LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Cowabunga Bay waterpark in Henderson will not reopen for the 2027 season, and some Las Vegas-area families said the announcement has changed their summer plans.
Park leadership said the company will focus its operations on Cowabunga Canyon in Summerlin. The station shared news of the closure on its social media accounts Monday, and its Facebook page received more than 1,000 comments.
Park cites ‘streamlining’
Cade Vereen, vice president of operations for Cowabunga, said the park has served the Henderson community for 12 years.
“The decision ultimately came down to streamlining our operations,” Vereen said.
Asked what prompted the move, Vereen said, “Moving the operation and focusing at the Canyon location in Summerlin really was kind of the best decision for the park.”
Fox5 asked if the closure was a financial issue, a water concern, or the result of an incident. Park leadership said, “Yeah, no, no incidents or anything related to that at all.”
Families ask for more explanation
Jim takes his grandson to Cowabunga Park and said he was shocked by the decision and that the park’s explanation does not add up.
“My question is, what does that mean? What does streamline mean?” Jim said.
“Now, I can see if it closed down, you know, for economic reasons, maybe a water shortage, you know? But whoever owns this needs to put out a statement. What does streamline mean?” he said.
Concerns about Summerlin location
Commenters also raised concerns about the Summerlin location. Some who live near Cowabunga Canyon said they are worried about parking, congestion, and safety.
Annie Morris, who lives near the park, said the neighborhood is surrounded by homes.
“We’re surrounded by houses all around here, and it does feel kind of random that there’s this big water park right in the middle, and you’re just surrounded by these family homes… there’s obviously kids everywhere,” Morris said.
Park leadership said it is confident Cowabunga Canyon will offer families a new and exciting experience. Guests the station spoke with disagreed and said the change adds a hurdle for busy families.
“There’s not much for kids to do in this town as it is, and to take away this… it just makes it tough for the parents to find things to do with the kids, you know?” one guest said.
Information for season ticket holders and employees
Here is a link for season ticket holders to find out what they can do and how their tickets can be transferred.
The park said it will transfer as many seasonal employees as it can. It encourages former staff members to apply.
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