Thunder Junction at Tonaquint Park in St George is one of the best St George parks and is perfect for kids of all ages. It’s built with accessibility in mind, so if you have special needs, you’ll find lots of opportunities to play at Thunder Junction.
What Makes Thunder Junction Park Great??
Thunder Junction at Tonaquint Park is a relatively new park to the St George area and it’s easily become one of the most popular St George Parks since its opening. The park is known by many names including the St George All Abilities Park and the St George Dinosaur Park, which are basically just descriptions of what the park is.
The park is designed as an All Abilities Park, but it’s perfectly catered to every member of the family along the way. With only one exit and entrance, this park is designed with safety in mind, so parents don’t have to worry as much about kids getting lost or running off.
The park is themed as a giant dinosaur park complete with a huge smoking volcano and giant dinosaurs that kids can climb over, on top of, and around. Even kids who aren’t dinosaur obsessed with love this park.
There’s a music section complete with giant musical instruments, a couple of huge, shaded play areas, slides for big and small explorers, ziplines, and tons of swings and spinning playground equipment. We especially love that there’s a splash pad at this St George Park so that you can cool down when the weather heats up. More adventurous kids will love the climbing wall which is fantastic for all ages. Top that off with a train that has $1 rides around the park, and this is as close to perfect as you can get in a St George Park.
If you want to stay for a while, plan on packing a lunch and staying for a few hours. There is a large, covered picnic area that’s perfect for lunch time and there’s plenty of room at the picnic tables for a larger crowd!
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Where is Thunder Junction Park Located
Thunder Junction is located at Tonaquint Park just off of Dixie Drive. The address is 1851 S. Dixie Drive. You can see the exact location here. The park can be hard to see from the road, especially if you’re coming from the south, so make sure to pay attention to your navigation. Once you turn in to the park, the parking lot is HUGE and it’s easy to find a spot to park.
Note that while service animals are welcome, pets are not allowed at the park.
What Are The Hours of Thunder Junction Park
Thunder Junction Park in St George is open daily from 9am to 10pm. It’s open year-round, but occasionally closes if the weather is really bad/dangerous.
Best Ages for Thunder Junction Park
Thunder Junction is a rare park that truly is great for all ages. We’ve been there with toddlers and babies who loved it just as much as our teens and their friends.
For toddlers:
If you’re visiting Thunder Junction with toddlers, you’ll lvoe that there are plenty of places for them to climb on and explore. The soft matting that the whole playground is covered in makes it a very forgiving place for toddlers to play and even take a tumble or two. THe splash pad is PERFECT for babies and toddlers because the river section of it has portions that they can splash on the edges and even crawl through.
For Teens:
Yes, this park is even super friendly for teens. My teens and their friends love the rock-climbing wall, and the little ziplines. When younger kids aren’t around, this park is perfect for a game of tag or hide and seek, with all it’s different levels of slides and climbing structures. And of course, the river section is great for cooling off in the summer, though it’s more geared toward younger children. If your teens want more to do, send them over to the other sections of Tonaquint park where they can play tennis or sand volleyball!
Thunder Junction Park Train
If you have kids who love trains, this is the best park it St George for them. The train ride is so much fun with kids and at only $1 per person, it’s an incredible deal (and you won’t mind if kids want to ride it more than once).
Summer Train Hours
Daily 10 am – 6 pm
Winter Train Hours
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
11 am – 5 pm
Tuesday & Thursday
11 am – 2 pm
St George Splash Pad at Thunder Junction Park
The Splash Pad at Thunder Junction is one of the best ways to cool down in St George and it’s completely FREE! The river section of the splash park is great for younger kids, while older kids will love the waterfall and little caves behind it. With a few shooting fountains, this splash pad has a little bit of everything. You can go and get a little splash, or you can get completely SOAKED, all depending on how hot you are.
We love that the splash pad at Thunder Junction is part of the park, so it’s easy for parents to keep an eye on kids who are on the playground area, and others who are at the Splash Pad at the same time. During the summer months, the splash pad can get especially crowded from 10am to 1pm. If you want to beat the crowds, go midafternoon, or take a dinner picnic and head to the splash pad in the evening (it will still be plenty HOT in the summer months).
St George All Abilities Park at Thunder Junction
Thunder Junction is packed with lots of options and equipment that give so many accessibility options. It has a ramped access playground which is fun for all kids and wheelchair accessible with playground equipment and swings that are wheelchair friendly and have harnesses for visitors who need more physical support. The ground is covered in a soft mat, making the whole area wheelchair accessible and offers a play surface that’s smoother and safer than bark or sand. There are also picnic tables with ramps leading up to them so people of all abilities can enjoy lunch or snacks together.
Facilities at Thunder Junction Park
- ADA Accessible
- Covered Picnic Pavillion
- Drinking Fountains
- Restrooms
- Climbing Wall
- Picnic Tables
- Electric Outlets
- Climbing Wall
- Splash Pad
Note: Picnic pavilions at Thunder Junction are not available for reservation.
Best Time Of Year to Visit Thunder Junction in St George
There really isn’t a bad time of year to visit Thunder Junction. While it’s ideal in the spring and summer with perfect temperatures, it’s probably the best St George Park in the summer heat because it has lots of shade, as well as a splash pad to cool down in. There are large shade structures over lots of the playground equipment to keep it cool and out of the heat of the sun. Looking for a place to stay in St. George? These are some of our favorite places to stay.
Tonaquint Park St George
There are lots of things to do a Tonaquint Park in St George, besides just Thunder Junction play area. This is a great place to go for some outdoor time while still being right in the city. There are several tennis courts there that are available for reservation, as well as a sand volleyball court.
Enjoy walking or biking along the Santa Clara path right alongside the river that goes along the edge of Tonaquint Park.
The Gardens at Tonaquint Park
Tonaquint Park is home to an awe-inspiring two-acre waterwise demonstration garden, which serves as a platform for educating the public on how to conserve water and grow native vegetation that can thrive in the local climate. With helpful tips about planting, pruning and irrigation practices, this incredible space encourages community members to embrace sustainability at its finest!
The Tonaquint Nature Center
Tucked away in the heart of St. George, Tonaquint Nature Center provides a tranquil escape for visitors to enjoy nature’s wonders. The Tonaquint Nature Center offers outdoor educational programs, special events and summer camp activities that promise endless hours filled with fun and learning!
During June and July, the Tonaquint Nature Center offers an engaging nature day camp for children ranging from 4+ to 5th grade! Every single day of camp is a chance for your child to explore different activities, fascinating experiments, and numerous ways to appreciate the beauty of nature. Don’t miss out on this incredibly fun learning experience!