Six Flags Hurricane Harbor: Everything You Need to Know - The Family Vacation Guide (2024)

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is a chain of water parks across the U.S. that, while often superseded by its larger, adjacent amusem*nt park counterpart, contains a whole range of fun ‌for any sunny day with friends or family.

This guide will cover everything you need to know (especially for first-timers), so you can be prepared for everything these water parks offer. We’ll show you how to avoid all the extras, best parking practices, tips to avoid crowds, along with a full rundown on some of the most notable Hurricane Harbor water parks across the United States.

Before Arriving

When traveling to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, there are a lot of things you can and should bring, as well as some restrictions on what you can’t bring with you. Additionally, there are a few ways to stay safe and save money while you’re enjoying your time at the park.

It is important to know what you need and the specifics of each park before you arrive. Let’s take a look at some tips for being prepared for your Six Flags encounter.

Temperature & Safety

Temperatures can boil at some parks across the country, ‌so it’s important to stay hydrated and wear plenty of sunscreen. Most, if not all the water parks have sufficient shade, but there can be a lot of sun exposure during the walk to and around the parks, so make sure you have a nice wide-brimmed hat, t-shirt, sunscreen and whatever else you may need to avoid sun exposure.

Alternatively, if temperatures take a turn for the opposite direction, it’s always good to bring a jacket or sweatshirt to save yourself from freezing.

Also, know that Six Flags doesn’t allow you to bring backpacks into any of their parks, and day lockers in the park are quite affordable, depending on which park you visit. Bear this in mind before you plan on bringing a lot of items. Things are bound to get lost or stolen at water parks if you leave them unchecked, so renting one of these out is always a good idea.

Parking & Crowds

If you want to find a good parking space, we’d recommend arriving early before the crowd sets in. Alternatively, many parks allow you to take a shuttle to the park entrance. Oh, and avoid visiting the park on the days of the free “Bring a Friend” offer offered to season pass holders, as the crowds can be quite massive.

Now that we’ve mentioned crowds–Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are their busiest days of the week, so if you’re looking to avoid sensory overload, I’d refrain from going on these days.

Public holidays are also a bad time to go if you hate crowds. Any day where many people are off work and have the chance to go will be a busy day. Try to go on an early weekday for easy parking and ride access.

Price Rundown & Season Passes

There are various day passes, annual memberships, and membership tiers offered by Six Flags, so it can be confusing to figure out which one is best for you. We’ve included the full rundown of all admission types below.

Day Passes

One day of admission to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is affordable per person if you only wish to go once. Considering most people would like to go more than once, this is the least bang for your buck. If you only plan on going once, however, this is the ticket you’ll want to purchase.

You get access to one specific park of your choice for a single day. Once you leave the park, your ticket expires.

Splash Pass

A slightly cheaper alternative to an annual membership, the Splash Pass will grant you unlimited admissions to the parks for the rest of the current year and through until September 4, the following year. If you’re not looking to pay for an entire year’s membership, and it’s already early in the year, the Splash Pass is likely for you.

While the Splash Pass gives you access for as long as annual membership, many amenities are lost. You get basic access, and that’s it.

Annual Memberships

Annual memberships include a lot more than just unlimited visits to their parks. They also include a general parking pass, food, merchandise discounts, and much more. Below are the three tiers of annual memberships, each with its own level of benefits.

Gold Thrill Seeker

Along with unlimited visits to Hurricane Harbor, you’ll receive a general parking pass allowing convenient parking year-round with the Gold Thrill Seeker membership.

Platinum Thrill Seeker

The Platinum Thrill Seeker allows you to visit any Six Flags amusem*nt park (not just Hurricane Harbor) as much as you want. You also receive discounts on various food and merchandise throughout the parks and a general parking pass to use throughout the year.

Diamond Thrill Seeker

Along with everything included in Platinum Thrill Seeker, you’ll receive preferred parking, further discounted merchandise and food, and a 50% discount on your FLASH pass with the Diamond Thrill Seeker membership. Now that it’s mentioned, the FLASH pass allows you to skip the dreaded wait in line to hop on your favorite rides.

This is your pick for those who want to attend the parks quite often and get onto rides quickly! Get a couple of your friends or family to grab a Diamond Thrill Seeker Pass as well so you can enjoy these benefits together!

Food & Drinks

There are many ways you can save money while enjoying your time at Hurricane Harbor. Below are just a few ways to avoid paying the premium for park food and take advantage of some of their often fantastic deals.

If the food in the park doesn’t seem worth it, you can always look for places to eat around the area and stamp your park exit to return the same day. If you bring food with you, you could also let the park staff know, and they will put a sticker on your bag for the day.

If you’re looking for an excellent way to stay hydrated, the parks sell hard plastic souvenir mugs that give guests free refills for the rest of the day and cheap refills for the rest of the season—a great deal for any season pass owner.

If you know you’re going to crave a soda and know you’re going to visit the park, it can pay off. Every year, Six Flags runs a Coca-Cola promotion that requires you to bring a can of co*ke to save on a one-day ticket.

One more thing. They also offer yearly meal plans, which can provide you with two meals per visit along with some other benefits, so if you’re looking to go often, this might be something to look into.

Brief History of Six Flags Hurricane Harbor

Over time, they have also bought out some lesser-known water parks, resulting in individual Hurricane Harbors scattered around areas even outside the United States. An excellent example is Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Oaxtepec, Mexico, which was initially independently owned but rebranded into a Six Flags water park.

Some of these water parks are pretty small compared to some of the more notable ones and contain many of the same rides as their bigger counterparts. Thus, we’ll go through some of the more extensive and unique parks and see what makes them shine out from the rest.

Notable Parks

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, New Jersey

Hurricane Harbor, an open-air water park in Jackson, New Jersey, is full of water slides and other attractions. The real attraction here, however, is its unique look compared to other parks of the same name.

The entrance to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor was originally an impressive front door planter. Still, they ended up replacing it with a jumping fountain, giving guests a chance to get wet before entering the park. The Entrance Gateway and much of the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor building is also very reminiscent of Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park.

They also ornamented the perimeter fence of the park with a unique pattern of palms and pineapples. Honestly, you’ll have to see this park in person to see the design value of it.

Hurricane Harbor is sure to accommodate if you’re yearning for an exceptionally well-designed tropical getaway in New Jersey. Its assortment of rides and attractions also makes it a top pick for thrill seekers of any kind.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Arlington

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is open to guests looking to weather the summer heat and be the first to experience improvements to North Texas’ largest water park. With an exciting tropical theme, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags Over Texas, offers over two dozen slides and water rides on 45 acres of land–making it one of the biggest water parks in the United States.

Hurricane Harbor in Arlington has over 40 rides in total, the most notable being the Typhoon Twister and Tsunami Surge. Their latest attraction, Tornado, drops riders off a 132-foot enclosed slide to enter a vast 75-foot funnel while riding a four-seat inner tube.

After experiencing the madness on over 40 rides and slides at Hurricane Harbor, you can relax in one of the tastefully decorated cabanas or take a mellow trip through the lazy river. With various rides and attractions, anyone from thrill seekers to sun-catchers will find their dose of it here.

Hurricane Harbor, Six Flags America

With over 23 slides and rides, including the Bonzai Pipelines, which offer the thrill of free-falling as the floor falls from side-by-side launch pods, Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags America is a must-go for any thrill seeker.

Paradise Plunge and Reef Runner feature spiraling waterways that move in alternating directions if you’re looking for lots of twists and turns.

The Shark Attack Hammerhead is another thrill ride you don’t want to miss. Plunge down a near-80-degree slope and splash into the water below.

In addition to the variety of unique rides, the entrance to the park is very grandiose, featuring private lodges, Volta electric vehicle charging stations, preferred pre-order parking, a combination of the park’s retail stores, and much more.

All of this makes this park ideal for anyone looking for an assortment of relaxation, thrill-seeking, and fantastic amenities.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Los Angeles

Sitting right beside Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, you’ll have a great view of the whole park from the top of the water slides at Hurricane Harbor.

Speaking of water slides, the legendary 72-foot high Der Stuka water slide will test the spirit of even the most avid thrill seeker.

If you’re planning on bringing children along with you, Paradise Play Island is a soft-surface children’s playground with six water slides set on a giant pirate ship. This interactive facility includes rope rides, slides, water sprinklers, water wheels, and many underground fountains.

This water park, along with Magic Mountain, is a must-try for anyone in the Los Angeles area.

Six Flags Over Georgia

Six Flags Over Georgia, east of downtown Atlanta, offers traditional rides but also includes Six Flags Waterpark, Hurricane Harbor, Georgia, which has a 38,000-square-foot wave pool that creates four-foot high waves and three water slides that take guests on rapid 180 and 360-degree turns.

It’s common knowledge in Atlanta that you can always find discounted theme park tickets at grocery chains like Publix or Kroger. Six Flags in Georgia also offers its own specials, like grocery deals, unlimited food for a fixed price, or photo passes for recording fun moments throughout the day.

There are a ton of reasons to visit Hurricane Harbor Waterpark in Atlanta. With over four new water attractions, including the world’s first zero gravity hybrid slide, it spans seven acres and is free with admission to Six Flags over Georgia.

Enjoy thrill rides like Dare Devil Dive or The Great American Scream Machine. Alternatively, there are also many attractions for those who don’t have ice water in their veins, including Thunder River Rafting and the classic carousel.

In total, Six Flags Over Georgia has over 40 rides with 11 rollercoasters, including the Goliath, a 200-foot-tall hyper coaster that reaches over 70 miles per hour. So, if you’re looking for additional thrills, we wouldn’t refrain from visiting the adjacent amusem*nt park during your stay at Hurricane Harbor.

Conclusion

Are some of these parks worth the price of admission, though? Absolutely. Many of these rides are a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity and can’t be found elsewhere, so if you’re a water park enthusiast, we wouldn’t miss any of the parks on this list.