Camp Cohen Water Park — Attraction in El Paso

I’ve visited Camp Cohen a dozen times between this year and last summer, and while my experiences last year were positive, this year has been a letdown. I bought season passes for myself and my son, as we live nearby and visit often in the afternoons, but this year I’ve noticed a lot of issues with staff and policies.

For starters while in line, I saw staff telling the family in front of us that they had to dump the ice from their cooler and refill it with the park's ice once they were inside the park. That doesn't even make sense. Then it was our turn. I always bring my own water (sparkling water in a can or bottled water) and I’ve never had issues in the past. I also pack a sandwich and chips for my son, who is autistic and a picky eater. Today, while waiting in line, I was drinking a can of water and was told I couldn’t bring it in because it was open. I tried to chug it, but when my bag was searched, I was told I’d need to buy a cooler pass for the drinks in my bag. I explained they were just water (some in plastic bottles and a few La Croix cans). The girl was starting to argue with me and another employee stepped in to confirm I didn’t need a cooler pass since it was water.

Then, they saw my son’s snacks and said I needed a cooler pass for the food. I’ve brought in this type of food in before without issue, and when I had a cooler on previous visits, I paid the cooler pass fee. I wasn’t about to pay $25 for him to eat his sandwich inside, so I took him back to the car to eat and returned. When I came back, a different staff member checked my bag and once again told me I needed a cooler pass for my water. I explained I had just been told it was fine since it was just water, and she let us in without further questioning.

It’s pretty obvious that the staff isn’t on the same page with their policies.

Another major issue is the broken lounge chairs and lack of shade. Many of the lounge chairs are clearly broken, with some held together by tape to keep metal bars in place. This is a safety hazard, and despite pointing it out to staff, they remain in place. The park also has very few umbrellas around the pool. El Paso’s sun is intense, and while I always use sunscreen, this is a taxpayer-funded facility. It’s frustrating to see people rush for the few shaded spots when they become available. More umbrellas are definitely needed.

As for the lifeguards, most seem attentive, but one in particular needs to work on his people skills. It’s one thing to remind kids to keep moving in the lazy river, but this lifeguard would make mocking faces behind the kids’ backs. The kids couldn’t see him, so it wasn’t to communicate anything to them; he was just mocking them, which is completely inappropriate.

Parents should be aware of the aggressive behavior of some kids at the park. In the span of 10 minutes, I witnessed a boy, around 11 or 12, trying to join a group of kids playing around the basketball hoops. He was asking to pass the ball, but they refused. One kid deliberately threw a ball at the back of his head, and the group started laughing at him. They then splashed him, and he thought they were trying to play, so he splashed them back. They continued to tease him, calling him “Georgie” like the character from It. It was obvious this kid didn’t realize they were bullying him. The lifeguards did nothing, and I had to intervene myself.

I don't recommend this...

Camp Cohen Waterpark Management:

I’m writing this publicly because I want to bring attention to a difficult and humiliating experience I had at your park. As a parent of a child with special needs.

During our recent visit, my 6-year-old autistic son, who will be turn 7 next month, who is 4'8", was calmly playing in the 1-foot splash zone while I sat nearby, just a few feet away, fully watching him. Despite that, your lifeguard supervisor, Elisa approached me not once, but four separate times, insisting that I stand directly beside him at all times. I explained respectfully that I was supervising him closely, and that he needs a little space to feel comfortable and confident. She didn’t listen.

Eventually, she returned with a security guard and threatened to remove us from the park. I felt completely targeted.

What made this worse was the inconsistency. I saw other younger and smaller children in the same area without parents beside them but no one said anything to them. When I pointed this out, the security guard told me to “mind your own child."That was deeply dismissive and hurtful.

I was shaken. I felt like I was being watched the entire time, as if I had done something wrong. I wasn’t neglecting my child. I was supervising him in a way that worked for him, safely and attentively. I felt humiliated for simply parenting differently.

I did speak with the manager afterward, who was kind and understanding. He even recommended another waterpark that is more special needs friendly. I appreciated that gesture, but the experience left a lasting impact.

I’m not writing this to attack anyone but I hope Camp Cohen Waterpark takes this seriously. Please train your staff to enforce rules consistently and communicate with empathy. Families like mine deserve the same respect and consideration as any other...

True review. 👍🏼PROS: Took my kids here and they loved it. There was plenty of seating surrounding the entire park. Many bench’s have umbrellas over them to help shield the sun. The cabanas were so cute and allowed for curtains to be closed with plenty of seating room as well for the whole family. We went on a weekday and had no problem with the crowds. The slide is fun for kids over 4”2 and adults. Plenty of lifeguards in different areas of the park to ensure safety.

👎🏼CONS: Admission was a little bit of a hassle as the line did tend to crowd up fast. The food court lines were long and it took forever to order food. On top of that the wait time for the food was ridiculous. The food personally was not great for the prices . The pizza dough was very rough, the pretzels were salty. The fountain drinks were given to us with no lids and straws so caused for messiness . The fries were cold as well.

▪️RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CAMP COHEN▪️ 1.FIX ADMISSION TO HAVE A SEPARATE WINDOW FOR PEOPLE WHO PURCHASED THERE TICKETS ONLINE OR HAVE THEM PRINTED AS WELL AS PLACING A SIGN DISPLAYING THAT INFORMATION FIX FOOD COURT AREA DRASTICALLY BY ALLOWING GUESTS TO GO SIT AT THERE TABLE INSTEAD OF SITTING RIGHT OUTSIDE THE RESTROOM AREA TO WAIT FOR THE FOOD. A HELPFUL TIP WOULD-BE PROVIDING A NUMBER FOR GUESTS TO TAKE WITH THEM AND HAVING A WORKER BRING THE FOOD.

⭐️True and honest review⭐️ My kids loved camp Cohen but just bringing information to the parents. And recommendations...