As an experienced travel blogger I love a good challenge. Finding water in the desert? Sure, why not! So during our recent trip to the “Sin City” I decided to uncover the best water attractions in Las Vegas.
It was imperative for me to do so because we were travelling in June and the temperatures were going to be around 100 F in Las Vegas. If you are travelling to the city in summer it is important that you know about these water attractions in Las Vegas because, trust me, you will NEED them.
In this article we will go way beyond water parks in Las Vegas. It would be trivial just to talk about water parks as there are so many more water attractions in Las Vegas for you to consider depending on your kids’ ages and interests.
So let’s dive in, literally, into the water world in the desert! And if you want to go exploring beyond water attractions and water parks in Las Vegas, check out my other Las Vegas itineraries:
10 Best Road Trips From Las Vegas
Family Friendly Shows in Las Vegas
Best Water Attractions in Las Vegas
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #1 Shark Reef
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay resort is one of the most famous water attractions in Las Vegas. It is an aquarium with several habitats including underwater and over ground creatures. It is not a big aquarium, it will take you less than an hour to walk through it. I like the fact that there is fish from Nevada represented there as well as sharks, rays, piranha and other.
However there is one piece of the experience that many people miss (there was a long line to enter the aquarium but only 2 families at this side attraction). A virtual ride experience is included with your Shark Reef visit – FREE of charge!
It is a 6 minutes ride located not in but near the aquarium giving you a close and personal experience of diving with sharks. It is fantastic! And before the ride you can explore educational gallery with touch screens where you can learn more about sharks and whales.
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #2 SeaQuest
SeaQuest is a must visit water attraction in Las Vegas and it is more than just about water. This is an interactive aquarium and zoo experience. I would like to underline the word INTERACTIVE. You can, of course, just walk through it, the same way as at Shark Reef but the real value of SeaQuest is actually in animal interactions.
Choose Your Own Safari package has the best options in my view. Typically there are 2 interactions with underwater creatures, 2 with birds, and 2 with lizards. But you can customize. My kids asked for 3 lizards and 1 bird instead of 2 and 2.
All interactions were super educational and fun. Each one about 10-15 min long. Since we are talking about WATER attractions specifically today, let me tell you more about that. Our 2 “water” interactions were feeding anemone in a small habitat and then feeding sharks and rays in a big aquarium. We had a blast!
Another water interaction that is free with the entrance ticket at SeaQuest is Doctor Fish. You put your hand into their tank and get a spa treatment because these tiny fish like to eat…. dead skin! They just swim towards your hand and start working hard nibbling at it in a very systematic manner. It is not painful, it feels like tickling.
Just don’t make any brisk movements, stand still, otherwise they get scared and swim away. My older son has eczema and these fish immediately detected the problem and concentrated their attention in between the fingers where it was at its worst. It fascinating to experience!
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #3 Bellagio Fountains
I love a good FREE attraction. Bellagio dancing fountains hit the mark here. Lots of water, ingenuous engineering, beautiful music (changing with the seasons, for example, during the holidays you will hear popular Christmas songs). Just beautiful to look and not long enough to get boring – the show is about 15 min long, repeated frequently throughout the day. For the exact display times daily check Bellagio website.
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #4 Bellagio Conservatory of Flowers
Conservatory of Flower in Bellagio hotel is a gorgeous FREE flower exhibit changing seasonally. The first time this year I saw water included all throughout this flowers exhibit. There were several amazing water fountains that will make your jaw drop in awe. So hurry to see the Summer exhibit before it is gone.
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #5 Lake Mead
Lake Mead is on of the top water attractions in Las Vegas. It is HUGE and it offers a TON of fun. You can kayak it, you can rent a boat or a house boat, you can go fishing or all of the above.
We decided to rent a good old pontoon boat for the day and also try some fishing (Nevada fishing license is required for anybody 12+ years of age)
Out of the two marinas on the lake we chose Callville Bay Marina. I liked that it is lesser known which means much less crowded, less crazy speeding drives and also no boat driving/safety course completion is requires for renting a pontoon. Lake Mead Marina requires a certificate of completion of such a course even though Nevada law does not require it for rental boats. The course takes money and about 4(!) hours to complete – forget about it!
Also Callville Bay marina just had a fleet of brand new pontoon boats delivered, isn’t it great? We had a fantastic time: the water was clam, clean and warm, almost the same color as the Caribbean! And we caught 2 descent size bass – a perfect closure for the day on the water in the desert.
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #6 Colorado River
Kayaking on Colorado River is a must do if you have older kids. Usually it is minimum a half day water activity (it can be a full day tour as well)and several companies on the river provide kayak rentals together with the guided tour and shuttle transportation from Las Vegas hotels.
Check out Blazin’ Paddles as one of the kayaking tours companies that have great reviews. This company also offers self-guided tours which are cheaper than guided ones. But whichever company you decide to kayak with you will be exploring the same area – Black Canyon of the Colorado River South downstream from the Hoover Dam.
Otherwise, there are some beaches along the river just below the Dam and you can enjoy a dip in the water (both on Nevada and Arizona side). The river was clean and clear and very warm in July. Just note that beaches here are rocky so I strongly recommend having water shoes with you.
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #7 Waterfalls
Waterfalls in the desert?! Definitely! Right on the Western border of Las Vegas you can find Spring Mountains named in such a way not for the beautiful season of the year but for the water found there.
The highest peak in the area is Mt. Charleston which is 13,000 ft high. We saw snow on top of these mountains in the beginning of July (see the picture below). And melting snow leads to streams and depending on the terrain – occasional waterfalls.
The two most famous waterfalls in Mt. Charleston area are May Jane Falls and Big Falls. Mary Jane trail is 3.2 miles roundtrip. From this trail you can also reach Big Falls making the total round trip 4.6 miles. These are seasonal waterfalls running through spring into early summer.
We were not able to see these falls because it is a moderate ascending hike that is way too long and difficult for my knee issue. Unfortunately, I can only hike up to 2.5 miles without pain. So I cannot show you a photo of these waterfalls but I can show the stunning snowy vistas of of the Spring Mountains from our scenic drive into the Lee Canyon.
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #8 Water Parks
There are several water parks in Las Vegas area, the most prominent being Cowabunga Canyon and Cowabunga Bay. There are also a couple of smaller water parks and aquatic centers.
Both Cowabungas have a classic set of attractions: slides, wave pool, lazy river. The most interesting part of the experience is their special events like Cinco de Mayo celebration or Neon Night. Check the websites of each park for more details.
I personally prefer the Big Water, aka Lake Mead and Colordao River but if a water park is your jam you will have a blast.
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #9 Splash Pads
If you have younger kids, splash pads in local parks is one of the best water attractions in Las Vegas and they are FREE of charge! Splash pads are typically open from early May till the end of September. I found a detailed list for you with all the splashpads in Las Vegas and their addresses.
Water Attractions in Las Vegas: #10 Hotel Pools
Las Vegas hotel pools is something you need to think about and plan ahead. You see, Las Vegas hotel pools is nothing like you experienced before. If you are staying at a lodging place without a pool you can buy a day pass to some of the biggest and most famous hotel pools in the area, including the big Strip resorts. Isn’t it great?
Not so great if you are staying at one of those resorts and thinking about a relaxing day at the pool. There will almost always be a crowd because there will be hotel guests plus all those outside guests as well. The more famous the hotel, the bigger the crowd, especially on weekends in summer.
That’s why you need to think ahead how to best use those pools, whether you would like to be a staying resort guest which grants you a FREE access to the pool or a paying visitor while you stay away from the noise and crowds.
What you need to take with you for your water adventures in Las Vegas
For any outdoor water attractions, especially Colorado River and Lake Mead, water shoes will be necessary because the shores of both the lake and the river are rocky:
Even though you will be enjoying water attractions in Las Vegas, the city is still a VERY dry place with VERY low humidity and neither your hair or your skin will like it. So whenever I go to Vegas (as well as other destinations in the Southwest) there are 2 items that are my definite must haves:
Protective oil for your hair: you don’t need to make your hair greasy, just a little bit will be enough to protect the strands and reduce static electricity. Shea Moisture brand is my favorite (it is not too heavy and greasy):
Hydration for your face: in addition to my normal face creams I always take a water based spray that acts as a toner. My favorite natural toner is lavender floral water because it not only hydrates but it also has skin calming and antiseptic properties if you have inflamed areas due to the heat and , say, your sun hat rubbing on your forehead.
Conclusion
We have been to Las Vegas several times and this time around we viewed it from a totally new perspective. And it was awesome. This turned out to be a perfect summer in Las Vegas itinerary. If you are a water lover then you will definitely enjoy it as much as we did.
If you found this itinerary useful, please, share it with others as it may help them with their travel plans too,
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