Water Parks & Summer Weather | El Paso Texas | 2021

Water Parks & Summer Weather | El Paso Texas | 2021

Four New Water Parks

It's approaching mid-June and getting hot, which makes this a good time to talk about water park options, especially if you've got kids. El Paso now has four new water parks operated by the city. This is part of what property taxes pay for: a city with water parks like these, great schools, and good roads, versus a city where you pay very little in property tax. Some people will always choose paying less in property taxes, and that's a fair position too.

May and June Temperatures

This was recorded in mid-June 2021. Weather for May looked like this: on May 1st, the high was about 83 with a low of 49. Temperatures climbed to 95 at one point, dropped back into the 90s and 80s, then hit 96 on the 22nd. The highest temperature in May was 97, on the 29th. Otherwise, May hovered in the mid-80s to mid-90s.

Then June brought a warm front, one that hit the entire country, not just El Paso, but here's how it played out locally. The Friday before last, it was 88. Saturday, June 5th, it jumped to 99. Sunday hit 100. Monday was 98. Tuesday was 97. Wednesday hit 101. Thursday, the day before this was recorded, hit 105. On the Friday this was recorded, the day's high wasn't confirmed yet, but it was expected to be similar. Saturday's forecast called for 108.

106 degrees has come up on this channel before, as a kind of marker. It only got above 106 a handful of times, back in the summer of, I think, 2019. With this stretch, it looks like El Paso may already have at least two days above 106, and June 20th is another day worth watching.

The goal here isn't to talk anyone into moving to El Paso. It's to help people make an informed decision about whether El Paso is a good fit. It has a lot going for it, but it's not for everybody, and it's worth talking about both what it has going for it and what it doesn't. With that said, here's a look at two of El Paso's new water parks.

Camp Cohen Water Park

Camp Cohen is one of El Paso's four new water parks, located in the northeast at the foothills of the Franklin Mountains. It opened for summer 2021 and is already open. The park is built around an adventure camp theme, with water activities throughout. Thrill seekers can lap swim in the Endurance River, climb the Warrior Wall, or ride the Thunder Run, Lightning Bolt, or Monsoon Plunge water slides. Younger kids have their own area at the Poppy Island water playground within the Wild Lagoon. For something more relaxing, there's the Rain Roamer lazy river or the shallow Leisure Pool. Guests can cool off at the Cabanas at Wonders Retreat or grab a bite at the Stove Cove Cafe in the Starlight Plaza.

We didn't get a chance to go inside ourselves, so we sent our assistant Miguel over to get some footage. He ended up peering in through the gated fence, which looks a little creepy on camera, but we just didn't have time to go in that day. That didn't stop plenty of other people, though. This was filmed on a Friday, and it was already a popular spot, especially with school letting out and temperatures climbing toward 108 degrees.

Oasis Water Park

Oasis Water Park sits in the Far East at Eastside Regional Park, which is El Paso's newest and largest park. It had been hard to tell what was going on there driving by, so Miguel went to check it out and get footage. Oasis features El Paso's only surfing machine, the Flash Flood Rush. There's also the Driftwood Channel, a meandering lazy river, for something calmer. For more excitement, guests can scale a climbing wall or ride the spiraling Tumbleweed Slides, the park's signature slide. There are Cabanas in the Hueco Dwellings, the Sunset Lagoon Leisure Pool, and the Adventure Point water play area at the Rain Puddle Kitty Pool for younger kids. Families can eat without leaving the park at the Wonderlust Cafe in the Desert Haven Plaza.

Everything about these parks feels new, bright, and shiny, and there will eventually be four of them spread across the city, so they're accessible to people in different areas.

Admission Prices

As of 2021, a one-day general admission ticket costs $12 for anyone four feet tall and up, and $10 for anyone under four feet. Military and seniors 65 and over pay $10 a day, and children two and under get in free. There are a few ways to save: twilight admission after 3 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, is $6, and groups of 20 or more can get tickets for $8. A season pass, good at all four parks, is $49, which is a pretty good value if you're going to do a lot of water parking over the summer.

You can also rent a cabana for $90 to $110, there are different party packages available, and you can rent out an entire park after hours, four hour minimum, for $1,250.

The two water parks not covered in this video are Chapoteo and the Lost Kingdom.

Wrapping Up

This was a fun topic to cover. We love that the city of El Paso keeps growing and providing places and resources like this for residents and families: somewhere to get outside, get active, cool off, and socialize. It's one of the many reasons we love El Paso. We'll keep bringing you as much value added material as we can, so if you need anything, reach out to John at Peña El Paso, and we'll see you next time.