19 Aquatic Centers to Maintain the Summer Mood
Splash Into Fun
Written By Lynn R. Blamires, feature writer for My Local Utah
People are generally drawn to sunlight; summer tends to be when most people feel their best. When the days start to become shorter and the amount of sunlight people are exposed to during the day is reduced, many people’s moods are affected. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is an actual condition. SAD is very similar to the winter blues but with increased symptoms. People with SAD suffer the symptoms of a Major Depressive Disorder during a specific time of year, usually winter. Winter blues are somewhat eased during Christmas and New Year celebrations, but the cold weather blahs set in when the festivities are over. I have a friend who suffers from SAD. He wears a tie that features spring flowers through the darker months. He will do what he can to hold on until spring. Light therapy is one of the treatments used for SAD; however, I want to suggest another way to hold on to thoughts of summer. One of the most popular summer activities has to do with fun in the water. Utah has some great aquatic centers with features that help keep us in touch with summer fun. Review the features of these aquatic centers and find one near you that will help lift your spirits:
The Clearfield Aquatic and Fitness Center
Find this center at 825 State Street in Clearfield. There is a curvy 16-foot flume-style water slide for young adults and a leisure pool. The leisure pool features a lazy river and an aquatic playground for children. There is also a hot tub apart from the leisure pool and a full fitness center with your favorite equipment. The Clearfield Aquatic and Fitness Center.
Layton Surf ‘n Swim
While Layton does not have a leisure pool with the features of the other pools listed, it does have a shallow beach entry at one end and a wave feature at the other. The waves produced are fun to ride on the inner tubes available at the pool. The facility is located at 465 N Wasatch Drive in Layton. Layton Surf ‘n Swim.
South Davis Recreation Center
Situated at 550 N 200 W in Bountiful, the leisure pool at this facility includes an interactive play structure with fountains and slides. It also features a hot tub, a lazy river, and a large flume-style water slide for young adults. South Davis Recreation Center.
Fairmont Aquatic Center
This facility is located at 1044 East Sugarmont Drive in Salt Lake City. The leisure pool is at 86 degrees, including a two-story flume-style water slide, a lazy river, a whirlpool, a shallow beach entry, and interactive play features. Fairmont Aquatic Center.
West Valley Family Fitness Center
This fun center is at 5415 West 3100 South in West Valley City. A key feature of their facility is a 32-foot flume-style waterslide with all the delightful curves you need to keep your summer alive. They also offer a lazy river, a hot tub, and a water feature that sprays and dumps water. A giant duck hides a kiddie slide. If you don’t want to get wet, there is a climbing wall to enjoy. West Valley Family Fitness Center.
The Park Center
Located in Murray at 202 E. Murray Park Avenue, the Park Center features hourly childcare for parents using the facility. The Activity Pool features a zero depth entry, a lazy river current, water toy features, an in-water jungle gym, a 3-story water slide (riders must be at least 48″ tall to ride the slide), bubble couches, and a shallow area used for swim lessons, water aerobics, playtime, and exercise. The Park Center.
Holladay Lions Recreation Center
This aquatic center is in Holladay at 1661 East Murray-Holladay Road (4800 South). There is a 10-person hot tub that is kept at 102 degrees. The leisure pool has a 30-foot curvy flume-style slide, an interactive play structure, a lazy river, and a shallow beach entry. The pool is kept at 88 degrees. Holladay Lions Recreation Center.
Kearns Oquirrh Park and Fitness Center
This park is in Kearns at 5624 South Cougar Ln. The recreation pool includes a sizeable flume-style water slide for young adults, a lazy river, a water basketball hoop, and a children’s play feature. The 50-meter pool has a unique feature called a Wibit. It is an inflatable obstacle course. Kearns Oquirrh Park and Fitness Center.
South Jordan Fitness and Aquatic Center
This facility can be found at 10866 South Redwood Road in South Jordan. It has a giant flume-style slide, a lazy river, an interactive play structure with smaller slides for children, a huge hippopotamus that hides a kiddie slide, and fountains to enjoy. South Jordan Fitness and Aquatic Center.
Dimple Dell Recreation Center
Sandy is home to this rec center at 10670 South 1000 East. The center has a climbing wall and a leisure pool loaded with fun. A two-story slide tops the list for older children. Add a lazy river, a bubble couch, a shallow beach entry, and a big Nemo for endless fun. Dimple Dell Recreation Center.
Draper Recreation Center
Draper hosts a rec center at 657 E Vestry Road. Fun is to be had on a giant waterslide for older children, a water play structure in a shallow pool, and a lazy river. Draper Recreation Center.
J.L. Sorensen Recreation Center
This rec center is located in Herriman at 5350 West Herriman. Their indoor pool is loaded with features. There is a large interactive play structure with fountains and slides, but not far away is a big Nemo – the clown fish from the movie that hides a kiddie slide. There is a giant dumping bucket, Trixie bells, a lazy river, a cyclone pool, a big waterslide for older children, a bubbling fountain, and a lily pad crossing. J.L. Sorensen Recreation Center.
Lehi Aquatics Center
This center is located at 123 North Center Street in Lehi. The leisure pool has a lazy river, a toddler splash pool, a bubble couch, a hot tub, a flume-style water slide for young adults, play structures, and fountains. Lehi Aquatics Center.
Provo Recreation Center
Provo has a fun recreation center at 320 West 500 North. It features Zippy’s Interactive Tree House with three slides, buckets that dump water, and water toys. The pool has a shallow beach-style entry, and this leisure pool leads to a lazy river. Provo Recreation Center.
Clyde Recreation Center
You will find this rec center in Springville at 717 South 1200 West. Fountains are situated along the lazy river to keep you from drying off too much. A big whale houses a kiddie waterslide that dumps into the shallows nearby. Two large flume-style slides sit on the other side of the indoor pool. A cyclone pool sits inside the route of the lazy river. Clyde Recreation Center.
Desert Wave Pool
This pool is in Price at 250 East 500 North. It is like the Surf ‘n Swim in Layton. Who doesn’t like a good wave pool? Desert Wave Pool.
Cedar City Aquatic Center
Cedar City’s fun center is located at 2090 W Royal Hunter Drive. They offer a lazy river, a big flume-style slide, a hot tub, an interactive play structure with smaller slides, a big bucket that drenches anyone within range regularly, a lazy river, a shallow beach-style entrance to a shallow pool for children, and a large fish that hides a kiddie slide. Cedar City Aquatic Center.
Washington City Community Center
This fun center is at 111 North 100 East in Washington City. It has a three-story big flume-style slide that starts indoors and twists and turns outside the building before dumping you back into the pool on the inside. They have a shallow beach entry into a shallow pool with play sets for all ages, a 317-gallon dump bucket that keeps you wet, and a lazy river. Washington City Community Center.
Sand Hollow Aquatic Center
This fun center is at 1144 North 2400 West in St. George. Kids will love the Tiki-style water features designed to keep them wet. It includes a prominent scary snake structure the kids like playing on. There is a shallow beach entrance to this water feature they call “Tiki Beach.” A floating obstacle course is a fun challenge for young adults. A giant green frog hides a kiddie slide, a sizeable flume-style waterslide is available for young adults, a climbing wall rises at one edge of the pool, and a lazy river is there for those who want to veg out. Sand Hollow Aquatic Center.
These do not represent all of the indoor pools in Utah, but they are the ones that look like the most fun to me. It takes effort to get out of that lazy chair to enjoy this type of entertainment, but the fun you will find in moving will be good for you. It will remind you of the upcoming summer days and keep you out of the cold weather blahs.