Magic Mountain Water Park

On the outskirts of Moncton, New Brunswick, a strip of road called Mountain Road draws families with a very old party trick. Magnetic Hill is a gravity-hill optical illusion where a car put in neutral seems to roll uphill, and for generations visitors have stopped to try it. Beside the hill, the family attractions that grew up around it include Magic Mountain Water Park, which is the largest man-made water park in Atlantic Canada and a summer fixture for families from across the Maritimes.

The park opened in 1987 and has been expanded and updated many times since. It centres on a collection of water slides, with a total of 11, including three designed for children, and a set of pools that includes a large wave pool, where gentle rolling swells push swimmers toward the shore every few minutes. A splash pad gives the youngest children somewhere shallow to play, and there are lazy-river style stretches for drifting. The mix means a family with a toddler and a teenager can all find something to do. Shaded seating, a snack bar and picnic areas provide places to rest between rides.

The park is built around its water. The pools use a large volume of heated water, which makes swimming comfortable even on cooler Maritime days, and the heating helps stretch the season through the warmest weeks of the summer. Lifeguards watch over the pools and slides, and slide height rules for younger children are posted at the entrances.

Moncton can be cool and wet even in July, so the park is most inviting on a sunny day with a light breeze. Weekends in July and August are busy, so arrive early and expect lines at the biggest slides. The park is seasonal and opens in late June, with schedules and prices announced each year, so check the official website before heading out.

Magic Mountain sits within the Magnetic Hill tourist area, a short drive from downtown Moncton. Families often combine a day here with a visit to the Magnetic Hill zoo and the shops nearby, or end the day with a walk along the Riverfront Trails and a look at the tidal bore in the Petitcodiac River. Bring sunscreen, towels and a change of clothes.