The Ultimate Silverwood Theme Park Travel Guide – Everything You Need To Know To Plan The Perfect Trip!

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The Ultimate Silverwood Theme Park Travel Guide – Everything You Need To Know To Plan The Perfect Trip!

Both my and Jens’ families have been visiting Silverwood for years now. We are big fans of Silverwood, as it is a beautiful theme park + waterpark adventure, all in driving distance from the Puget Sound area, and so much more affordable than other large theme parks. The theming is great; you can camp or stay at a luxury hotel (and many options in between). That means it works for many different budget types. If your family loves theme parks and water parks, this is one spot you will want to check out.

Jen and I have worked directly with Silverwood in past years as Conductors. That means we got lots of insider info and access to the park to get to know the ins and outs of Silverwood. As a result, we have compiled many things we have learned about over the years, to create this Silverwood & Boulder Beach Family Travel Guide. This should include everything you need to know to plan a super trip to Silverwood (and beyond) too.

I have been taking my kids to Silverwood from their toddler years, through their teen years, and have shared tips on visiting Silverwood with Northwest families for a very long time. There is so much to do and see there; a little planning goes a long way. We have gathered all those years of travel tips into one comprehensive Silverwood Travel Guide for Families. This is about everything we could think that you would want to know when planning a visit, but let us know if we missed any of your favorite tips!

What Will a Silverwood Trip Cost You?

Well, this will depend quite a bit on how you like to travel. One reason my family first started to visit Silverwood was because we were big Disney fans, but could not always afford big Disneyland vacations. So, on our first visit to Silverwood, we were trying to give our kids the theme park experience but on a much smaller budget. We did that by driving over (saving on airfare), camping and cooking lots of our food, and doing 2 days in at the park. I could not believe how affordable our trip was, considering the fun we had. The other thing that happened is that we fell in love with the theme park and waterpark and decided we wanted to go back during the following years, just because we loved it there. That meant we tried other lodging options too (including some nice hotels). All of this is to say there are quite a few factors that will go into how much a SIlverwood vacation will cost you. But the one thing that will be the same for most, is the cost to get into the park – park tickets! To find the best deal on Silverwood Theme Park tickets check out the following:

• Silverwood Tickets – where to get the best deal on them! In this article, we share all of the best ways to get a great deal on Silverwood tickets. They offer special days with great rates you can plan your vacation around to get the absolute best pricing too.
• Why a Seasons Pass is worth it! If you think you will visit more than once per year, consider a Season Pass. We break down everything you need to know, to decide if this is the right route for your family.

How Long Should You Plan To Visit Silverwood / Or Vacation in the Area?

The “How Long Should I Stay” question will depend on if you plan to only visit Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach Water Park, or if you want to explore more things in the Northern Idaho area too.

If you are looking into buying tickets, you may wonder how many days you need to visit Silverwood. I always recommend 2 days for your first visit. That gives you one day to focus on the theme park and one day to focus on the waterpark. The waterpark closes earlier, so you will have time to go back for more theme park fun afterward. If you only have one day, you can do both in a day as well.

And then if you want to do more in the Northern Idaho area, you can plan more days for your trip to do other activities. We generally visit anywhere from 5 days to a week. We like to spend 2 days at Silverwood, and then do other fun things in the area like head up to Priest Lake, over to the Silver Mountain Resort, or just spend a few days in Coeur D’Alene and Spokane. We share lots more info below on things you can do in the area beyond Silverwood if you want to plan a longer trip

How to Get There – Turn Your Trip to Silverwood Into a Special Road Trip the Family Will Remember!

We always drive when heading to Silverwood from the Puget Sound area. You can check out this road trip itinerary from the Puget Sound area to Silverwood, to help you build in some stops along the way and make the trip over part of your vacation.

If you are traveling from further away, you can fly into the Spokane Airport to visit Silverwood. You will then be about an hour from the park. If you decide to stay out by the airport, we share some of our favorite spots to stay here (the Northern Quest Casino Resort is my family’s personal favorite in that area as they have a great pool, restaurants onsite, a dine in movie theater, a game room for the kids and more. Plus you can choose to stay in a cabin in their RV resort if you want a quieter spot than the resort and still have access to all of those amenities).

Where To Stay –

One of the things that I love about a Silverwood vacation, is that there are so many options in the area for families on different budgets. You can camp for the most affordable option, or book a stay at a luxury resort on the lake, and many options in between. Here are some we have enjoyed over the years:

Camping – the most affordable option: If you want to camp, Silverwood has an RV park right on-site, however our favorite spot if you are tent camping is Farragut State Park (about 10 minutes away). There are a few other great campgrounds in the area too. Camping is likely the most affordable way to take a vacation to Silverwood.

The closest hotel to the park is the Triple Play Resort in Athol, ID. It is nice if you have young kids, as it has an indoor waterpark and a family fun center full of activities for kids.

Check out our favorite Spots to stay in North Idaho for many more ideas. We include some nicer options, cabin ideas, and more family-friendly hotels in the area to choose from.

One more option is to stay in the Spokane area which is about a 30 to 50-minute drive away, depending on where you stay in the area. We do have a list of family-friendly hotels in the Spokane area here if you want to explore those options as well.

Where To Eat –

One thing I enjoy about Silverwood is that the food prices will not cost you 10 times more than they do outside of the park. There are plenty of ways to save on food here. Check out these 10 Affordable Eats & Drinks In The Park when you are planning your trip. I still have their souvenir cups in my cupboards and we take them back when we visit for the refill deals. The pizza bundle at the magic show is one of my very favorite family meal deals, inside and outside of the park, and the ice cream scoops are big enough to share, making them a super affordable treat, to name some of my favorites.

If you are traveling with younger kids, the souvenir lunch boxes are a fun meal to grab. Then after they eat that, you can use it to store snacks for them. Find more info on that, and more of our favorite Quick Bites In The Park including giant pretzels and dipping sauce – enough to share!

You can find more ideas on Where to Eat Out of the Park if you want to catch a meal before or after your visit.

We have created a family tradition where our last stop of the day is always at the candy store for a treat to take home too. Main Street usually stays open just a bit after the rest of the park, so it is a great way to extend the evening and keep the fun going for your family. That is the candy store pictured above, and they have so many fun sweet treat options for everyone.

How To Best Enjoy The Silverwood Theme Park – Tips For Your Visit

Here are some more things that are good to know, when planning a Silverwood getaway.

If it is your first visit to Silverwood and Boulder Beach, check out this 1-Day Itinerary for Silverwood to help give you an idea of what your day at the parks might look like.

Before you leave home, take a look at this Packing List of ideas for a Silverwood Vacation, to make sure you will have everything you will need with you.

Evenings at Silverwood can be lots of fun. The weather is often still warm, and evenings make the perfect time to enjoy the rides without the intense heat. Plus they have the park all lit up, and some of the rides are more exciting. Learn more about visiting Silverwood after dark to get the most out of your nighttime visit.

Visiting Silverwood with multi-generations is a great way to make wonderful family memories too. I love it when the grandparents come with us. There are more people to enjoy on vacation, more help with the kids, and it is an easy park to come and go from, so everyone can enjoy it at their own pace. It is also a great spot to travel to with friends. We have done multiple visits with family and friends, and it just makes it that much better. Plus, camping is always more fun with friends, and you can easily camp on a trip to Silverwood to save more too.

A couple of my favorite things about Silverwood and Boulder Beach is that the parks are always so clean, and I find it easy to visit with kids of multiple age groups. It is not always easy to keep pre-schoolers and teens happy in one place, but you can here (real plus with families with kids across age ranges).

We have a general review of visiting the park if you are looking for more information too.

More Tips To Consider When Planning Your Trip::

• They are moving to a cashless park. That means you will want to make sure you are prepared to pay for many things with either credit, debit, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. You can also add cash to your account when buying tickets, and you will then get a bracelet when you pick up your tickets, that you can use to make purchases in the parks.
• Weather in Northern Idaho can be a bit unpredictable at times. This means you will want to check the weather report for the timeframe you will be there. We have experienced pretty hot days, and even rain and some lightning storms (usually when we visit in June, and they generally pass quickly) during our past trips. Mostly it is beautiful weather, but this is just something to consider.
• Traveling with young kids, make your first stop at the information booth near the entrance. You can get them bracelets with your phone number on it. That way, if for some reason you get separated from them, the Silverwood employees can access this and get you reconnected quickly.
• You can find ride height requirements here if you want to know ahead of time what each member of the family can go on.

How to Best Enjoy Boulder Beach Waterpark

Boulder Beach is our favorite Waterpark in the Northwest and we share lots of tips on visiting it. It opens June 8th this year, as they are adding some extra attractions to the waterpark area. This is exciting news, as it is already one of the largest waterparks in the Northwest. In past years it has opened on Memorial Day weekend, so you will need to be sure to check on opening dates for the timeframe you want to travel.

It also has more limited hours than the theme park. Since your Silverwood Park tickets include both the theme park side and the waterpark, this means you can spend time at the theme park before and after the waterpark is open if you want, at no additional cost.

A few things that I love about Boulder Beach is that there is something for everyone. There are two wave pools and some larger slide attractions for the more adventurous, as well as a fun toddler area and one that kids in between will love too.

If you are traveling with little ones, they do have life jackets available to use for free (first come first serve basis). There are a few areas for younger kids specifically, so be sure to scout those out on the maps ahead of time, then you can head straight there when you get to the water park and set up in those areas as your base camp.

They are also adding some new attractions and an entirely new area this year, called Emerald Forest, which will include the longest dueling water coaster in the US, expansion of the kids slash pad area (8 new slides), a new dining pavilion, and more!

Enjoying North Idaho Beyond Silverwood

Silverwood Theme Park can be the sole destination for your trip, or it can be a part of a longer visit to the Northern Idaho area. We love to visit as part of a longer trip when we go. Here are some of our favorite things to do beyond just the theme park and waterpark for our trips.

Find additional ideas for what to do beyond Silverwood if you want to turn a visit into a week-long vacation. If you love adventure check out these ideas for Outdoor Adventures in Northern Idaho or if you prefer a leisure getaway, check out this list of things to do in Coeur D Alene nearby for more ideas. We even have put together some ideas on things to do in Spokane if you want to build in a stop there on your way over or back.

Whatever you plan for your family getaway, it is bound to make special family memories you will be able to hold onto for many years!