5 Things You Need to Know About Mountain Creek Waterpark

This post was sponsored by Mountain Creek Waterpark who provided passes and a food voucher to make our visit possible. We were gifted 4 additional passes for our personal use that were used for a Mountain Creek Waterpark ticket giveaway.

 

I spent my teenage years growing up in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Back then Action Park was well known as a place for extreme adventures. Fast forward to now and the theme park is back as a water park named, Mountain Creek Waterpark. While some things have changed one thing still remains the same, Mountain Creek Waterpark offers lots of thrills for visitors.

 

Mountain Creek Resort is tucked in the mountains of Vernon, New Jersey. During the winter months it draws visitors who want to ski… but in the summer months families come to splish, splash, and swim in the water.

 

A few weeks back Mountain Creek Resort hosted us for a day trip. My husband and three boys (9 years old, my tween at 12 years old, and my teen at 13 years old) joined me on a day out. We were there from about opening 11 am till 3 pm. Based on our experience we wanted to share with you these things you need to know before visiting Mountain Creek Waterpark.

 

About Mountain Creek Waterpark

Mountain Creek Waterpark offers more than 20 waterslides and rides. There’s something for all ages and thrill levels! Jump off the legendary Canyon Cliffs, navigate the Colorado River or float and relax in the wave pool. Grab a bite to eat and a drink at our revamped restaurants and bars. Mountain Creek Waterpark is a North Jersey waterpark an hour from NYC and located in Sussex County, New Jersey.

 

 

Adventures at Mountain Creek Resort are just a few steps away in Vernon, New Jersey. Mountain Creek Resort is home to a variety of outdoor recreation activities including Mountain Creek Bike Park, Mountain Creek Waterpark, Great Gorge Golf, the TreEscape Aerial Adventure Ropes Courses and Mountain Creek Zip Tours. Just 47 miles from the George Washington Bridge, Mountain Creek Resort is easily accessible for New York, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania residents looking for a world-class resort experience.

 

 

5 Things You Need to Know About Mountain Creek Waterpark

1. Mountain Creek Waterpark is best suited for teens. While Mountain Creek Waterpark does offer a few areas for little kids and some waterslides for all ages, teens will get the most enjoyment from this North Jersey waterpark. Many of the waterslides or waterpark activities have a minimum height requirement of 48″. Some also had a weight requirement as well. For example, Surf Hill a waterslide with mats, requires a height of 48″ and a weight of 90 pounds. To their disappointment, neither my 9 year old or tween met the weight requirement.

 

5 High Thrill Waterpark Rides at Mountain Creek 

Other Mountain Creek Waterpark slides provide such an extreme thrill, it just might be too much for your kids and tweens even if they do meet the height requirement.

• Bombs Away – A waterslide that drops guests through a steep 18-foot freefall into a 16 foot deep pool below.
• H2-Oh-No – A near-vertical body slide where guests feel the g-forces while plummetting 99 feet down into a shallow water area.
• Thunder Run – A wild tandem tube ride with tubular twists, big turns, and some surprise drops. Guests are required to wear helmets provided by Mountain Creek Waterpark.
• Zero-G – Another body slide that starts 100 feet above the ground with a trapdoor that opens below a guest’s feet! The body slide is the world’s tallest double looping thrill slide, it’s the closest you’ll get to feeling zero gravity at Mountain Creek.
• Canyon Cliff Jump –  Guests leap off a ledge 18 – 23 feet above the crystal clear mountain spring and into the 16 food deep pool. (This activity is currently closed.)
• Learn more about these and other waterpark rides and slides at their site.

 

The final factor that makes Mountain Creek Waterpark best suited for teens is one of practicality. At Mountain Creek Waterpark we found there to be a considerable distance between where the rafts are for a waterslide and the waterslide itself. Kids without upperbody strength may struggle carrying their raft uphill to the waterslides. Parents, be prepared to help if rides like the Apline Pipeline, High Anxiety, Vertigo or other tube rides appeal to your kids.

 

 

2. Bring watershoes or protective and waterproof footwear. It was a sunny day during our visit to Mountain Creek Waterpark. We were not prepared for the ground to be so hot or the distance between where you leave your shoes and the waterslide entrances. It made walking uncomfortable and in some cases unbearable. The pavement and the steps to each waterslide were painfully hot. We did not encounter that when we had visited the waterpark a few years earlier. We would definitely recommend that guests enjoying the waterpark fun bring watershoes or waterproof footwear to protect feet. Something we learned after our visit, you can purchase aqua-socks at their retail stores.

 

3. Mountain Creek Waterpark is in the mountains. The waterpark is in a beautiful picturesque setting. At times you forget that you are at a waterpark because there are fields of green between waterslides and water play areas. Pools look like lagoons. There is even at least one beach area with chairs and a play area for kids. However, the different rides and slides are situated among the mountain. The parking lots are located across the street from the waterpark and accessed from an overhead walkway. Be prepared for a lot of uphill climbing and walking. If you aren’t going to be doing the water activities, wear sturdy shoes. Sneakers or sturdy sandals are a better bet than flip flops.

 

 

4. The water at Mountain Creek Waterpark may be colder than you are used to. Again, Mountain Creek Waterpark is in the mountain. The water in the pools and slides is not heated. I found it refreshing. My kids found it to be on the cold side. The best way to get used to it is to just slide right in from a waterslide and splash into the water.

 

 

5. Not all cabanas are the same. If you are looking for a cabana experience at Mountain Creek Waterpark. Look carefully at their website information and take note of what you reserve. Arrive early as well. While we had a reservation for a Wave Pool Cabana, we were provided with a Wave Vista Deck Cabana. There’s a significant difference between the two. The Wave Pool Cabana is located in a secluded area, next to the High Tide Wavepool. It offers an enclosed area with curtains that can be drawn, seating for 10 with couches and a table, an open area with a table with four chairs, two lounge chairs, a locker and outlet for electric. Steps away from the wave pool this is an idea area for the cabana. You can lounge as your children enjoy the wave pool.

 

The Wave Vista Deck Cabanas are located on a deck that overlooks the pool. It’s not easily accessible from the pool.  While the website claims these cabanas can accomodate 8 people, offer an open area, a shaded area, a table with four chairs, two lounge chairs, a locker and outlet for electric that is not what we were provided with. Our cabana had a table with four chairs underneath a shaded area. The locker was at the end of the cababa area. We did not see any electric outlets. Learn more about the cabanas here.

 

 

Mountain Creek Waterpark Ticket Information

• Daily tickets start at $29.99 when purchased online here.
• Mid week 4 pack of tickets available for $119 (must use all 4 tickets in one visit).
• Season passes available for $64.99.

 

Mountain Creek Waterpark Location

Mountain Creek Waterpark is located at 200 Route 94, Vernon, NJ. One last thing, when you visit make sure you check that your GPS registers the right address. Mountain Creek Waterpark is very close to the New Jersey New York border and our GPS and phone GPS kept defaulting to Warwick, NY instead of Vernon, New Jersey.

 

Paid parking is available on both the resort side of the property and across the street. 

 

Learn more about Mountain Creek Waterpark at their website.  For more on our trip to Mountain Creek Waterpark check out our Mountain Creek Waterpark photos on Facebook. For more information on other local waterparks visit our Splash it up at these Local Water Parks in New Jersey guide.