Summer is in full swing and so are the soaring temperatures! Thank goodness for Dollywood’s Splash Country and the break from heat it provides. Our family recently went on a three-day Dollywood-filled adventure and chose to spend the first day at the water park enjoying the many water slides and attractions—and working on our tan lines.

We’ve realized over the years that Splash Country can be enjoyed several days in a row due to the size and variety of attractions. In fact, many people never make it to the back of the park where our favorite area lies in wait: The Cascades!

The Cascades area boasts an 8,000-square-foot lagoon-style pool with zero-depth entry, cascading waterfalls (thus the name!), two slides, geysers, interactive water play areas, water jets and more! The pool area is also surrounded by generous seating and waterside Retreats and Canopies. The Retreats and Canopies are available for rent and worth every penny.

There is so much to do in this sizable area tucked in behind Fire Tower Falls and Bear Mountain Fire Tower. Our younger children delighted in the geysers and water play area while our older kids enjoyed zipping down the slides over and over again with little to no wait. It was easy to keep an eye on everyone from our perch at the beach entry side of lagoon and we had peace of mind as the ever-vigilant life guard staff patrolled the area. In fact, the Splash Country lifeguards have some awesome tips for parents here.

The Cascades is truly the perfect place to kick back while the kids explore. This “secret cove” is sure to become one of your favorite places to recharge and connect as a family while beating the summer heat. It has been for our family!