Water park schedule for 2017

Ocean Lakes guests are gearing up for their spring vacations, and many have the same question: When’s the water park opening?


Here’s a guide for when the Sandy Harbor Water Park will open and close this year:

Easter | Open for the big Easter crowds April 14 through April 16, then will shut down until May

May | Open on the weekends only (Saturday and Sunday) with “hours as posted”

Summer | Opens full time Memorial Day weekend and will stay on summer hours through Labor Day

Fall | Open under “hours as posted” through Sept. 30

At times, the lazy river and Splash Zone will be open, but the slides may not be. 

Many factors influence when the water park can operate, including weather and staffing.

Most of the lifeguards who work during the summer are high school and college students who are in class other times of the year, including the spring and fall.

That makes finding certified lifeguards a challenge when school is in session. Because of the caliber of our slides and other water park features, we are required by the state to have a certain number of certified lifeguards working for the park to open. We simply are not going to operate the water park without the certified lifeguards.

The short supply of lifeguards during spring and fall is another reason why most other area water parks stick to that summer schedule of Memorial Day to Labor Day, even though the weather might still seem nice enough to take a ride down the slide.



This is the first spring for Sandy Harbor, which debuted Memorial Day weekend 2016 and boasts a 705-foot Adventure (lazy) River, Drop Zone, The Tube, Splash Zone and other features.

“The water park was a huge hit during its first summer – from kids having a ball in the Splash Zone to folks enjoying a relaxing float along the lazy river,” Recreation Director Craig Culbreth said. "Our team is excited about the upcoming 2017 season and eager to see our guests having a blast at Sandy Harbor."

Our outdoor pool will be open for the season the week before Easter - possibly sooner depending on weather. The indoor pool stays open year-round.

Be sure to review our pool and water park rules before heading to Sandy Harbor!

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