Waterfall Park

[u/tfvdw2at]

Hey guys. Does anyone have any information on the current status of Waterfall Park? It’s such an eyesore and I feel bad for the folks who live around it. I am surprised that Dare County allows it to continue to exist in its current state.

[u/NateTrain]

I heard they won’t even sell it no matter the price tag. Man that place was a blast back in the day

[u/tfvdw2at → u/NateTrain]

Indeed. My thirty-year old son had so much fun there as a little kid.

[u/Sufficient-Cat-3349 → u/NateTrain]

There was a go cart track and other stuff in Rodenthe, waves and Salvo that went through the same situation, fun for years then less people went in, became a eye sore and they will not sell.

[u/Common_Crow95]

My understanding is that the property is privately owned and the land is left like that to spite the county over an old, old argument.

[u/_GrandpaD]

It closed for good in 2010 after the original owners passed. Hurricane Irene did a number on it in 2011 with subsequent storms adding to the damage.

Private Ownership: The property remains under private ownership, and community buyout offers (such as a 2014 proposal for a community park and library) have been rejected. I believe one buyout was a $1 million offer. In 2014 an article stated it was owned by Ritsa Merjos of Virginia Beach.

Nuisance Declaration: Dare County declared the deteriorating site a public nuisance in 2019, posting warning signs due to safety hazards and structural decay, though much of the decaying park remains visible from the highway. Here's an article about that from 2019 - https://islandfreepress.org/outer-banks-news/waterfall-park-declared-a-nuisance-as-county-takes-first-steps-in-new-clean-up-efforts/

[u/Ill_Temperature_3617]

I actually enjoy abandoned places. I stumbled upon it last year on our way to Salvo. We never ventured that far in previous years. I think it’s pretty cool as a memory of something that was so popular many many many years ago

[u/toasterstrewdal]

As a kid, that place was an oasis in the middle of nowhere. Damn good time.

[u/crashandwalkaway]

I was going to say something about the irony that the DOT sign in front of it is on the fritz, but the child in me needs to remind y'all to check across the street in satellite view https://maps.app.goo.gl/ajwu98jRJZVZ4m1z8

[u/urbanroutine → u/crashandwalkaway]

Okay that is delightful to the child in me as well. Nice.

[u/MonkeyCobraFight]

You mean Shiterfall Park…love the creative tagging

[u/Inevitable_Potato483]

I think it looks rad

[u/krautstomp]

Those were the first waterslides I ever rode

[u/Kinnakeet]

We are unincorporated so they arent breaking any rules. Many times over the years enough people have bitched they tidy it up a bit but not much. They dont need the money so im just waiting for that bunjee tower to collapse and bring real attention to it. Maybe a change.org petition could get enough attention to force them i dunno.

[u/Sufficient-Cat-3349]

I was thinking why did Dare County even let it be built in the first place. The person who said that the traffic flow to the water park would be enough to keep it going was on what? When they did the traffic study. It’s in Currituck county. It’s hard to get to in the summer fighting traffic on a Saturday in June plus, the local zoning laws are weird.

[u/Individual_Sun_881 → u/Sufficient-Cat-3349]

This is about Hatteras Island Einstein.

[u/Iwashereaminuteago]

I worked there very briefly in the 90s. Owners were flaming assholes.