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The Ravine Waterpark in Paso Robles is a nice-sized fun waterpark in San Luis Obispo County. It is only open during the warmer season from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day every year. The only other water park in the county is at Lopez Lake in Arroyo Grande called Mustang Waterpark, but it's much smaller. Read about my experience at Mustang Waterpark.

At Ravine Waterpark, you pay according to how tall you are. If you're 42 inches or taller, you'll pay more than if you're under. They seem to increase their prices a little bit every year. If you're a senior, then it is cheaper than regular and junior admission. You can also get a season pass as well, which is a great idea to purchase if you're planning on making multiple visits to this waterpark during the same summer.

Since we live about 45 minutes away, in the past, we had only managed to visit once a year. However, for the 2023 season, we're planning on going to Paso Robles more often so we finally bought a season pass for the whole family! It gets super hot in Paso Robles during the summer so bring sunscreen and some shades if you plan on laying out on their chairs for a long period of time! They sell food and drinks there at the water park. Food items on the menu included: pizza, hot dogs, tacos and burgers. You're not allowed to bring in outside food or drinks but it's okay, we're pretty happy with their selection there! You can bring bottled water though. They also have lockers as well if you'd like to store more expensive personal items there. You pay at the machine right at the lockers area for that.

Ravine Waterpark Cabana Review

We've rented a cabana here before for my son's birthday! I reserved the spot a whole month before the reservation date by going on their website. We chose the cabana located at W-6. It's more secluded and is located towards the back corner; close to the restrooms. It's larger than the standard cabana but costs a bit more. We had a party of 8 and chose this spot so that we could have a bit more privacy. It could fit up to 12 people, which is really nice. We had 5 lounge chairs and a picnic table for this spot. We also had a nice view of the Calypso Bay Wave Pool. Click on the play (triangle) button in the video clip below to see the view from our cabana spot. I think that we will try to get this particular spot again for a future cabana reservation.

Cabana Check-In Process

Once we got to the line at the entrance to get into Ravine Waterpark, I asked the lady who gave us our wristbands where we should go to claim our cabana and she said to go to the Tiki Hut (not Tiki Bar) with a sign for cabana check-ins. The personnel there checked our reservation name and then someone ushered us to our spot. I really liked our spot because it had tiki huts! The majority of the cabanas just had canopies so I felt this made our reservation extra special. It felt like I was on vacation, even though we weren't!

At the cabana, someone checked on us at our cabana very often to periodically check on food and drink orders so we never had to get in line at any of the food and drink stands. For parties of 6 or more, they also add a 20% service fee so don't forget to allot that to your budget at the cabana, when you're ready to close out your tab.

Recuperating After the Waterpark

Usually after hanging out in their lazy river called Kickback Kreek and wave pool called Calypso Bay Wave Pool, my arms and legs would get so sore by that evening! To make sure my kids don't get too far from me, I had to paddle and continuously kick to make sure their tubes were close to mine. Sometimes I'm paddling against moving waves so that's exercise for my body right there for hours. The next day after spending a day out at this waterpark, I usually don't want to do anything active. If you're not used to paddling and swimming for hours, you might get really sore like me afterwards.

One time after a waterpark adventure at Ravine Waterpark, one of my kids got really sick for over a week! My son has a habit of sucking in some water while holding his breath under water. I have a feeling the bit of water he sucked in was contaminated (most likely fecal matter) and he threw up and had diarrhea for days. It was so crazy and scary! It was not contagious because no one in my family had it. At first, I thought it was indigestion, so I gave him Pepto Bismol but that didn't make it go away. So, a few days later, I gave him Benadryl thinking it might be an allergy. That didn't stop it either. Then, I contacted our doctor and the doctor asked me if we had traveled somewhere. I said no but we went to a waterpark a couple days before that. He said that could do it and it makes sense. That is a risk that you take when you're surrounded by a lot of people at a waterpark. It was exceptionally busy in the water that day. I saw there were a lot of babies and toddlers as well. Even if it's chlorinated water, it takes some minutes to get rid of the contamination and he was probably getting some of that bad water within that window, unfortunately. We got some lab work done and sure enough, it was positive for a bacterial infection. Be wary of that and maybe try to get your kids to keep their heads above the water and encourage them to not swallow water at a pool or waterpark? 

I've also reserved a cabana at the other water park in San Luis Obispo County called Mustang Waterpark in Arroyo Grande. As mentioned earlier, this one in Arroyo Grande is smaller than Ravine Waterpark. You can read my review of Mustang Waterpark here by clicking here.

If you're visiting here from a different city, you can stay close to the Ravine Waterpark for your trip. There are a handful of hotels in Paso Robles that are within 7 miles from the water park. I've listed them below by proximity with the closest one I could find at the top of the list.


Here is the list of hotels below by distance from Ravine Water Park (listed by distance):

La Quinta Inn & Suites Paso Robles
1.8 miles away from Ravine Water Park
Located in the heart of the central coast wine district, the La Quinta Inn & Suites Paso Robles is an elegant hotel that offers all new rooms and modern amenities to ensure your comfort. Free wireless high-speed Internet access, wine and gift shop in the lobby, heated outdoor pool and spa, fitness center, business center, and Free Bright Side BreakfastTM that includes hot eggs, sausage and potatoes are just a few of the many reasons this Paso Robles hotel is right for you. (From $240 a night depending on dates)

Holiday Inn & Suites Express Paso Robles
2.8 miles away from Ravine Water Park
With complimentary breakfast each morning, you start the day with a full belly here. Our hotel's near Ravine Waterpark, where families are welcome to race down water slides and float along lazy rivers. Corporate travelers staying in Paso Robles, CA love our hotel's convenient business center, which boasts free wired and wireless Internet access, copy and print services. (From $290 a night, depending on dates)

Courtyard Paso Robles
4.9 miles away from Ravine Water Park
Located near Highway 101, popular wineries, beaches and attractions like Hearst Castle, you can take advantage of the best of the central coast region. As a guest at the Courtyard Paso Robles hotel, you'll also enjoy a spacious guest room that ingeniously blends comfort and function. (From $300 a night, depending on dates)

La Bellasera Hotel & Suites
6.7 miles away from Ravine Water Park
This luxurious hotel is an oasis of elegance, warmth, and impeccable service. Our focus is one of total quality in customer service, set in the tranquility of our full-service lifestyle hotel. The facility offers impeccable guest rooms and first class accommodations. La Bellasera Hotel and Suites will keep you coming back and is located at the junction of Highway 101 and Highway46 West. (Rates from $360 a night depending on dates)

Hampton Inn & Suites Paso Robles
6.9 miles away from Ravine Water park
Our Hampton Inn hotel also offers a complimentary breakfast bar convention facilities for up to 100 a guest business center an outdoor heated swimming pool with whirlpool a fitness center Suite Shop and Wine Cellar. We love having you here in California at the Hampton Inn - Suites Paso Robles hotel. (Rates from $271 a night depending on dates)

Suggested Reads:

Read about my staycations at the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.

Read about my experience at the Mustang Waterpark in Arroyo Grande, also located in San Luis Obispo County.

Read about our experience at the SLO Swim Center during Family Recreational Hours where the kids got to practice swimming.

Read my local wine tasting reviews for Paso Robles and Edna Valley (two wine countries in San Luis Obispo County).

Swimming is fun and can create such wonderful memories, but it comes with a risk. Even if the sun seems mild, it's good to have sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses and a sun hat to protect your skin. Being outdoors is always one great idea to improve your mood and get a bit of exercise if you feel bummed out for any reason.