Raging Waves is the state’s largest outdoor waterpark, sitting on more than 40 acres in Yorkville, IL (just 50 minutes west of Chicago). Not only are there all kinds of slides and rides, there is a large lazy river, wave pool, sand area, and several areas for younger kids to splash, slide, and swim.
With Raging Waves is running end-of-summer sales, which include discounted season passes as well as reduced pricing on Any Day tickets, it’s a great time to head to the waterpark. Below you’ll find details to help maximize fun, including what to bring, info about all of the attractions, and additional tips for your day there. Raging Waves invited us to spend the day there, but all opinions are my own.
Water Park Attractions at Raging Waves
Areas for Little Kids
Kangaroo Falls is filled with slides, water cannons, rope bridges, water hoses and a dumping bucket. There are lounge chairs around the area and lifeguards on patrol.
Quokka-Nut Island was added in 2018. All ages can take part in the zero-depth pool or interactive play features and those between 36″ and 54″ tall can ride the slides in this area.
Koala Kove is a zero-depth entry pool with 4 slides including the crocodile slide you can see in the photo above. It’s geared towards babies and toddlers, as children 48″ and under are allowed in this area.
For Everyone to Enjoy
Kookaburra Kreek is a quarter-mile long lazy river that goes all the way around the park with relaxing bends. You can ride on a one or two person clear tube or without a tube.
The Great Barrier Reef is a zero-depth pool that turns into a wave pool at regular intervals. There are lifeguards stations around the area. Children 6 and under, as well as weak swimmers, are encouraged to wear a life jacket in this area. Lounge chairs are plentiful and there is even some shade coverage around the wave pool.
Brock’s Giant Sandbox is a large sand area where you can play and build sand creations near the wave pool. There are many chairs around the perimeter and showers at the exit to wash off the sand.
Rides for Those Between 42″ and 48″
The Three Sisters are three different slides that you ride on a single or double tube. Those between 42″ and 48″ must ride with a parent. The blue slide is the fastest, but my daughter liked the green one the best.
Wild Wallabies are two pink and green slides that were added in 2018. You must be 42″ in height (or taller) to ride these body slides. You definitely go faster if you lay down, but watch out because water will go up your nose at the end when you do.
Aussie Mat Dash opened in 2021, and was a highlight for our group. With 6 different rainbow colored slides, patrons slide down on their stomach with a rubber mat with handles. A huge perk of this ride is that the line moved quickly as six patrons could go down at a time, and that you can hear and see your group as you go down.
The Crocodile Mile was one of Annie’s family’s favorite waterslides at the park when they visited in 2020. You must be 42″ in height (or taller) to ride and the rafts accommodate four people. It’s a closed tube slide, so the ride is dark at times, but there are cool pinholes as you go down that make shapes and patterns.
Attractions for Everyone over 48″
Wonambi was added in 2016 and is one of three in the United States. You go down a chute and then up the side of this thrill ride. You can see it pictured above. It’s the yellow, orange, and red slide on the left. This was definitely a highlight of our day.
Boomerang is our all time favorite waterslide at Raging Waves. You travel down the tube slide on a four-person raft and then down the chute to swish back and forth high up on the walls as you work your way down the funnel. It’s exciting and fun!
Cyclone and Platypus Plunge are right next to each other. Cyclone is another funnel slide, but more tame that Boomerang, and Platypus Plunge is a really fast ride. Both require you to carry a two-person tube up to the top. You can ride with one person on the double tube, but it’s definitely more fun (and less cumbersome to carry) with two people.
Tasmanian Twisters are two enclosed body slides and PJ’s Plummet is a body slide where you go straight down, uncovered. Annie’s son went down this one, but this was beyond our comfort zone on the trip. He said he could feel the seams of the slide on his back as he went down, which stung, but it seems to be a huge hit with teenagers.
Story Behind Raging Waves
When Annie, the owner and founder of Kidlist, first started going to Raging Waves, she had the pleasure of meeting the owner of the park, Randy Witt, and could immediately tell that he has a passion for water parks and has considered all of the details. He said that he and his wife had the dream of opening a water park 20 years ago. They started researching and visiting water parks across the country all of those years until they opened Raging Waves in 2008.
Randy told them the story of how he came up with the name of the park and in the end, he read “raging waves” in a verse while doing his daily devotional and it was obvious to him that it should be the name of his park. It was so refreshing to hear his story and authenticity.
Here is the verse from Psalms 93:4 – “The Lord on high is mightier than the many waters, yea, than the raging waves of the sea.” Randy said, “As owners, we believe God is indeed all powerful and He has a hand in all we do. We choose to follow Him through all the ups and downs in life and we know He will carry us through; even though the “waves” of life may be “raging” at times.”
How Much Does Raging Waves Cost?
General Admission for Raging Waves starts at $39.99 with special end-of-summer pricing. Pricing at the gate is $64.99. There is also an end-of-summer sale for season passes, which starts at $59.99, and includes various amenities depending on the pricing tier you select. During the regular summer season, you can usually find a deal on Groupon, so keep your eye on this link so when it goes live you can snatch up tickets! Click here to receive a discount on Raging Waves through Groupon with the Kidlist affiliate link. There are also a few extra costs to consider.
Parking
Parking is $20 and you have the option of paying $30 for preferred parking. If you get to the park when it opens at 10:00am, there’s no need to pay extra. We arrived a few minutes before opening and found a close spot with ease. Maybe if you arrive in the middle of the day and have really little ones it would be worth it, but otherwise I would say skip paying for this extra.
Lockers
There are individual and family lockers for $15 and $20, respectively, for the day. With water bottles, flip flops, purse, wallet, keys, phones, and towels, I would recommend a family locker. The lockers are pretty convenient because you purchase one at a machine and it prints out wristbands with bar codes on them, so you don’t need to carry a key or card to open the locker. You can also find a shady spot and put your personal belongings there.
Cabanas
There are a variety of choices when it comes to renting a cabana. There are many areas with shade, so there shouldn’t be a problem finding a few chairs in a shady spot to relax, but if you want a private space you can check that out.
We had a queen cabana during our visit, which included a small safe for personal belongings, a table, four dining chairs, and two lounge chairs. When utilizing a cabana, guests can order their food to be delivered, which was a nice perk during the lunch-hour rush. We didn’t wait more than 10 minutes for our food.
Food
You cannot bring outside food into the waterpark, but there are a variety of snack, meal, and dessert stations throughout the park. We ordered chicken fingers, a personal cheese pizza, and a cheeseburger, all of which we enjoyed. We also finished the day cooling off with ICEE treats.
The other option is to leave a cooler with food in your car and eat in the parking lot. Raging Waves allows re-entry between 11:00am and two hours before closing, as long as you have them stamp your hand before exiting. Then you can head to your car, enjoy your lunch, and continue enjoying all of the attractions. Please note that you cannot exit the parking lot. Once you do, you will be required to pay for parking again.
Tips for Visiting Raging Waves
Save money on food by packing lunch in a cooler and leaving it in your car. Then head to the parking lot to get a break from the sun and get energized to go back to the water park. Just don’t forget to get your hand stamped for re-entry!
Call before you make the trip. Every morning, the Raging Waves team has a meeting at 8am when they look at weather conditions and make a plan for the day. If it is windy, there is rain in the forecast, etc. they may decide to open later, close earlier, and/or close some of the attractions.
Raging Waves is cashless. Cash is no longer accepted at Raging Waves. Visitors must pay for admission, food, lockers, and retail items using credit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
Bring only essentials. We only bring towels, flip flops, sunscreen, and a credit card so we don’t have to get a big locker or keep track of a lot of stuff while we are there. We have seen people leave their belongings on a chair in the shade, but I would worry about leaving my wallet in my bag on a chair all day. The Raging Waves website has information about what is, and is not, allowed during your visit.
If there is an age gap between your children or they like different levels of thrill rides, then plan on going with another adult. We often split up into two different groups: those who want to do tamer rides and those who go for the big thrills. Raging Waves is a big place and I wouldn’t feel comfortable being the only adult if there is a split in the group. Most of the thrill rides are located on one side of the waterpark, while the activities meant for younger kids are located on the other.
Be aware of their clothing policies so you can be prepared. Swim diapers are required for little ones. T-shirts are allowed on all attractions except speed slides, but a skin-tight rash guard is a better option if you plan to do on all of the waterslides. Water shoes are permitted in the Wave Pool, Lazy River, Crocodile Mile, Boomerang, Koala Kove, Quokka-Nut Island and Kangaroo Falls, but not any of the other attractions. We always go barefoot and never found it to be a problem.
Check out our section of Attractions at Raging Waves, figure out what you want to ride the most, and go there first. On a busy day, the lines get longer after lunch. We recommend getting there when Raging Waves opens, which is usually 10:00am.
Location and Contact Information
Raging Waves Waterpark
4000 N. Bridge St.
Yorkville, IL 60560
(630) 882-6575
Looking for more summer fun? Check out our Huge Guide to Summer Fun in the Suburbs!
