Things to do at this favorite family waterpark in Texas.
New Braunfels, known for its quaint German heritage and Texas’s favorite family waterpark, is situated in the Texas Hill Country, between Austin and San Antonio—a beautiful outdoor playground for everyone! There are many fun things to do in New Braunfels, like the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers, but one attraction stands out the most—Schlitterbahn Waterpark & Resort New Braunfels, TX.
Texas’s Favorite Family Waterpark
This Texas favorite has been named the World’s Best Waterpark, and it’s easy to see why. Schlitterbahn New Braunfels offers a wide variety of rides and activities for families, including the World’s tallest waterslide, a lazy river, a wave pool, other waterslides, tube slides, and more! Don’t worry, parents—a few children’s water playgrounds are throughout the park.
A family road trip to New Braunfels is a trip everyone should take at least once in their lifetime. The scenery alone is something to look forward to. If you love the outdoors and nature, you’ll put this trip at the top of your bucket list!
Schlitterbahn Waterparks & Resorts New Braunfels
Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort is renowned for several things, including being a family-friendly destination, holding the title of “World’s Best Waterpark,” and being situated in the beautiful Hill Country, which is hard to beat when taking your family anywhere else. My family has been there several times over the years. The photo above is slightly old, but it’s my favorite of my son and husband.
Schlitterbahn New Braunfels is the flagship of the two Schlitterbahn parks in Texas (the other is located in Galveston) and has been America’s #1 water park for 23 consecutive years. Their claim to fame is the World’s longest tube ride – The Falls. If you haven’t had a chance to make it, put it on your bucket list and file it under “the perfect weekend getaway for my family.”
What Does Schlitterbahn Offer for Free?
Schlitterbahn offers free parking and free life jackets. Families can also bring an ice chest full of food! Food is available in the park, but if you’re bringing the entire family, you may want to pack a picnic.
With three separate parks within Schlitterbahn, you’ll probably want to get a 2-day pass to see and experience it all. They offer a free tram service every 5 minutes, which takes you from park to park.
I’ll never forget how much fun Brody had at the Pirate’s Cove. He slid down that slide a million times while we sat patiently close by, watching him laugh and play with other kids he just met. Next to the slide, there are massive water guns that shoot water a great distance. He loved spraying his new friends and getting everyone who walked by wet.
Resort Cabins At Schlitterbahn New Braunfels
If you want to make it a whole weekend of fun, there are resort cabins you can rent. My mother, son, and I rented one a couple of years ago for two nights and had a great time. The park offers free activities, such as outdoor movies with popcorn and lawn games, for resort guests. This is one of the best places to take your kids and grandchildren of all ages!
The resort offers many accommodations for its guests. Your family might not want to leave with seven different places to rent.
Things To Do In New Braunfels
The waterpark is so close to the Comal River, featuring 70 acres of fun, and the Guadalupe River, that it would be a shame not to at least go for a drive-by. If possible, take some time to explore New Braunfels while visiting the waterpark. If you do, I bet you’ll want to go back—everyone does! Seeing more of Texas in the Texas Hill Country is a must.
Quaint Town Of Gruene, TX
Gruene is a relaxed, small part of New Braunfels with lots to offer, such as antique shopping, lovely indoor & outdoor dining, a famous dance hall where George Straight first played, and numerous flower pots filled with beautiful flowers. Don’t overlook the ice cream shop – Rhea’s, and the wineries in town.
Natural Bridge Caverns
Natural Bridge Caverns is an incredible underground world of natural beauty. It is 12 miles outside New Braunfels, 30 minutes north of San Antonio. They offer several tours daily, and my family took the Discovery Tour (see below for details on how to save $1-$2 off the admission price for your family). This tour lasted about 75 minutes and got gorgeous views and photos. I’m surprised my parents didn’t take us here when we were young. The newest and biggest attraction is called Hidden Wonders. Be sure to look that up.
A lot of history goes with this cavern, and we had a tour guide tell us all about it. It was fascinating, and I love that my son learned a bit of Texas history. He had the best time in that cave.
The only downfall we had that day was it was hot and muggy inside the cave. It had rained a downpour, which was a little unpleasant for me. A lot of people were very uncomfortable. Other than that, the Cavern was gorgeous and unbelievably fabulous.
Landa Park
This is such a gorgeous park. The Comal River is right there – close enough to jump in. But I’d have either an inner tube handy or put on a life jacket. From what I saw that day, many people were tubing in the water.
You will enjoy Schlitterbahn and everything else this German town has to offer, including the Guadalupe River and the small, quaint town of Gruene. So, while you’re planning to visit Texas’s favorite family waterpark, aka America’s #1 waterpark, don’t forget to pack good water shoes, sunscreen, and your lunch!
Here are other family summer getaways in Texas to explore.
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