Newport Beach

Splashy Sign of Summer: The Newport Dunes Inflatable Water Park Is Reopening

The splashy spot is a longtime favorite for adventurers seeking ocean-y thrills that are close to the sand.

Newport Dunes

What to Know

  • Newport Dunes Inflatable Water Park at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort
  • Opens May 26, 2023
  • $15/hourly (resort guest); $18/hourly (park visitor); other activities are available for booking (prices vary)

May Gray may be holding sway, but summer, or at least the unofficial but widely observed start to the summer season, is days away.

You can see it in some of the grill-ready items showing up on the store shelves — so many hot dog buns — and certainly sense it when splashy sites around Southern California begin their seasonal engagements.

And one of the splashiest? It's the Newport Dunes Inflatable Water Park, which is, yes, located at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, one of the region's most venerable family go-tos for warm-weather good-timing.

And we do mean venerable: The resort has been a summer staple on the SoCal make-a-splash scene for over six decades.

The name of the popular water park tells the tempting story — it's a damp delight brimming with big, air-filled structures you climb up and slide down — while the visuals give you a colorful clue about the park's vibrant variety of inflatables.

There are 15 inflatables to choose from, including a jungle gym and a mega iceberg. Good to keep in mind? Kids should be ages 5 and older to join the sunny fun.

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Guests of the resort may enjoy the oh-so-California playground for $15 per hour, while visitors can book an hour for $18. Saving your spot in advance by reserving online? Definitely recommended, and even more so for busier weekends like the one that comes before the Fourth of July.

Of course, the resort has a bevy of ocean-close activities of a nostalgic and/or athletic nature.

Beach cruisers, stand-up paddleboards, pedal go-carts, and other on-the-move offerings are available (prices are posted on the site).

And if you want to take a "Radiant Ride"?

Gather a group of at least six people to book this sought-after pastime (the limit is 15 people, keep in mind). "Radiant Rides offers guests the unique opportunity to tour the calm waters of the Back Bay after sunset on illuminated stand-up paddleboards that set the water beneath aglow with colorful neon light," shares the resort.

Live tunes, beachy snacks, and other easy-breezy pursuits await; booking ahead of time, whatever you'd like to do, is recommended as summer moves into get-going gear.

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