Candia Springs was formerly called Liquid Planet. We had a chance to visit Liquid Planet back in summer of 2013. (Click here for that review.)
The new Candia Springs Adventure Park is owned by Jeff Woodward, who also owns Whale’s Tales Water Park and Alpine Adventures in Lincoln, NH. Candia Springs has four water slides, a big splash and play area for small children and a pool. These attractions were a part of the old Liquid Planet. The newest addition to the park includes the adventure challenge course with different obstacles, ziplines, and a an offroad tour.
Adventure Course
We started our day on the adventure course. The boys got fitted with harnesses and hard hats. There were three very friendly, attentive staff members that briefed the boys, got them equipped and even offered to take our picture!
Matt was our guide and instructor. He explained to the boys that the course consists of five different areas and those areas are designated as either Yellow – easy or Red – moderate to difficult. They would move from platform to platform up in the trees and from the ground, by crossing various bridges, climbing ladders, obstacles and zip lines. They could spend as much as two hours on the course.
Matt also explained that the park is SELF GUIDED and uses the smart safety belay (SSB) system, which is a permanently activated securing system where at least one safety clip is always anchored, even when switching courses. Here is Ryan securing his clip, so that he was attached to the above wire in case he lost his footing. This clipping and unclipping was required for every platform.
The first part of the course was the easiest (yellow) and the platform heights are 9-15’ off the ground. Keep in mind, the easiest part of this course is for ages 7 to adult. This course is too difficult/dangerous for any child under 7. Also, the boys were “supervised” by Matt who stayed on the ground. You can see how James is clipped to the wire as he crosses these ropes. This was the red level which was more difficult.
This was another red level area, which consisted of these moving T bars. This was very challenging for James to get across. Not only did the T bars move, but the wire above was woven through the bars, so when he stepped, he had to be on the right side of the wire to get safely across. Generally, platform heights here are 18-25’ off the ground, requiring agility, balance, and strength.
At the end of the second course, the participant would take a short zipline to the third course. Also, at the end of the third course there was a very fast drop from a very high platform!
After the main three courses, there was an obstacle course that consisted of different bridges like the trapeze bridge, tires to step on, and short walls to climb. The final course was the most recent addition to this adventure course. This was a partial building that required some serious climbing skills to get across. I couldn’t help but think of Spider Man as James scaled this wall!
The boys loved the entire adventure course. They have been on a few rope courses in our travels and this one at Candia Springs is by far their favorite. I have to say at 12 and 14, the supervision from the ground was great for them. Matt told us that the boys picked it up quickly and moved through the course with ease. They were dripping sweat, but both beaming with a sense of accomplishment after completing this challenging course!
Zipline
The Adventure Course actually ends with a long zipline that spans across the entire park. This zipline was in place when we first visited the park three years ago. The dual zip line is 1,000 feet long and 35 feet in the air. Here is Ryan enjoying the ride. The boys then enjoyed a ride via a Pinzgauer all terrain 4×4 vehicle that returned them to the park. (I wasn’t at the end of the Zipline to get a photo of that.)
Speaking of photographs, between Grant and I, we took hundreds of photos that day. Most of them were with our digital SLR camera. Once we got home, we BOTH downloaded them on our laptops. Unfortunately, something happened and only about 80 photos were downloaded. Of course, I opted to delete the photos once they were downloaded (or thought they were downloaded.) Big mistake. All of those photos – poof. Gone. So, the rest of my review will contain the only pictures I could salvage from my phone or from my old post.
Water Park
The water park didn’t really change much since the park was Liquid Planet.Here is a view at the main entrance. The grounds were very clean and well maintained.
Here are the two water slides that did not change.
The green one is called Trevor’s Time Warp and the orange one is Haley’s Comet. The green slide was open and slow, which was very much my speed. Parents could slide with their smaller children on Trevor’s Time Warp.
Haley’s Comet water slide is 246 feet long, enclosed with little red lights (not pitch black). It is supposed to give you the sensation of shooting through space. The kids loved that water slide the best.
The white body slides were not operating back in 2013, but they were now up and running. The boys loved these slides.
The day we visited was overcast and we are pretty sure that it was back to school time for kids in NH. There were no lines for the water slides, which was great for the boys!
There is plenty of outdoor seating for families that included plastic lounge chairs, picnic tables and small tables. There are tables and chairs with umbrellas as well. This shaded patio area was the perfect place for us to set up for the day. We were able to keep an eye on the kids. A few cabanas were available for rent. Those are $35 per day. In this photo you can see the small pool in the distance just below the slides.
This is the splash and play area for little kids. This did fill up quickly with parents and toddlers as the skies cleared.
The pond down below has a floating dock, a playground type slide and a blow-up obstacle course.
The boys really enjoyed the blow-up obstacle course. This was the main attraction at the pond for the kids.
Each attraction had attending lifeguards. This pond area had plenty of life vests for the kids if needed. There were chairs and picnic tables for the adults.
Lunch Time
We brought a cooler with sodas and sandwiches for lunch. Coolers are allowed in the park as long as there is no alcohol or glass. The park does have a small place to buy sandwiches, pizza etc. I snapped a photo of the menu to give you an idea of what they offered and the prices. They sell ice cream here as well.
In Conclusion
The boys enjoyed the Adventure Course and called it the best course they’ve ever been on. This alone was worth the trip! The water park is small yet fun for all ages. In particular, the large splash and play area is ideal for small children and will keep them entertained for hours. I love that Candia Springs is only about 1 hour away from us and tucked away in a rural area. That means it is less crowded than the larger water parks. To me, it’s like a hidden gem off the beaten path and we would love to go back.
For Your Visit
Candia Springs is located at 446 Raymond Road Candia, NH 03034. You may purchase tickets online here. A General Admission Ticket to the water park is $20. Season passes are available as well. Tickets for the Adventure Course/Water park are not available online. These are available in the park on a first come first serve basis. Tickets are $49.
As of August 29th, the hours at the Adventure Park are 11 am to 5 pm. To plan your visit, refer to these links for more information:
Directions
Purchase Tickets
Candia Springs
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Thank you Candia Springs for hosting our visit!
