It’s splash pad season y’all! Let’s be real, if we’re going out in this weather with the kids, there better be water involved. These parks are the perfect way to let the little ones get some fresh air, run off their energy while staying cool, and did we mention it’s free? This is our first summer living in North Austin, and we’ve been on a mission to explore every splash pad in our area all the way up to our neighboring suburban cities. Here is our list of the best north Austin area splash pads.
Lakeview Splash Pad – Leander
Lakeview Splash Pad in Leander definitely tops our list of favorite places to cool off. This place feels more like a mini water park! We love that it has something for all age groups, from the crawlers to the big kids. The ground is soft and padded, another awesome feature. The whole park itself is beautiful. There’s a large lake with a concrete walkway that loops all the way around if you want to get some steps in before you play. There’s also a playscape and a shaded seating area with picnic tables right next to the splash pad, the perfect place to have a snack after all that fun.
Quarry Splash Pad – Leander
We recently went to the Quarry splash pad for the first time, and the hype is real! This place is such a blast. The natural rock makes it a unique setting and the water cannons, waterfalls and big and small water jets makes this the perfect spot for children of all ages. There are multiple grassy areas surrounding the splash pad with picnic tables and shade to cool off. It does get packed here, so I would recommend arriving around opening at 10am to snag a table. This splash pad also costs $2 per person and only accepts credit cards.
Bartholomew Splash Pad – Austin
A north east Austin gem! This simple splash pad is our go to place to cool off if we’re out and about in that area when the sun is really beating, because this splash pad has something that most don’t – shade! A large blue shade structure provides some relief for the little ones while they splash around and it’s usually easy to find a shady spot to sit in the grass nearby.
Brushy Creek Splash Pad – Cedar Park
A simple, fun, fully fenced in splash pad located at the Brushy Creek Lake Park. We love that there’s a playscape right next to the splash pad and a great paved walkway around the lake area. The whole park is beautiful and definitely one of our favorite places to visit in Cedar Park. Another perk I love is that there is an outdoor shower located in the front of the first parking lot, which can be great to rinse off the chlorine if we need to run to a few more places before heading home.
Mary Elizabeth Branch Park – Mueller
We love that the Texas Farmers Market at Mueller is located at this park, complete with a fun splash pad! Come by on a Sunday and enjoy parusing the local vendors, then cool off in the water. There are just a few trees in this park that offer shade, and the splash pad itself caters more to older children or toddlers who are comfortable with really big jets of water shooting up. My toddler always looks forward to cooling off here whenever we’re in the Mueller area. There’s a few nice restaurants in walking distance to this park as well as a playground, and the Thinkery is right around the corner!
