Splash into summer

Number of water slides in New Hampshire - indoor and outdoor - is on the rise.

Water parks have become a popular year-round trend in family recreation in the Granite State. While two indoor facilities recently opened in the White Mountains region, local kids are anxiously awaiting the opening of a new outdoor park in Candia – Liquid Planet.

Kelly Dumont, vice president and sister of park president and CEO Kevin Dumont, said she’s looking forward to the June 14 public opening of the park.

She’s had an affinity for amusement parks for about a decade after working at another area water park.

“I worked at Water Country with my sister in the 1990s, and it was a really fun high school job,” she said. “We have a real love and passion for it. I’m really looking forward to having a job that I’ll enjoy, and there’s always some stress involved, but it’s not going to be like working at a big corporation.”

Kevin Dumont also has a long history with water recreation, including nine years spent in the Army as an instructor for a family swimming program. He plans to see hundreds of visitors each day at the Route 27 park.

In the future, the park’s opening season will run from mid-June to Labor Day, but the Dumonts have a special offer this year with a free “Candia only” day on June 7.

Dumont said the locals-only day is his way of thanking the community for supporting the project he’s been planning for five years.

Dumont said he’s holding fast to a pledge to offer free admission for all active-duty and reserve military members and to give half-price discounts for their immediate family members.

“I was in the Army for nine years, and I think it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “Some places might offer a military discount or free admission on one day, but I don’t know of anyone else who’s doing this as a policy. Who knows – we could start a trend.”

Liquid Planet Water Park • 446 Route 27, Candia • 682-5865 • www.liquidplanetwaterpark.com

– By Toby Henry, NH Mirror Contributor

indoor slides

Kahuna Laguna
Red Jacket Mountain Resort, North Conway
• 40,000-square-foot indoor park
• 4 high-speed tubes
• Swirling wave pool
• 175-gallon tipping bucket
• Activity pool, water cannons, play tower
• Shallow pool for toddlers
• Tiki Tide Cafe
• Arcade games
www.kahunalaguna.com

Hampton Inn & Suites
North Conway
• 2 three-story slides
• Curvy slide for youngsters
• Fernando the Frog slide for toddlers
• Wading pool with mushroom waterfall
www.hamptoninn.com

outdoor slides

Water Country
Portsmouth • www.watercountry.com

Whale’s Tale
Lincoln • www.whalestalewaterpark.net

Weirs Beach Water Slide
Weirs Beach • www.weirsbeach.net/waterslide

Castaway Island at Canobie
Canobie Lake Park, Salem • www.canobie.com

Casino Cascade Water Slide
Hampton Beach • www.hamptonbeach.org

Pine Acres Campground
Raymond • www.pineacresrvresort.com