15 Totally Free Boise Area Splash Pads Where Kids Can Beat the Heat

Ask your kids how many days of school they have left and we’re pretty sure they can tell you not just how many days, but how many hours! The school year is winding down. The temperatures are warming up. So where are you going to cool off?

We’ll likely share this post on social media a few times throughout the summer, but at the time we’re writing this Boise River is still flowing just below 6000 cubic feet per second. That means the water is moving far too fast to enjoy safely. For comparison, flows are normally 500-1500 CFS during the official float season. There’s a “dangerous river condition warning” in effect, meaning that if you decide to enter the river and need to be rescued, you’ll be responsible for the costs of those efforts. It’s likely that the Boise River has already killed one kayaker this spring. There are enough other options to cool off that it’s just not worth the risk.

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Roaring Springs opened for the season on Saturday, May 13 and will open additional attractions when they officially welcome guests to see Phase One of their expansion on May 31. Quinn’s Pond, the ponds at Esther Simplot and Sandy Point Beach at Lucky Peak are great options too. 

Over the next few weeks, more options will open. Boise will open their four public pools on June 2. Nampa will open their two pools on June 3. Meridian’s pool opens for the season on June 5. Caldwell’s pool has been damaged for several seasons and will not open in 2023. 

And then, there’s the Treasure Valley’s awesome, free splash pads. Most of these are open Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day, but occasionally they’ll open a few days early. The best way to stay up to date with early openings is to follow your community’s Parks and Recreation social media accounts. 

We’re ALSO excited that in a few weeks, we’ll get to update this list to include a brand new Splash Pad at Molenaar Park on Wednesday, May 24. Boise will also have a chance to cool down in the brand new, interactive fountain at Ann Morrison Park. We caught them testing the fountain a few days ago and you can see some photos of it in action HERE. 

Bookmark this page for those hot days and remember that schedules are always subject to change due to weather.