Not everyone has the luxury of jumping in the car and heading to the beach to catch the perfect wave. Those who do have that luxury often face the surfing challenges of unpredictable weather conditions, aggressive currents, unfavorable tides, and sharing the precious real-estate of top-notch waves with other surfers.
When hitting the beach presents too much of a challenge, you can always head in the other direction! More surfers than ever are traveling inland to the country’s most arid regions to fine-tune their surfing skills on non-coastal shores.
We’ve put together a list of 5 places to satisfy your surfing needs without making the trek to the ocean.
Typhoon Lagoon, Disney World, Florida
If you need another excuse to visit the world-famous Walt Disney Resort in Florida, you can add Typhoon Lagoon to the list. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that, in typical Disney fashion, Typhoon Lagoon isn’t your everyday water park. Outside of boasting 56-acres of elaborate water attractions, Typhoon Lagoon also features one of the largest inland wave pools in the world.
Typhoon Lagoon’s surf pool isn’t for the faint of heart as it generates very surfable, 6-foot high waves every 90 seconds. With a little bit of preplanning, you can take Typhoon Lagoon Surf School Lessons and even rent out the wave pool for an intimate surf session before the park opens.
Feeling weary about the wave pool? There are a variety of other family-friendly attractions that offer a subtler seaside experience. The whole family can enjoy a gentle, meandering float down a 2,000-foot-long lazy river or make a splash on a giant innertube at Gang Plank Falls.
You can “camp amid the magic” at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort or Park your RV at the nearby Kissimmee RV Park for easy access to the Typhoon Lagoon and a variety of other Disney attractions.
NLand Surf Park, Texas
Known as the first inland surfing destination in North America, NLand Surf Park in Austin, Texas offers landlocked Texans and other aspiring surfers the opportunity to catch the perfect wave while being 200 miles from the ocean. Skilled surfers will get their adrenaline fix on Steep Reef Waves, while beginners can ride knee-to waist-high Waikiki-style or Friendly Bay waves.
The 14-acre park offers a variety of surf lessons – all gear included – so, you can fine-tune your skills with a world-renowned instructor or get on a board for the very first time. After you’ve spent some time on the water, you can chill out to some live music, grab a drink at the NLand Brewing Company, or do some yoga on the shore.
If you’re looking to add the NLand Surf Park to your next road trip adventure, be sure to check out one of the many RV resorts within 10 minutes of the park!
Wave House, California
Are you looking for the total surf-vibe experience, but not quite ready to dive headfirst into the Pacific? Nestled on the beautiful Southern California coastline, Wave House offers visitors the unique opportunity to ride the FlowBarrel Bruticus Maximus – a man-made wave with a renowned reputation.
Nothing says beach vibes quite like a healthy dose of SoCal sunshine and a buzzing boardwalk full of beach dwellers. Located at Belmont Park, adjacent to one of SoCal’s most popular beaches, Wave House totes a reputation as being more than just the perfect wave – it’s a healthy dose of San Diego’s surf culture. Belmont Park and the Wave House are packed full of live entertainment, a plethora of restaurants, and a variety of family-friendly attractions.
You can park your camper at the nearby Campland on the Bay, Mission Bay RV Resort, or Morena Village RV Park, and be on the beach in as little as 10 minutes.
Barefoot Ski Ranch, Texas
Who knew that searching for the perfect wave would lead you to Waco, Texas? Barefoot Ski Ranch is not only known for the world’s longest lazy river, the world’s tallest water slide, and a legendary wakeboarding park but is also home to a newly-constructed, landlocked surf resort.
While some wave parks offer predictable, perfectly constructed waves, the innovative faux-waves created at BSR Surf resort have quickly earned a reputation as being an unpredictable true-to-life surfing experience. Although the park has already attracted pro surfers from around the globe, beginner and intermediate surfers can also enjoy a slower pace by enrolling in private lessons.
Barefoot Ski Ranch has several luxury cabins for available for rent, adjacent to the cable lake, but if you’d rather set up camp, North Crest RV Park, Riverview Campground, and Concord RV Park are all within a 20-minute drive from the park.
Big Surf Waterpark, Arizona
Although not a designated surf park, Big Surf Waterpark earns its place on the list for being the birthplace of the inland wave. In 1969, Big Surf Waterpark made waves in the surfing community after it became the first inland surfing facility in North America. In fact, in 2012, the waterpark received the official designation of Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
If Big Surf’s intriguing history isn’t enough to entice you to visit, Big Surf’s legendary wave pool might do the trick. To this day, Big Surf’s wave pool is one of the largest in the nation, and with waves crashing every three minutes, this is the place to beat the desert heat. In addition to renting surfboards, you can also rent a raft or boogie board to cruise along America’s oldest in-land waves.
If you’re looking for a place to park your camper, Green Acres RV Parks, Camp Shadow Pines, and Apache Palms RV Park are close to this iconic Arizona landmark.
Whether the beach is out of reach or you’re trying to fine-tune your surfing skills, there are still a ton of options for you to get outside and catch your perfect wave. You’ll want a place to change out of your wetsuit – we advise renting an RV through Outdoorsy to do just that!
