Get Wet and Go Wild at Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe Water Park

On a humid North Carolina day, I find few places more reliably refreshing and full of family fun than Wet’n Wild Emerald Pointe. Tucked into Greensboro, this sprawling water park is just a 90-minute drive from Raleigh, and has been drawing families and thrill-seekers alike to its wave pools and water slides for decades.

Since we moved to Raleigh, we have visited for an unapologetic splash of it all every summer. It’s the perfect full-day activity on a hot weekend. As you know, summers in Raleigh are intense, so it’s lucky we have towering slides, lazy drifts, and wave pools that feel like a seaside escape without the coast to cool off in.

If you love water parks like our kids do, you’ll enjoy Wet’n Wild Emerald Pointe, the Carolinas’ favorite water park!

We’ve now visited Wet’n Wild in Greensboro a few times, and our kids and we big kids thoroughly enjoyed it. Both our girls have also had birthday celebrations at Wet’n Wild with their friends.

About Emerald Pointe Wet ‘n Wild

Known as Carolina’s Favorite Waterpark, you can get wet and go wild on over 40 rides and attractions, including a wave pool, tube rides, drop slides, a lazee river, a rapids ride, and activity pools – there’s something here for ALL ages and thrill levels, from the mild to the wild, for the toddlers to the seniors!

Rated in the top 10 water parks across the United States, and one of the largest water parks in North Carolina, Emerald Pointe Wet ‘n Wild sprawls across 40 acres and offers a day of family fun in the sun!

If you’re a daredevil and like big thrills, you can take on the Daredevil Drop and Bombs Away. For those who like it a bit more tame, you can kick back on a tube on the Lazee River or hang out at the Thunder Bay wave pool. For the water babies, there are leisure lagoons and splash areas.

• Address: 3910 South Holden Road, Greensboro, NC 27406. See Google maps for directions from your starting point. 
• Website: EmeraldPointe.com

The best attractions at Emerald Pointe Wet ‘n Wild

Below are some of our favorite water slides and the highlights from this Wet’n Wild to get wet and create memorable family moments!

Bombs Away

This one gets the heart pumping and is more mental than anything! You step into an enclosed capsule and wait, heart beating fast, for the floor to suddenly drop out from beneath your feet. Then you are sent plunging down one of two slides: a six-story 70-degree drop where you can speed up to 26 feet per second, or a twisty 266-foot-long closed tube. 

Thunder Bay Wave Pool

Wet’n Wild Emerald Pointe’s centerpiece attraction is their gigantic two-million-gallon wave pool that creates 84-foot wide waves to ride on or splash in. It’s a fun place to have a swim if you typically like the beach, but without the sand and rip tides, and the waves are gentle.

Daredevil Drop

This is the highest ride in the water park, an extreme body slide and high thrill ride that drops you 76 feet down a steep water chute. With the sensation of free-falling, you then glide into a slippery, smooth landing in shallow water below. You might get water up your nose on this one, but Caroline and Kalyra enjoyed it! They say the free fall was awesome!

Twin Twisters

I won’t give it away too much, but if you feel the need for speed, ride the Twin Twisters! These identical, completely enclosed black water chutes have over 350 feet of twists and turns in total darkness for plenty of thrills and speed. Caroline and Kalyra said this was way more intense than the Daredevil Drop, but the surprise thrill was worth it!

Double Barrel Blast

This one was deceiving, as in how quickly you slide and the force you launch into the water. You are shot out like a cannonball. This quickly became Caz’s favorite ride and a must every time she visits. We also love that this ride usually always has short lines.

Hot tip: keep your arms crisscrossed across your chest as you zip down and shoot out four feet above the water into the pool below – if you open your arms out wide, it puts a lot of force on your shoulders!

Dr. Von Dark’s Tunnel of Terror

Dark water slides are always fun, as you don’t know what turns are coming up next! On this slide, you’ll experience a breathtaking 40-ft. drop and complete a pair of high-speed 360° spins. And do it all against a backdrop of total darkness and visual effects! It’s a really fun ride! Go to this ride early as the line can be long – it’s slow turnover ride.

Happy Harbor & Splash Island

Got small kids? They’ll enjoy Happy Harbor, a play area just for small children that includes two pools of water fun where the maximum depth is 9 inches and includes the Silly Submarine and Ollie the Octopus. The shady cabanas in the children’s areas are very popular and book out quickly, so be sure to book in advance!

Raging Rapids

If you love tubing in natural rivers with rapids, this one’s for you! We rode this attraction several times as it simulates the experience and exhilaration of white water rafting and tubing. Grab a tube and slide down the 450-foot-long man-made river. Then do it again, and again like our Savannah did!

Dragon’s Den

This is Wet’n Wild Emerald Pointe’s answer for those on a quest for maximum thrills face-to-face. Catapult through mysterious darkness and then plummet into the mist-shrouded abyss of the dragon…only to vanish from sight! This is said to be the most intense ride in the amusement park.

Watch our 1-minute Instagram video from Wet ‘n Wild here.

Riptide Racer

Race your friends down this side-by-side water slide, in which four riders can race their friends to the finish.

Height requirements for the water slides

There are minimum height requirements for most water slides. There are no height requirements for the Wave Pool, Leisure Lagoon, or Shipwreck Cove. However, children under 48” must wear a life jacket and be accompanied by an adult in the Wavepool and Shipwreck Cove. With adult supervision, children under 45” tall may ride the Lazy River. Children 42” to 45” tall may ride the Runaway Raft Ride if accompanied by an adult.

Free life jackets are available at the Wave pool and the Shipwreck Cove at no charge. See the full list of attractions and height requirements here. 

Private Cabanas

To make your day more relaxing, comfortable, and practical, consider renting a private cabana. Cabanas can be the best way to experience Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe as they offer reserved seats, a private shaded area, a meeting place, and a complimentary safe to store valuables. We have previously loved our Bayside Cabana (next to the wave pool) that came with a table and 4 chairs, 4 lounges, and a nice view, and a slightly larger one on the opposite side with an elevated view, and lots of space out front for sun loungers.

Starting from $100, it may seem steep, but the rental includes 8 guests (2 additional guests can be added for $10.00 each – maximum of 10 guests), so consider splitting the cost with another family or friends, and a cabana comes with a waiter/waitress that brings you food and beverages and avoids having to wait in lines.

Online cabana reservations must be made no later than 24 hours in advance of your visit, and check-in is required by 1 PM to avoid cancellation. A cabana rental does not include park admission. See all cabana options and prices here.

Parking at Emerald Pointe Wet ‘n Wild

Single-day parking is $20. Save $2 when you pay online. Parking is free to Platinum and Elite Pass holders.

Food at Emerald Pointe Wet ‘n Wild

You cannot bring your own food or drink into the park (except water bottles). Food is your standard fair/theme park food. If you have dietary issues, you can bring your own food, but you have to speak to the manager when you arrive. I’m gluten intolerant and had a chicken ranch salad from the park, but the options are very limited if you have allergies.

There are plenty of places to fill up your water bottles. You can also purchase an “all you can drink” pass for the fountain drinks. They have souvenir cups that we saw many people carrying around with them.

The water park also has a couple of bars you can enjoy a drink at We like the Dockside which is always close by our cabana. We usually only ever have one drink at the park if at all! There usually isn’t time for it and it’s always so hot!

Entrance Fees and Passes

Single-day admission ticket prices vary slightly by date and season and whether you purchase in advance or at the gate (it’s cheaper to buy tickets online beforehand). At the time of editing (April 2026), prices range from $60.99 to $64.99 for day tickets. Children 2 years and under are FREE. Tickets are valid for one day between July 5 and July 31.

If you’re local and plan to visit more than once this summer, then a Season Pass can be the best way to experience Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe if you visit at least twice per year.

There are various season pass options from bronze to elite passes (cheapest to most expensive), with each pass offering different perks! The cheapest season pass option is a bronze pass, which allows you admission to the park during weekdays. Silver, Elite, and Platinum passes allow you to enter every day of the week, and also allow you to bring a friend for free on select days. Silver is one step up from bronze, but we recommend getting at least the Platinum pass, as this comes with free parking, which is worth the additional cost.

If you’re a water park lover and think you’ll visit here several times over those hot summer months, a season pass may be for you!

Opening hours

Wet N’ Wild is open during the summer season, from May 16th 2026 to 13th September 2026.

Park hours are typically from 10 am to 6pm in the height of summer, but close at 5pm in May and September. Some weekends the hours are extended to 7pm or 8pm for various events, and hours are subject to change without notice – they had to close 90-minutes early when we were there due to an afternoon thunderstorm!

See the full calendar of opening hours for your date here. 

Tips for visiting Emerald Pointe Wet ‘n Wild

Arrive at opening time (10am) and ride the slides that require tubes first before the lines get too long. And if you can, avoid weekends and popular public holidays! And when it’s a HOT day like in the 90’s, the concrete can radiate the heat and be hot on the feet.

Wear appropriate footwear e.g., waterproof sandals or flip flops, and of course, don’t forget a hat and sunglasses as it gets glarey too! At the bottom of each ride, there will be a place where you can store your shoes so they are waiting for you once you’re done, and you don’t have to burn your feet!

Check the weather before visiting, as the park closes during rainy days. Do a rain check, and be prepared for your tickets to be canceled due to inclement weather – you will be refunded, though!

Listen to instructions from the staff before going on the drop slides, especially if you haven’t done it before!

In summary

When I think of summers growing up in Australia, I remember going to our own Wet N Wild water park in Queensland, and having loads of fun with family and friends.

Even though we’ve lived in Raleigh for 10 years, it took us 10 years to check it out, and we only heard of it after Googling “water parks near Raleigh” and discovering it. Now, we often go when the weather gets unbearable!

Whilst Wet N Wild Emerald Pointe is not as big and modern as our kids’ favorite water park, Volcano Bay in Orlando, if you live in the Raleigh area like us or are within an easy drive of Greensboro, it’s certainly good enough.

Besides, it’s a lot easier and cheaper to visit than going all the way to Orlando. It’s definitely a fun place to cool off and enjoy some water rides, get some sun, and create family memories.

We love that it’s now our local North Carolina water park, and we look forward to returning for even more thrills! You can see other theme parks near Raleigh, including Carowinds!