Avalanche Bay, Michigan - Indoor Water Park

Boyne Resorts is a great family vacation resort. They offer premier Golfing in the summer months and premier skiing in the winter months. (See Boyne Golfing Article & Boyne Skiing Article)

This is truly a great spot for family adventure. Boyne Mountain is also home to Avalanche Bay, Michigan's largest indoor water park.

There are so many places to stay at this resort. I have written reviews on each and they can be found underBoyne Mountain Grand, Boyne Mountain Lodge, Disciples Village, Ramshead, Hemlock, Creekside, and The Cabins.

Avalanche Bay

You can enjoy Slides, kid's pools, climbing wall, lazy river, even surfing on a surf simulator, and all at a comfortable 84 degrees! Avalanche Bay was voted Michigan's best water park by the readers for The Detroit News! The décor is a Swiss-Austrian cityscape.

They have great party packages, and is a great place for a birthday party. The kids love the attention and the free tokens they get to play in the 2-story arcade! The Arcade has over 100 games with all the current ones that are so popular. Many of the games issue tickets for redemption. Prizes galore! The arcade is decorated nice. Feels like Las Vegas!

If you get hungry, and you will from all the play! There are two options for food:

One is inside the water park, The Snack Shack and offers great burger, dogs, chicken tender, ice cream, and pizza...many more items, almost anything you crave. A little on the pricey side, but you can feed a family of 4 for $20 if you don't go overboard. You can sit in one of 3 food courts to eat. All are in the water park and allow you watch everyone as you eat. I actually sat and had a coffee while the kids were in the pool.

Then there is The Après Pub, also inside the water park, but separately contained, they offer fine pub food, as well as the opportunity to order an adult beverage. This is a really nice pub, but does serve alcohol, so I didn't take the kids in here. You probably could, though; it definitely doesn't feel like a bar. They do make an awesome Bloody Mary though! I must add also, that even though they serve alcohol in the pub, it never seems to be a problem in the water park. I have never seen anyone intoxicated in the water park.

One of the things that impressed me most about this place is the number of Life Guards. They are everywhere. Every ride and attraction has lifeguards patrolling.

Vertigo
The Vertigo Cannonbowl tube slide sends riders into a giant bowl that feels like a toilet bowl! You go around-and-around until you are flushed out into the Lazy River below! You can ride alone or with a friend. I take this exciting ride with my 10-year-old grandson! . This seems to be the more popular of the 2 big slides. The excitement factor is very high on this one.

Super G
Another ride to go alone or grab a friend is the Super G. This is a tube that sends you along twists and turns, inside and outside the building. It is a closed tube, so you don't get snow in your face when you are propelled outside the building! You splash down into the Lazy River.

Lazy River

Or Boyne River

A very nice, relaxing lazy river. The current takes you through the water park. This is a great way to relax. The water isn't deep, about waist high, and is a nice way to chill with the kids for while. You can use single or double tubes, large enough to really lay back and relax. This is one of my favorite hangouts!

Glacier Hot Springs

There are 2 separate hot tubs here! The larger (very large) of the two is located right beside the large kiddie pool so that you can relax while the little ones play. You have almost full view of the kiddie pool from here. It is only about 4-5 feet from kiddie pool. The second, smaller pool is tucked away on the side of a mountain, for a more private soak.

Kiddie Pool

This is a very large play area for the kids. The water is very shallow and has its own play structure in the center. Complete with water dumps and sprays. It even has it's own little tube slide. Perfect for toddlers! There are basketball hoops included just like in the big kids pool!

Splasherhorn
Ah, the Splasherhorn, the favorite of all the kiddies. This huge play structure provides hours of fun. There are many levels. Complete with bridges and towers. There are many large water sprays for surprising people below! This seemed to be a favorite pastime for all the kids. This tower is large enough for kiddies and adults. Every ten minutes you will hear the clock tower chime, and kids will come running from all over the park as Splasherhorn roars. It then dumps an 800-gallon water avalanche! One word of caution here though, I wouldn't advise that real young children stand under the water fall, as it dumps a serious amount of water and can knock them to the ground. My 5-6 year old grandchildren do fine though. The tower also has 2 slides, one open and one closed. These are great slides for those of you that are not bold enough to tackle the "big" ones! I actually enjoyed these myself!

Rip Zone
Has got to be one of the favorites. There is always a line, but seems to move pretty fast. It is an indoor wave simulator. Even if you've never surfed it is the ultimate rush. The water is actually very shallow and flows over some sort of rubber/plastic surface. Not sure what it is, but never hurts if you fall. Yes, I know this first-hand!! ! Another caution here... be sure and wear a snug fit suit! I've seen slippage more than once!

Blizzard Bay
Is the activity pool. It has a challenging Water Crossing, Floating Log that is very difficult to stay on, and basket ball hoops all around. Not a pool for serious swimming, full of kids having fun most of the time. There are several pools on property for swimming. You do need to be staying there to use them though.

Downhill Mat Racer
A 4-lane slide satisfies the need for competition, and allows you to compete against your friends in a race for the finish! This is great for kids of all ages. You can only ride the mats alone, but very safe. Fast ride, but you stay in your lane.

South Wall
This is a wet climbing wall. You are wearing a harness as you attempt the ascent up this mountain wall as water spills down upon the route to its summit! I am not sure how tall it is, but must be between 20-30 feet. It is more difficult than you would think.

For reservations or information I used:

1-800-Go-Boyne (1-800-549-600)

www.boyne.com