have a back-up plan. Gene Coulon Park would be my suggestion-swimming beach and lots of ammenities.
Kent
Town Square Plaza – Open Spheres that shoot water; open as long as it’s working!
- Fountains operate from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, from the third Monday of May to the first Monday of October, except for maintenance needs.
- Restrooms open from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. daily, from the third Monday of May to the first Monday of October, except for maintenance needs. Note from SFM: These are prone to maintenance issues, so go with a back up plan.
Auburn
Les Gove Park – OPEN The rotary sprayground by the Discovery Playground is open from 10-8 daily through September 5th.
Enumclaw
Mud Mountain Dam and Park Not yet open This is a wading pool with sort of a sprinkler/fountain overhead. There are also nature trails and a viewing platform with nice, short hikes. Typically opens after the 4th of July.
Puyallup
Pioneer Park – Currently OPEN. 10am-8pm, daily. This is in Pioneer Park by the library, right downtown. You can park at the surface lot behind City Hall or on the bottom floor of the building-it’s the one with the Subway and Elements Froyo. It will be open daily until Labor Day.
Pioneer Park Sprayground
Tacoma
Franklin Park Photo by Russ Carmack
Metro Parks Tacoma –OPEN All ten spray grounds are open from 10AM-8PM daily through Labor Day, with weekend hours through most of September.
Kandle Park (Note this is the small splashpad outside the pool. The pool and its adjacent water feature will open June 17.)
Norpoint Park – 4818 Nassau Ave. N.E.
SERA Campus (near STAR Center) – 3873 S. 66th St.
Titlow Park – 8425 6th Ave.
Wright Park – 501 South I St.
Verlo Playfield – 4321 McKinley Ave.
Point Ruston OPEN There is now a sprayground on Ruston Way at Point Ruston. It’s south of the theatre and a great place to hang out with an amazing view of the Sound. There is also a really cool playground nearby. Note that you now have to pay to park in the garage here, though some merchants validate.
Fircrest – OPEN There is a wading pool next to the outdoor pool. Both have hours open to non residents.
Outdoor Pools – Kandle Park and Stewart Heights Pool are two awesome outdoor pools in Tacoma. They are OPEN
Pt Defiance ZooThere is a small lily pad splash pad in the kids’ zone at the Pt. Defiance Zoo. It should be open, but we still need to check on this one.
Gig Harbor
There is a new, interactive water feature at the renovated Skansie Brothers Park on the waterfront. You can see some more pics and reader tips on our Facebook page.
It should be open dawn to dusk, but it did have quite a lot of maintenance issues last year. We’re checking on this one for you.
Olympia/Lacey
Heritage Park Fountain – Will reopen Friday, June 22nd!
The fountain is open daily from 11am – 9pm in Summer (June-Sept) and 11am – 7pm in Winter (Oct-May).
East Bay Public Plaza – Currently OPEN. The East Bay Plaza stream runs between the LOTT Wet Center and the Children’s Museum. Kids can play in it, and there are periodic special activities here. Check the East Bay Public Plaza Facebook page before you go, as there are sometimes unexpected OFF periods for maintenance. Typical open hours are 10AM-8PM May-August.
Tanglewilde Pool is also OPEN. This is a seasonal, privately funded pool, but it is open to the public.
Bremerton
Harborside Fountain Park -Fountains children may play in and other park amenities.
::
The South Sound is also blessed with many parks where you can take a dip in a lake or the chilly Puget Sound. If you’ve got a favorite place to keep cool, leave a comment and let us in on it! If you know a spot for water play I missed, let me know! *Keep in mind that despite our warm weather right now, lakes, rivers, and the Sound will be Very cold and rivers may also be running swiftly. And, of course, you should designate one adult to have eyes on children in the water. I know…..you knew that….
For indoor swimming fun, check with your local high school or parks department. Or, try an indoor pool with water park style features! You can click on the link below for our favorites!
