Grab your float, beach towel and sunscreen and get ready for a load of fun at Spring Valley Beach Water Park! If you’re looking for a fun-filled place to take the whole family for the day, then Spring Valley Beach is the perfect get-away. Centrally located in Blountsville, Ala., just an hour from Birmingham, this family-oriented water park has something to offer everyone. Owner Travis Gilliland says, “The Park is a family business with family values.”

Gilliland says on an average day, between 500 and 1,000 people come out to the Park. It has the largest pool in the southeast at 150 feet wide by 500 feet long, accommodating quite a few people. For smaller children, there is an interactive play area with several water slides sectioned off from the larger area. The Park has seven main water slides. Gilliland says the Park’s newest addition, 360 Rush, is the first one of its kind in the world. Introduced last season, 360 Rush offers pulse-pounding thrills by delivering a whole new dimension to high-speed thrill rides. According to Splashtacular Entertainment Inc., the company that designed, engineered and installed the 360 Rush, after entering separate launch modules, riders’ adrenaline begins to surge as they await the countdown for simultaneous release. Launching down near-vertical entry tubes, rider speeds rapidly accelerate, peaking at up to 30 mph.

“You can be any age,” says Gilliland. “We have parents that bring their children and I’ve seen the children grow up and bring their children. It’s been a great turnover throughout the years.” And, safety is first at Spring Valley Beach. Gilliland says, “We try to pride ourselves on having nice and attentive guards. Every lifeguard we have is Red Cross CPR Certified.”

Spring Valley Beach is perfect for families, church groups, company picnics and family reunions. The Park provides free sunscreen, grills for cooking and large and small pavilions for picnics. So, whether you’re looking to relax by the pool or explore the thriller water slides, Spring Valley Beach is a perfect destination.

The Park is scheduled to open for its 2012 season on Saturday, May 19. For more information about Spring Valley Beach, call 205.429.2075 or visit www.springvalleybeach.com.