Blog

We went to the Mustang Waterpark at Lopez Lake in Arroyo Grande right after the pandemic guidelines allowed the water parks to open again! The Mustang Waterpark is usually only open for a few months between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day each year. I actually preferred this waterpark in Arroyo Grande while my kids were little, compared to the Ravine Waterpark in Paso Robles. (See our Ravine Waterpark review here.)

Mustang Waterpark is considerably smaller than Ravine Waterpark, the only other waterpark in SLO County, and that made it less stressful for me as a mother of two little boys! There is a nice kids pool area with 3 kids' water slides. For bigger kids and adults, there are 3 water slides that you can enjoy. Best yet, all of these bigger waterslides can be ridden in tandem with your kid if they are big enough!

We reserved a cabana for $125 plus booking fees (cost of Cabanas may cost more now) here at Mustang Waterpark. I think that is a good deal because it is reserved for you for the whole day and it comes with nice chairs, shade and a reserved area. Once we were at the window before entering the water park, we mentioned to the staff there that we had a cabana reserved and they ushered us to the cabana. Since we came a couple of hours after they had already opened, there were only two unclaimed spots for the day. We didn't get to choose our exact spot online, so that is something to consider when you decide to book a cabana here. There was also a server who checked up on our party at the cabana every hour so I never had to wait by the snack bar to order food and drinks!

We knew this water park is located at a county park so you'll find campers and tents here as you drive your way towards the water park. We were expecting this so were not surprised but if you're not used to the camping scenery, I've forewarned you that you will see these cool camping areas for quite a while before you make your way to the final parking lot across from the water park. Even though we're locals, we're considering doing a camping trip here in the future! Important to note, whether you are camping here or just going to the water park, just entering the county park costs money per vehicle. You can read the Mustang Waterpark FAQ to see how much it costs this year.

Here are my tips for your Mustang Waterpark visit that I think you might find useful:

• Even though Mustang Waterpark opens at 10:30AM, you don't have to come right at 10:30AM as peak warm hours, depending on the day, could be right about noon. We came a bit after noon and stayed until it closed at 5PM. I think if we came really early, then we might be drained and not stay until the end. We had lunch at the Arroyo Grande Village area before we arrived at the water park. It's on the way there and only about 18 minutes drive from the Mustang Waterpark.
• Coolers and outside drinks (except water) and food are not allowed inside the waterpark but you can still keep it in your car and come out there when you want to enjoy your own snacks and beverages. Make sure you still have your wristband on to get back into the water park.
• Restrooms right outside the water park has a shorter line so if you really need to go as quickly as possible, put on your sandals, make sure your wristband is still on for in and out privileges and go to the restroom outside the water park. There are restrooms inside the water park but for women, there's usually a line except for the last hour while we were there.
• We reserved a cabana ahead of time online and I highly recommend it! It was my son's birthday weekend and my sons were so impressed. They felt special. The cabana we selected had seats for 6 but I saw a couple of cabana groups having more than 6 people and they were hovering in and out of their cabanas. The staff seemed okay with that so if you have a larger party, don't be deterred to not rent it because you have more than 6 people. They also have the Penthouse Suite and King Cabanas, which are bigger than the Poolside Cabanas. As mentioned earlier, we arrived a little bit past noon and someone ushered us inside and gave us an option between that last two that were left. Even though we had booked the cabana a month ahead, they didn't let us book for the exact cabana location. Maybe they have plans to change this in the future (you may have to check on this on their website). There were only Cabana #2 and #5 left when we arrived and we chose Cabana #5 as there was more privacy in that area. I was very happy with Cabana #5. From what I observed, Cabanas #1, #2 and #3 had the least privacy but they were closest to the entrance so the whole park would be walking by you as they enter.
• Everything on the snack bar was so reasonably priced and I love that about Mustang Waterpark. We ordered drinks and snacks for 4 and the bill plus a 25% tip was under $50. That's amazing for 2022. I never had to go to the snack bar line because the server checked up with us every hour at the cabana. We ordered 1 hot dog, 1 pretzel, 1 dippin' dots, 1 snow cone and a few plastic cups of wine.
• Remember to leave your eye or sun glasses in your bag and don't wear them as you go down any of the waterslides. My husband lost his as he was going down the water slide. 
• Parking was $10 per car for entering the Lopez Lake Recreation Area so make sure to account that to your budget. You will be passing a lot of farms along the way to get to Lopez Lake and won't see a gas station for miles, so gas or charge up ahead of time.
• Lay out your towels flat on your chairs while you are not using them. You will enjoy the warmth and dryness of those towels from the sun if it's a hot day, when you're ready to dry up. It is a wonderful comfort.
• You're not allowed to bring in your own tubes or water toys, etc. However, my sons brought their sun hats and used those to scoop up water to play with each other. I thought that was really creative of them.

This trip to the Mustang Waterpark was not sponsored in any way and is an unbiased review. My family can't wait to come back again.

Suggested Reads:

Read about our experience at another water park in San Luis Obispo County called Ravine Waterpark in Paso Robles.

Read about our visits to SLO Swim Center so the kids can practice swimming in a warm pool.

See upcoming free events for families in San Luis Obispo County.

Water Fun: