Pocahontas Aquatic Center

My first time here even though I lived here for over 30 years. Wow, makes me sound old. Ha. Anyway, it was cool, or hot rather. I couldn't take it and got wet. I wasn't trying to, but it felt great. The kids had fun, we were there for about 1.5 hours before they closed it as someone pooped in the pool. It was a good experience other than that. I didn't get to check out the food. Maybe next time. They did offer a rain check but since the park will be closing soon, I just didn't stand in line for mine.

If you're staying at Pocahontas State Park, admission is free for the duration of your stay. We camped 3 days/2 nights and received 4 punch cards good for 3 admissions per person. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a walk from camp to the aquatic center, so we had to drive. The aquatic center opened at 11am on the Saturday that we went. We arrived around noon. Plenty of close parking, but we couldn't believe the pool was already packed. There aren't enough shade structures or chairs for the amount of people so people were making do huddling in patches of shade by the fence and camping out on park benches. There needs to be way more seating and larger shade structures, especially beside the pool with the kid slides. Tip: check the website before you go or give them a call to see what water features are open/closed. We already knew from the notice on their home page that the splash pad area and large water slides would be closed, but as we had little kids with us, it wasn't a deterrent. Our kids spent the entire day here. They loved two of the three pools (one about 1.5' deep, one about 3.5' inches deep and another 5.5' deep) and of course the kid play area in the pool. There's a small concession stand that sells pizza, nachos, hot dogs, ice cream + a bunch of swim essentials like swimsuits and ear plugs. You're allowed to bring a cooler and your own food though. Bathrooms are large, reasonably clean, and have showers. In most water parks we have visited, the crowd seems to peak at around 1pm and then taper off around 4. This was not the case here. By the time we left it was much more crowded than when we arrived and there was a line to get inside. Definitely get there early, especially on a weekend.

Overall a good visit. We waited in line for half a hour to get in because their card machine was down and also couldn't take cash. Bags were checked, our coolers were ok to bring in, but the baby float not. Tons of kids so a little chaotic, but there were at least 6 lifeguards on duty. There were limited shaded areas and they were all taken at 11:30am, but we did find chairs. We didn't check out the snack bar. We would go back!

Terrible experience at the Pocahontas State Park Aquatic Center. My family and I visited on June 25, 2024 and were treated horribly by the staff due to my 14-year-old son's disability. My son has Down Syndrome and was simply trying to play and interact with the other children in the pool. However, other patrons complained about his behavior, and the park ranger immediately came over and threatened to kick us out if the "behavior continued." I explained that I was closely supervising my son and my other children, but the ranger did not care. She singled out my son, who has social and behavioral challenges due to his disability, and doesnt "talk" which made us feel unwelcome and discriminated against. It's clear the staff at this aquatic center do not have the proper training or policies in place to accommodate guests with special needs. Other children were allowed to jump and play freely, but my son was reprimanded for being friendly. I requested a full refund for our visit, as the experience was completely ruined. I hope the park addresses this issue and provides better inclusion and accessibility for all patrons, regardless of their abilities. No family should have to endure such blatant discrimination. I would not recommend this aquatic center to anyone, especially those with children who have disabilities. They have a long way to go to meet their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The aquatic center located on Pocahontas State Park is really cool, fully staffed, and worth the park fees. Many pools and plenty of room to let the kids have their side of the area while the adults enjoy a deeper section. There are plenty of lounge chairs for all to enjoy!