Belleville, Michigan, is located in the southeastern part of the state along the shores of Lake Belleville. It is about 17 miles from Ann Arbor and 30 miles from Detroit. Several water parks are available in and near Belleville, all promising fun for both kids and adults with slides, pools and endless rivers. Turtle Cove Family Aquatic Center in Belleville is located in Lower Huron Metropark. Other water parks within easy driving distance of Belleville include Rolling Hills Water Park in Ypsilanti and the Outdoor Aquatic Center at Kennedy Recreation Center in Trenton.
Turtle Cove Family Aquatic Center is located on Savage Road, within Lower Huron Metropark. The park includes more than 1,200 acres along the Huron River. The water park has a sprayscape for kids, complete with a 300-gallon tipping bucket, two water slides, a zero-depth-entry pool and a lazy river. The center is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Vehicles entering the park will need a permit.
If you want to make a day of it but don't want to spend hours in the water, play basketball, volleyball, tennis or golf, take a canoe trip, rent a bike, hike or picnic in the metro park.
Turtle Cove Family Aquatic Center
17845 Savage Road
Belleville, MI 48111
800-477-3182
michigan.org/Property/Detail.aspx?p=B14377
In Ypsilanti, Mich., about seven miles from Belleville, is the Rolling Hills County Park. Rolling Hills' water park has three water slides, spraygrounds, a sand play area, activity pool, wave pool and a lazy river. Several of the attractions are the result of a 2003 renovation that nearly doubled the water park's size, according to its website.
The park has a large sun deck and grassy areas, with shade trees and umbrellas. Visitors can stretch out on provided chaise lounges and sand chairs.
The bathhouses have showers, lockers and diaper changing stations in addition to restrooms, and you can purchase what you may have forgotten--sunscreen or swimsuits--at the concessions building.
The park is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Visitors can buy passes at the admissions office starting at 10:45 a.m. daily.
Rolling Hills Water Park
7660 Stony Creek Rd.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
734-484-9676
ewashtenaw.org
About 40 minutes from Belleville is Trenton, home to the Kennedy Recreation Center and its state-of-the-art Outdoor Aquatic Center. The 13,000-square-foot center, which opened in 2009, has two diving boards, a water slide and lap pool at its competitive pool. A leisure pool is less than 3 1/2 feet deep. The park also offers lounge chairs, a sand volleyball court, concessions and shade umbrellas.
Joann Perna, assistant director in the City of Trenton's Parks and Recreation Department, said the aquatic center is open for weekend hours only beginning Memorial Day weekend. It is open seven days a week once school is out for the summer (mid-June), and goes back to weekend-only hours once local schools are back in session through Labor Day.
Perna said the aquatic center is a "very family-friendly facility" with special events throughout the summer.
Kennedy Recreation Center
3101 West Road
Trenton, MI 48183
734-676-7172
trentonmi.org
