Cultus Waterpark – Everything You Need to Know for a Great Time

If there’s one place I know well at Cultus Lake, it’s the waterpark.  I went when it first opened in 1984 (I was in grade 4) and continued going through the 80s and 90s.  In recent years I’ve returned with my own kids (aged 10 and 7).  It’s one of my favorite things to do at Cultus Lake.

It’s definitely better now than it was in 1984 and it was awesome in 1984.  It’s grown into BC’s largest waterpark.

My kids love the place. I’m happy to see that because I was a waterslide junky when younger. I still enjoy them. Our days at Cultus waterpark are blast. This past summer we went 3 times.

Where is the Cultus Waterpark?

It’s at Cultus Lake in British Columbia. Specifically, it’s 4150 Columbia Valley Hwy. You can’t miss it.  Here’s a map.

Thanks to having to buy tickets online, the seemingly long line to get into the park goes very fast

Back in the day everyone paid at a window. That was painful. These days you must buy tickets online (they do sell out so buy in advance). You get a digital ticket which is scanned as you enter. This is a very fast process. A seemingly long line goes fast.

You can buy your tickets online here. The process is very smooth.  Like everything this park does, the online ticket purchase is excellent and easy to do.

Once inside, we mad-dash it to grab a covered picnic table

Our boys run fast so as soon as we get inside, they’re off like a rocket to get a table.

I usually bring a few camping chairs stuffed in our wagon with snacks, towels and sunscreen.  Once we snag a table, we set up camp and head out to ride.

Kids are hopping up and down ready to roll as soon as we get settled

The first ride for us is usually the popular raft ride Colossal Canyon. We usually ride this all together a couple or few times and then everyone disperses.

We ride hard the first two hours while lines are short

We like to go when it first opens because lines are shortest then. We all ride as much as we can the first two hours. That way we all ride everything we wanted to ride.

Around noon we gather at our table and buy lunch followed by ice cream

After riding for hard for a couple of hours running up inclines and stairs, we’re all hungry. Burgers and dogs all around followed by ice cream.

Once lunch is finished, we continue riding for a few more hours but lines are long by this time.

As lines get longer, I tend to spend more and more time in the lazy river and hot tub

There are several hot tubs throughout the park and a lazy river. I alternate between the lazy river and hot tubs for most of the remaining time.  Although lines on the tower (Freefall and Speedslide) are seldom long, this is also when I’ll ride the Speedslide a few times.

FAQ – Let’s get down to park specifics…

Is there food?

Yeah, there’s a concession with burgers, hotdogs, pizza and fries.  Lines aren’t terrible. There’s also ice cream.  The food is okay. You can bring in your own lunch. We usually just buy at the concession to keep it simple.

There’s also an espresso bar for coffee and other drinks.

Are the private cabanas worth paying an extra $150?

I took a photo. I don’t think so but many do because every time we’ve bought tickets, they’ve been sold out.  I tend to spend most of my day out in the park instead of sitting around so I wouldn’t use the cabana much.

If there weren’t covered picnic tables and plenty of grass area, the cabanas would definitely be worth it.

Is the freefall scary?

I rode it plenty as a teenager. I don’t ride it now. Yeah, it’s scary but then I’m not much of an adrenaline junky. I prefer the

What are my favorite slides?

By far, the Colossal Canyon, a raft ride, is my favorite. The large rafts accommodate up to 4 people (5 if two kids). It’s a hoot. It’s long. It’s fast. Great for kids.

My second favorite is the Speedslide which is the bumpy slide next to the freefall. It’s wicked fast. Lines on the tower aren’t usually all that bad.

My third favorite is the Zero – 60 Raceway. This is a 5-lane slide race on a slide carpet.  Again, very fast.  Lines aren’t terrible for this ride although you have to wait twice. First to get a slide carpet and then again up at the top to enter the slide.

When is the best time to go to Cultus Waterpark during the day?

We like being there when it opens for three reasons. First, we get a covered picnic table. Second, the lines are super short from 10 am to 12:30 pm.  The lines get long in the afternoon. Three, we get a parking spot.

So, when we have plans to hit the park, we get rolling right away and are in line by 9:45 am.

Is there parking? Is it free?

There is a large lot at the waterpark. It costs $10. You pay when you leave (don’t look for parking meters and you don’t need to memorize your license plate).  I believe there’s offsite parking in the area but we always show up early and get a parking spot in the park.  It’s worth $10 to me.

How can you tell if a ride is extreme or not so extreme?

Check out this page on the waterpark’s website.  If single or double black diamond, it’s pretty extreme.

Are there rides and slides for very young kids too short to ride the bigger rides?

You bet there are and actually it’s a terrific park for toddlers and younger kids. We took our youngest when he was 4 and he had a blast on the kiddy slides (Turtle Pool and Slides) and kiddy water playground (Pirates’ Cove).

Are lockers available to rent?

Yeah, you can rent a locker.  We never do. We’ve had no theft issues.

Can you buy swim diapers, sunscreen and sunglasses?

Yes, yes and yes. There’s a sweets shop that sells all this stuff.  Sunglasses are a must. I went one day without and my eyes were hurting by day-end.

Are there hot tubs to warm up in?

Yeah, there are several hot tubs throughout the park.  They’re not cookin’ hot since kids use them but they will warm you up.

Is the water warm?

If I had any complaint to make about the park, it’s that the water in the slides isn’t warm.  It’s bracing cold.  It seems to me it’s not heated. If it’s cooking hot out, it’s not a big deal.  But if you go for a twilight slide or it’s cooler weather, you’ll spend much of your time warming up in the hot tub.

Are there height restrictions for certain rides?

Yes, there is.  The signage for every ride is pretty good.  You can check all the height restrictions here.

Is Cultus Lake Waterpark worth going to?

If you have kids or you love thrilling rides, it’s definitely worth going to.  I have nothing but good things to say about this place. It’s very, very well run.  Staff is helpful. They hire more than enough people so that lines to get in and at concession move pretty fast. There are lifeguards everywhere.

The rides are top-notch.

The facility is kept in perfect running order.  The grass area is nice. The covered picnic tables are nice.

It really is a great outing.

It’s not surprising to me that the company is so successful (based on the fact they own the Adventure Park across the street and also own Splashdown in Vernon BC.  In other words, they’ve expanded over the years. They’ve also expanded the Cultus Waterpark considerably adding many new slides since I first went in 1984.