I love Theme Parks. They are like a favorite kitschy, big-haired, loud relative that everyone loves because they’re so entertaining. Theme Parks exist to give us all a good time (and yes of course, to make a good buck while they’re at it) and they do it very well. So it was with this happy-go-lucky attitude that we experienced Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho.

If you’re visiting northern Idaho with your family, you have to go to Silverwood. A short drive north of Coeur D’Alene along highway 95, it’s the Inland Northwest’s largest theme park, and home to the Boulder Beach Water Park which is a wet and wonderful oasis during the hot, hot, hot Idaho Summer!Boulder Beach Water Park at Silverwood Theme Park

Given that the temperatures were up in the mid-’30s (100-ish Fahrenheit) most of our day was spent in the cool blue waters of Boulder Beach. Pollywog Park and Toddler Springs were thrilling enough for the 4 and under kids in our group, while the 5-9-year-old set was able to keep up with their giddy parents on most of the water slides and other features. Not one but two wave pools in Boulder Beach Bay were equally refreshing with ample room for all the people. Elkhorn Creek, aka the lazy river, is a long relaxing float with a few waterfall surprises to wake you if you doze on your raft. It’s loads of fun, and as such it’s very popular.

Cabana Island and Pollywog Park at Silverwood

The cabana rental was a fantastic option for our group. With small children, it was a great place to leave all our gear, take some quiet time when needed, and have snacks on demand. Pleasantly surprised by the prices on their menu we had a nice lunch under the shade of the cabana.

Sufficiently waterlogged towards the end of the day, we moseyed over to the “Silverwood” part of Silverwood. With a charming and well-done frontier theme, a variety of ride extremes and beautiful grounds, it was fun walking around. To get the full experience of Silverwood, try the steam train which takes you on a trip around the entire park. We had the unexpected joy of minimal line ups; given the heat, most people kept to the water park, leaving the adrenaline junkies with lots of access to the rides. Our goal was to ride all four roller coasters which we did, concluding that Aftershock was simply ri-dic-u-lous! And Tremors is one of the best wooden roller coasters ever, up there with Ghostrider at Knott’s Berry Farm and my sentimental fave The Cyclone on Coney Island. We also gave in to the kids’ demands for games, tamer rides and snow cones!

Silverwood Theme Park Idaho

$45.99 admission for adults, $22.99 for kids gets you access to both parks for the day (when they are both open). Multi-day passes are available at a discount, and if you buy your tickets online you will also save even more! Be sure to check out Silverwood; it’s loads of fun!

Promotional consideration provided by Silverwood Theme Park