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Aerial View of the BSR Lazy River in Waco, TX

The Longest Lazy River in The World is Located in Waco, Texas

image of a lazy river depicting the longest lazy river in the world in waco, texas
Image of a lazy river by Michelle Maria from Pixabay

Whether you live in Texas or are just coming here to visit, before long, you’re going to want to find the best spot to escape the heat and spend a cool, relaxing day in the water.

One of my favorite places to spend a scorching hot Texas afternoon at is at one of the many water parks located here, especially if it has a lazy river.

Thankfully you can find plenty of relaxing water destinations in Texas, including the longest lazy river in the world located in Waco, TX!

How long is the longest lazy river in the world?

The Waco Surf lazy river located in Waco, TX is a whopping 5,280 feet long!

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Since 5,280 feet is a mile long, that officially makes it both the longest lazy river in the US AND the longest lazy river in the world!

How deep is the Waco Surf lazy river?

Despite being the longest lazy river, the Waco Surf lazy river is only 3 feet deep! All of my kids are over 3 feet tall, so I can comfortably take them on this lazy river without much concern.

Screenshot of the Waco Surf website, home to the longest lazy river in the world.
Image Source

2022 Update: BSR Cable Park has been bought by new ownership and rebranded as “Waco Surf”.

Other Waco Surf park features

Not only does the Waco Surf park feature the longest lazy river in the world, it also features an incredible “Royal Flush” water slide with ramps that propel you through the air into the refreshing water below.

Don’t believe me?

Check it out:

BSR Cable Park Youtube Channel Video

The Waco Surf park also has a “beach” that you can laze around and suntan on and a surf park with waves that feel very much like the real thing.

What else is there to do?

The park is not free, but it’s well worth every penny that it costs to get in!

Keep in mind, it’s not just about what the park offers inside the gates. It’s also about what they allow you to bring with you into the park.

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The Waco Surf park allows you to *BYOB and bring your own grill!

*There is some indication on the new website that this may be limited to certain attractions in the park, so check their website or call in advance to make sure you’re still able to BYOB.

There are tons of amenities at the park. These are just a few:

  • Cable Park
  • Surf Park
  • The longest Lazy River in the world
  • Royal Flush Slides
  • Bar & Restaurant On-Site
  • Manmade Beach
  • Sand Volleyball Court
  • Cabin Rentals
  • Wakeboarding Lessons

How much does it cost?

Tickets to enter the Waco Surf park start as low as $49 for an all-day pass but some of the pricing on the new website is still a little vague. I imagine that as we get closer to their seasonal opening date the pricing will be more readily available and slightly less confusing (I hope).

It looks like the new owners do have an online booking system in place, so I imagine that they could easily get booked out a week or more in advance. I’d recommend planning as far ahead as possible to make sure you can get access to the activities that you want to do.

The website currently says to call them to book some of the activities, while others are listed online and can be booked online.

Here are some examples of the pricing as seen on their newly updated website:

Pricing screenshot for the cable park pass, beach club pass, and beach club cabana's at Surf Waco - home to the longest lazy river in the US.
Waco Surf Website Screenshot

You can check out the new Waco Surf website here.

Where is it located?

The longest lazy river in the world is located at the Waco Surf park in Waco, TX on Old Mexia Road.

Here are the directions to get there:

Can I bring my dog with me?

Unfortunately, but understandable, no pets are allowed in the lazy river or Royal Flush areas at any time.

It’s strictly prohibited.

It’s not a complete park ban though. Pets are allowed in other areas of the park, mostly in the area around the cable park.

There is a strict leash policy as well.

While you’re there…

By the way, if you’re a coffee lover, then before you start your day lounging in the longest lazy river in the world, here are three incredibly unique coffee shops in Waco that you should visit first.

Once you’ve had your fill of coffee, then you’ll be ready to head on over to the river!

Or, if you’re looking for other places to swim in Waco, there are plenty of other options aside from the Waco Surf park.

Other notable lazy rivers in Texas

While the most notable lazy river is the Waco Surf park river due to its world-record length, there are other lazy rivers in Texas that are also worth noting.

Waco, Texas Lazy Rivers

Waco, TX may be a small city, but it has a ton of fun stuff to do! In fact, not only is Waco home to the longest lazy river in Texas (and the world), it’s also home to another lazy river!

Hawaiian Falls Waco

Waco is located directly between Austin and the Dallas-Ft. Worth region, and right in the heart of Waco is the Hawaiian Falls Waco water park. It’s a 10-acre water park with massive water slides, swimming pools and yes… a lazy river.

the sign at the entrance of Hawaiian Falls Waco where you can swim in a lazy river.

The Hawaiian Falls lazy river is the most popular lazy river in Waco, aside from the longest lazy river in the world, which is located as the Waco Surf park – which is not too far from Hawaiian Falls Waco.

Austin Region Lazy Rivers

If you’re in the Austin, TX area and are looking for a lazy river to spend some time in on a hot summer day, then you won’t have to look far. Here are some of the lazy rivers in the Austin region.

Lost Pines Resort Lazy River

My personal favorite is the lazy river located at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa just outside of Austin, TX.

If you don’t want to stay there overnight and just want to enjoy the resort amenities during the day, they have day passes available starting from $75.

Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort

This water park is located in New Braunfels, TX, just south of Austin.

It made my list because – while it does not feature a mile-long lazy river – it does feature miles of lazy rivers and many other other water features to escape the hot Texas sun.

The lazy rivers at this park are also powered via the natural spring water supply from the Comal river. Since most lazy rivers are not powered by natural water sources, that is a unique feature of this park.

It also happens to be one of the most affordable lazy river water parks in Texas with prices starting from just $39 for the day.

Here are the directions to get there.

Dallas Region Lazy Rivers

The Dallas-Ft. Worth region is massive, so it stands to reason that they would have to have quite a few swimming spots for the millions of people who live in the surrounding areas. Look no further! Here are some of the best lazy rivers in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.

Hilton Anatole Hotel Lazy River & Cabana

Just because it’s a hotel doesn’t mean you have to stay there overnight to take advantage of their beautiful amenities.

This lazy river is located at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in the Dallas, TX area.

And beautiful is definitely the correct term for this lazy river and cabana.

Starting from just $21/day for a day pass, you have access to hot tubs, a heated outdoor pool, an indoor lap pool, a boxing gym, and much more.

To access the shaded cabana’s with privacy drapes in the leisure cove pool area (aka “lazy river”) with the swim-up bar, you’ll have to pay a little more.

Starting from $200 for up to 8 people, it may be more beneficial to just stay the night since most stays include wrist bands for access to the water features area:

  • Up to 2 wristbands for King rooms
  • Up to 4 wristbands for Queen double-bed rooms or King with sofa rooms
  • Up to 2 additional wristbands per room can be purchased onsite for $25 each per day.

Here are the directions to get there:

Hawaiian Falls in Garland, TX

If you’re looking for a lazy river near Dallas, TX – look no further. Hawaiian Falls has a location in Waco AND in Garland, TX which is part of the Dallas metroplex.

This water park sits on 12 acres and features a lazy river, as well as a dozen water slides, a wave pool, and much more.

Great Wolf Lodge, Grapevine

Dallas-Ft. Worth is a huge metroplex, so it stands to reason that it would have quite a few water parks.

You’ll find another lazy river inside the water park at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX – another city located within the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.

It’s a huge 80,000 square foot water park with tubes, hot springs, and water slides as well as a really neat lazy river that takes relaxation to a whole new level.

Houston, TX Lazy Rivers

Houston is the largest city in Texas with well over 2,000,000 residents. It also gets hot… like, REALLY hot.

But it’s not just the heat you have to worry about – it’s the HUMIDITY.

Houston gets HUMID.

So, if you’re in Houston for any amount of time during the summer, you’ll definitely want to find a lazy river. So, if you’re looking for lazy rivers in Houston, TX… here they are:

Hurricane Harbor Splashtown by Six Flags

The name of this water park really says it all… it’s epic. In fact, it’s probably one of the most fun and intense water parks you’ll find in the state of Texas.

Everything from a heart-stopping, 7-story water slide to a zero-gravity water ride called “Big Spin”, Six Flags will give you hours upon hours of endless fun.

But there are also some great family-friendly activities for those with smaller kids who may not be able to get on the more intense water park rides.

Or for people who just don’t care to have near-death experiences at the water park.

In that case, the Six Flags lazy river in Spring, TX is just perfect! This lazy river is so peaceful and beautiful, it’s called Paradise River.

There’s also the Blue Lagoon, Hurricane Bay, and Coconut Bay which are all great places to relax and hang out in massive pools. Coconut Bay is specifically built for smaller kids in mind.

Here’s where you can find this awesome lazy river near Houston, TX:

San Antonio Region Lazy Rivers

San Antonio is home to the famous river walk, the Alamo and a lot more. But it’s also home to an extremely unique lazy river that incorporates sea-life!

Aquatica Lazy River

If you want to relax in a lazy river that is unlike any other, then be sure to head over to Aquatica, San Antonio’s waterpark that incorporates up-close animal encounters and experiences.

In addition to the lazy river, Aquatica in San Antonio also features 42,000 square feet of sandy beaches, a free-fall water drop (yes, it’s just as scary as it sounds!), an underground grotto where you float along the river surrounded by sea-life, and much, much more.

Comal River – An All-Natural Lazy River

The Comal River is not man-made. This Texas lazy river is as natural as it gets, fed by natural springs where the water is consistently regulated by nature between 70 – 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Comal River is the shortest natural river in the world (it’s a 2.5 mile long river), and it slowly meanders along its way while guiding thousands of people each year along the waters surface in tubes as they sip on their favorite drinks and enjoy the cool Comal River waters under the hot Texas sun.

Others may dip in and out of the river while picnicking on the riverside as you slowly drift by.

It really is quite the experience.

If you’ve never been to the Comal River, and you find yourself in the San Antonio, TX area – it’s absolutely worth putting on your itinerary.

You can also view the very place in the ground where the spring waters come to surface to form this all-natural lazy river in Texas: