Last summer our family finally got to go on our big Texas road trip. We had originally planned it for 2020 but eventually we realized it wouldn’t work out. I was devastated. In fact, I was probably more upset than my kiddos. We pivoted our 2020 road trip plans and ended up taking our Pacific Northwest trip. In hindsight, I’m happy with the way things turned out. Our 2020 escape to Washington National Parks and the Oregon coast was just what we needed at the time. Meanwhile, rescheduling our Texas trip meant that when we went in 2021, more things were open and “back to normal”. We were also able to stop at Knott’s Berry Farm and Saguaro National Park on the way across which ended up being an extra bonus. Now, let’s talk about the reason for our Texas road trip–Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels.

what is Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels?

It might seem strange to drive all the way to Texas just to visit a waterpark. However, Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels isn’t just any waterpark. In fact, it has been voted the “World’s Best and Biggest Waterpark” for 22 years! It features 51 attractions spread across 70 acres along Texas hill country’s Comal River. Schlitterbahn New Braunfels is actually comprised of four separate sections of park. This makes it essentially four times the size of a “normal” waterpark. These different park sections are sometimes closed on different days. Always check their website before visiting to ensure that the sections and rides you want to visit are open.

what makes Schlitterbahn so special?

The name Schlitterbahn comes from the German words for “slippery” and “road”. Schlitterbahn might be most famous for their tube chutes. Think of them as “not so lazy rivers” and they are definitely my favorite part. The Original section of the park features eight of these tube chutes while the Tubenbach section’s claim to fame is The Falls, the longest tubing attraction in the world! In addition to the tube chutes, be sure to check out one of Schlitterbahn’s unique uphill water coasters. The Blastenhoff section has the Master Blaster and Surfenburg has the first uphill water coaster–the The Dragon’s Revenge.

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More nice perks of Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels are the savings and family-friendly atmosphere compared to some other parks. The parking is free and they even offer a shuttle to help you get between different sections of the park. You can even pack your own food and bring coolers in. Lastly, there are no tube or life jacket rentals. Instead, tubes and life jackets are located throughout the park and at every lazy river. They even have a limited number of special infant tubes which have a closed bottom.

Bonus savings tip: The Cedar Fair company bought The two Schlitterbahn waterparks in 2019 (New Braunfels and Galveston). So we were able to use our Cedar Fair Platinum pass for our 4 days at Schlitterbahn. We also used them to get a great discount to stay at their resort. Lastly, we had bought a reusable drink bottle at our home park (California’s Great America) which can be refilled at all Cedar Fair parks.

what to do in each section of the park

There is so much to do at Schlitterbahn that we definitely recommend more than one day! The attractions below are by no means a comprehensive list, but they include some of our favorite ones. Keep in mind that you will either need to take the free shuttle from Schlitterbahn West to Schlitterbahn East, or drive your own vehicle (parking is free and all sections of the park are included in your ticket if they’re open that day).

Schlitterbahn West

The Original Schlitterbahn

The main draw of Schlitterbahn West (the Original section) are the tube chutes. There are also several play areas that are perfect if you’ve got little ones with you! Another unique thing about this section of the park is that it uses spring-fed water.

• Raging River Tube Chute
• Hillside Tube Chute
• Whitewater Tube Chute
• Cliffhanger Tube Chute
• Der Bahn
• Pollywog Pond & Tadpool
• The Beach Wavepool

Schlitterbahn East

Schlitterbahn East is the newer area of the park and actually comprises three different sections. All areas are walkable but consider wearing water shoes. This part of the park boasts several award-winning attractions!

Blastenhoff

• The Master Blaster
• Wolfpack
• The Torrent
• Han’s Hideout
• Kinderhaven

Surfenburg

• The Kristal River
• Kiddie Coast
• The Dragon’s Revenge
• Boogie Bahn

Tubenbach

• The Falls
• Riverbend Heated Pool

Have you ever been to Schlitterbahn? Would you go on a cross-country road trip to visit? What section of the park sounds the best to you?