Brand New Quarry Splash Pad in Leander - $1
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Who can resist a brand new water attraction? Not us! This morning we headed over to check out the Quarry Splash Pad in Leander's Southwest Williamson County Regional Park, which opened on Friday. My first thought upon entering was that the site was not quite as large as I had expected. But as soon as the five children I brought had scattered to three different sections of the park to play, I realized that it was probably big enough!
Set on two acres of a former quarry, this rough-hewn rock waterpark is divided into a Sand Play Area, the Quarry (which features a waterfall, misters, bubblers, water jets, and water cannons) and the Rapids (where you will find a rock waterslide). The thing about a rustic play area, made almost entirely of rock and concrete, is that it is not very forgiving. Couple this with the fact that there are no lifeguards, and that it is hard to keep track of your children with multiple play areas, and accidents are bound to occur. When we arrived at 10 a.m. this morning, one child had already hurt himself on the rock slide and was taken away by an ambulance. A young eyewitness said the boy had been walking down the slide and slipped at the end, banging his head. This is not what you want to see when you are arriving someplace new with young children.
But, once the ambulance left and water play resumed, kids being kids got right back to the business of climbing the wrong way up the slide and trying to surf down while standing. The slide really was the main area that seemed stressful to parents. One problem the slide posed was that parents could not wait in line with their kids and be at the bottom of the slide to catch them when they landed. Most parents chose to wait at the bottom, which left the line a bit chaotic at times (there was some grouchiness from school-age children about younger kids who failed to understand the concept of an orderly line). So, even though my kids loved the slide, I tried to steer them away from that area, and they had a marvelous time in other parts of the park.
It got quite crowded today, but there are three picnic pavilions as well as several un-shaded picnic tables in each of the three sections of Quarry Splash Pad, which spread people out a bit. The grass is aritifical, which is really nice because there is no dirt or fire ants to worry about. It does however get scorching hot, which was a surprise for my poor bare feet.
Kids who love sand may get covered in it from head to toe, especially if they have been through the water first. There are shower towers located near the sand pit and the boys' restroom, but many kids (including mine) were just using them to make the sand even more
Kids are not the only ones who love water. There were plenty of bees and wasps drinking from the puddles that had pooled on the ground near the sand area. Water shoes would probably be a good idea. I saw many near misses where kids almost stepped on an unsuspecting wasp. But, apart from a scraped knee and a sore toe, my kids escaped injury and enjoyed 2 hours of water fountain fun.
Admission to Quarry Splash Pad is $1 per person, which must be paid at an automated machine near the entrance. The machine currently only accepts cash. You will be given a receipt for your payment, but nobody ever asks to see it. Entrance is based on the honor system.
There is also a concession stand that sells snow cones for $3, hot dogs for $2, nachos for $3.50, drinks for $2.50 and candy for $1.50. Thankfully the stand is a distance from the play areas, so you may get away with not having to buy treats.
The Quarry Splash Pad is open daily from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. You can contact Linda at 260-4283 for more details on the possible upcoming maintenance closures.
To get to the splash pad, drive through the main entrance of Southwest Williamson County Regional Park, and continue going straight until you see the end of the road. Just before the end, enter the parking lot on your right. This is the splash pad parking lot. If you miss the turn, simply continue to the end of the road, turn right and then you will find a second entrance to the parking lot on your right. There is currently no signage directing traffic into the parking lot.
Southwest Williamson County Regional Park
3005 County Road 175
Leander, TX, 78641
You may also be interested in:
