Waterford Oaks Wave Pool won’t open for 2025 and we’ve got ideas for the future of Waterford Oaks Wave Pool / Waterford Oaks Waterpark PLUS some old-school Waterford Oaks pics & memories. Oakland County Parks wants to know your thoughts too. Fill out the survey on how you think Waterford Oaks should be used for the future.
We’re making plans for summer at OCM and we reached out to our friends at Oakland County Parks to ask about upcoming promotions at the Wave Pool. We had heard rumblings about the Wave Pool not opening for 2025 and was wondering if it was “official”. Sadly, the answer is yes, the pool is on hiatus for 2025… and… if you’re adept at “reading the tea leaves”, the move seems likely permanent.
I gathered during my email exchanges that the decision to put the 2025 season on ice was not made hastily nor was it made without tremendous adoration and respect for this iconic Oakland County family-friendly attraction. As for the future? There may be a lot get excited about.
Waterford Oaks Wave Pool Won’t Open for 2025
The reasons for the wave pool not opening at Waterford Oaks are numerous… and noticeable… especially if you were around for the Waterford Oaks Waterpark heydey of yesteryear (like I was). I’ll get into some Waterford Oaks nostalgia in a bit. You can read a full explanation of the decision to close the wave pool for 2025 on the official wavepool webpage.
Basically, it’s too expensive to maintain the 50-year old pool and there are newer, bigger picture projects that Oakland County Parks is eyeing that could use the money that it would take to keep that wave pool… waving.
Waterford Oaks Wave Pool – Now What?
Thanks to the approval of the last millage, Waterford Oaks can begin a new chapter – and a lot of options are on the table for Waterford Oaks. Updated waterpark with lots of renovations? Closing the wave pool altogether and updating the rest of Waterford Oaks County Park for other uses? Oakland County Parks wants you to have a say in its future. Let them know what you want by filling out this survey.
Waterford Oaks Wave Pool – Nostalgia
If you’ve seen the decline of Waterford Oaks Wave Pool over the past few years, you’d understand the county’s reluctance to keep it going… as well as their soft spot for wanting to keep it going. The park AND the wave pool were once the shining jewels in the County.. and in Metro Detroit.
My mom used to pack us up and drive to Waterford from Fraser, MI every summer beginning right around the time the park opened (I’m dating myself). It wasn’t quite like a trip to Cedar Point for us, but it was close. I loved it. The park was once brand new… and there wasn’t anything like it around Metro Detroit.
Waterparks were all the rage. Waterford Oaks was the first, then Four Bears popped up in Utica in the early 80s… You could even go down waterslides at Lakeside Mall at Hydrotube in the mid-80s. The Waterford Oaks wave pool was “state-of-the-art” back then. The park even added a 2-flume waterslide that I personally enjoyed even more than the Red Oaks Waterpark waterslide. Later, a family raft ride (Ragin’ Rapids) was installed and that was fun too. You could spend an entire summer day there and never get bored.
When I began to take my own kids to my favorite waterpark of my youth, I noticed the once awesome waterslide was getting (VERY) rickety and I remember going on the Ragin’ Rapids Raft Ride and wondering “Geez, how much does this behemoth cost to run?”.
First OC Parks benched the waterslide (and all of its splinters on the steps), then… the Ragin Rapids was sent packing later on. Both of those closings were understandable. Times were / are changing.
The Waterpark wasn’t just “getting old”, it was getting geriatric… even Jurassic.
Waterford Oaks Wave Pool – The Future? – OCM’s Thoughts
We’ve seen a lot of what works with our local Parks & Rec Departments over the past 20 years (and what doesn’t work). Here’s what we’d like to see.
1 – Close The Wave Pool – It costs too much for a feature that can be used for 2.5 months per year. If you do keep the wave pool, make it indoors so the community can use it year-round. If not, scrap it. There’s plenty of Waterpark fun to be had at the superior, county-owned Red Oaks Waterpark in Madison Heights. If my Mom would drive from Fraser to Waterford for Waterford Oaks, folks would drive from Waterford to Madison Heights for Red Oaks.
2 – Create a Winter Sports Park – or Winter Fun Park like they have Up North in Petoskey using facets already possessed by Waterford Oaks and that can be used year-round. Waterford Oaks already has an awesome sled hill & platform (winter) tennis courts. Let’s make a Complex with a variety of features central to one big area of Waterford Oaks County Park.
Waterford Oak Winter Sports Park Could Include…
Why not add an outdoor skating rink (like Stine Park in Troy) that can feature Roller Skating in the summer? Let’s deck the skating rink out with festive holiday lights.
How about another rink with boards and dashers for hockey tournaments and leagues ala the Rink at Royal Oak?
Maybe a couple of Curling lanes for older adults? Leagues and lessons might be a hot ticket.
2025 Fireworks & Flannel Fest had an awesome, lighted nature trail. Lets get that going again too and keep it going all Winter.
Let’s get a snowboard hill next to the Waterford Oaks Sled Hill
Can we open up the Waterford Oaks BMX track for Cross Country Ski Racing?
How about a small amphitheater like the one at Independence Oaks with an attached warming shelter / lodge and open the whole area up for food trucks and fire pits on weekends from November through February?
Keep the concerts going in the summer months with outdoor movie nights.
OC Parks could put all of these great features in a centralized place within Waterford Oaks and it would be amazing. They could even build off of the remnants of the once-mighty (and revered) Waterford Oaks Wave Pool location. Basically, take everything great about Fireworks & Flannels and build a park around it.
But that’s just OUR idea… Again OC Parks wants your input so make you sure you give it HERE. I’m not telling what to suggest… but just type WE WANT WINTER SPORTS PARK in ALL CAPS and tell all of your friends to do the same thing! LOL.
Waterford Oaks County Park
2800 Watkins Lake Rd.
Waterford, Michigan 48328
OaklandCountyParks.com
FIREWORKS & FLANNELS + WATERFORD OAKS WAVE POOL PHOTO CREDITS – All NON-OCM Watermarked photos are courtesy of our friends at OaklandCountyParks.com WITH PERMISSION. OCM Watermarked Photos are mine all mine. Other Photo Credits – Troy Recreation WITH PERMISSION. Rink at Royal Oak WITH PERMISSION
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Are you going to miss Waterford Oaks Wave Pool this summer? Do you want Oakland County Parks to bring back Waterford Oaks Waterpark back?
