Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark, Newberry Springs, CA

As the saying goes, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” This is true when it comes to abandoned places. There is something eerily beautiful, mysterious, and surreal about them. They are moments in time, frozen man-made objects losing the battle against nature. They provoke feelings of nostalgia and remorse, of the memories that remain. This is how we feel every time we stop by Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark, also known as Lake Dolores Waterpark. You can see the remains of this once epic waterpark as you drive along US-15 from Southern California to Las Vegas. This haunting ruin is a dream come true to urban explorers and photographers alike.

STATS:

Where:
Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark (Lake Dolores): Newberry Springs, CA
Coordinates: 34°56’53.3″N 116°40’56.8″W

Parking: 
there is street parking along the road.

Restrooms: 
There are no restrooms.

Distance: 
The waterpark is located right next to the road.

Elevation:  0 ft

Level: Easy

Estimated Completion Time:
30 minutes – however long you want to spend there.

Ideal Weather: 
Cooler, cloudy days are the best. It gets hot there in the summer.

Ideal Time: 
You can go here anytime, however, morning or sunset will give you the best light. It does feel spooky there as the sun goes down.

Dog-friendly: 
I wouldn’t recommend bringing your pups here. The place is abandoned so who knows what your pups can injure themselves with.

Video of our Adventure:

THE HISTORY:

In the early 1960s, Bob Byers, a local businessman, built Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark as a fun getaway for him and his family on Lake Dolores in the Mojave Desert. The initial park had a series of identical steel slides down into a man-made lake. Eventually, the park was available to the public with more added attractions for its growing number of visitors. However, by 1990, the park had officially closed due to the dwindling of visitors.

In 1998, the park was renovated after spending millions of dollars. It turned into a stylized 1950s / Route 66 theme. Many new rides, waterslides, and a lazy river were installed. Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark was decked out to resemblance a retro-future wonderland. Unfortunately, in 1999, one of the employees used one of the slides that slide into a partially-filled pool when the park was closed. This accident turned the employee into a paraplegic. This resulted in a settlement that followed cost the park millions of dollars. Because of this, Rock-A-Hoola was never able to recover. After 6 years of struggling, it finally closed down for good in 2004.

Since closing, under the harsh, unrelenting Mojave sun, the park’s architecture and waterslides have faded and broken down. Most of the buildings are damaged due to vandalism, however, they still stand, rusting away as a reminder for what had been.

THE ADVENTURE:

Every time we drive to Las Vegas, we always see the remains of Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark as we pass it on Interstate 15. And every single time, we always wondered what this place was all about. I’m surprised it took us this long to actually stop by this abandoned waterpark.

Rock-a-Hoola Waterpark actually located on Hacienda Drive, which runs alongside with US-15. The coordinates above should take you right along the fence line. If you are going to explore this place, please be very careful. It is again, an abandoned waterpark. So, there is a lot of broken glass, rusty nails, collapsed roofs and walls and who knows what else. In other words, don’t be stupid and wear closed-toed shoes.

 

As you work your way through the heavily spray painted hallways that are lit only by the holes that people have punched through the walls, you can’t help but feel like you are in the end scene of some zombie apocalypse movie. Our hearts couldn’t help but race a little bit as we rounded a corner and looked into a new room. In one of the buildings, there is a door had the words “dead inside” (a Walking Dead, the movie, reference). We didn’t even attempt to open it.

The sounds of the place add to the creepy factor even more. Old, broken doors creek when you open them. The mixture of glass, broken tiles and drywall crunch as they explode under your feet. The metal roll-up doors shake violently due to a rogue gust of desert wind. The place has an eerie factor that is off the charts, and this was in the middle of the day. We can only imagine what it would be like to visit at night.

The graffitis here rank from a small hastily scribbled obscenity, poetry to massive and beautiful murals. Some of the artists have poured a lot of their time, energy and money into murals that could possibly never be seen again by human eyes.

Not everyone, unfortunately, has come here with artistic intent. Some visitors have come for destruction and mayhem. A couple of the buildings on the property have been burned down while most don’t have a single section of fully intact drywall.

A year or two after closing, the park’s water slides were removed, leaving behind the concrete towers. You can still climb the towers to get a panoramic view of the park. However, please be careful because the handrail has been removed in some sections and it is a long way down. Some of the slides’ supports are still littered along the hillside, looking like some bizarre, forgotten tributes to Stonehenge. The only machinery that has been spared by the elements and vandals thus far is the park’s sizeable water filtration system. The bright yellow pumps blister in the sun, finally getting a rest after years of hard work cleaning up after all of the guests.

The only remaining water feature that still exists is the lazy river. You can walk along this lazy river as it twists and winds its way around the park. We even found a deflated raft that was used to glide along with the once flowing currents.

There is something about the abandoned Rock-A-Hoola Waterpark that seems to draw you to it. You can almost see all the flashing neon lights, the crowds, the laughter as you walk around the park, especially toward the ticketing area. There is an overwhelming sense of loss as you walk between the broken buildings, imagining what this place had been. If urban exploring is your thing, we recommend stoping by this gem here. Another cool spot to stop by if you’re heading in the directions of Las Vegas is the 7 Magic Mountains.

Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our Youtube channel, and sign up for our newsletter!

RECOMMEND GEAR:

Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.

•  Closed-toes shoes
There is tons of broken glass, tiles and who knows what else on the floor, so please wear closed-toes shoes.

•  Sunscreen: 
Sunscreen is recommended. We use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter – Zinc Oxide – Coral Reef Safe and All Good Sport Sunscreen Lotion – Coral Reef Safe (3 oz)(2-Pack) or Stream2Sea SPF 30 Reef Safe Sport Tinted Sunscreen.

•  Water
The park doesn’t seem big but it is a lot to explore, especially if you want to go over to slides and the lazy river. It also gets really warm here under the sun. Bring some water with you.

CAMERA GEAR:
•  Camera:
   Sony a7 III
   Gopro Hero 7 Black

•  Lenses:
Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T Zoom Lens 
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX   

•  Drone:
Mavic 2 Pro Combo

•  Accessories:
  GoPro The Handler Floating Hand Grip – Official GoPro Mount   
Aluminum GoPro protection frame

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