Kings Dominion, Doswell

Waterworks at Kings Dominion is one of those water parks that benefits from being part of a major amusement park operation. You get the quality and scale you'd expect from Six Flags, but with a more manageable crowd since most people come for the roller coasters first. The centerpiece is that massive 650,000-gallon wave pool, which creates surprisingly strong waves that'll knock smaller kids off their feet.

The Lazy Rider lazy river winds around a good portion of the water park and moves at just the right pace - not too slow that you get bored, not too fast that you can't relax. The water slide collection covers all the bases, from body slides that'll give teens their adrenaline fix to gentler tube slides perfect for parents riding with kids. The children's area has those smaller slides and interactive play features that keep the 3-8 crowd busy while parents can actually sit down for five minutes.

What sets Waterworks apart is the integration with Kings Dominion itself. Your admission gets you into both parks, so you can hop between roller coasters and water slides all day. The food options are better than most standalone water parks since they share resources with the main park.

Pro tip: arrive when the water park opens because locals know this place, and weekends can get packed by noon. The concrete gets brutally hot in Virginia summers, so water shoes aren't optional. If you're planning to make a full day of both parks, rent a locker near the entrance to stash dry clothes for when you switch between parks.

Waterworks works best for families who want variety in their day and don't mind the slightly higher energy level that comes with being attached to a major theme park.