Save Wild Waves

Federal Way, Washington · Since 1977

Save Wild Waves & Enchanted Village

Forty-nine years of Seattle summers. One decision away from being paved over.

Sign the petition

9,162
neighbors have signed

The yellow Wild Waves Theme Park sign on Enchanted Parkway, its electronic message board reading wildwaves.com.
“Wild Waves from Enchanted Parkway” by Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0

What we stand to lose

This is where the Puget Sound region learned to swim.

Enchanted Village opened in 1977. Wild Waves followed in 1984. Two generations of families from Tacoma to Everett have marked the start of summer the same way — and there is nothing else like it left between Portland and Vancouver.

A regional institution

Forty-nine summers of first rides, first jobs, and family traditions that began before most of the neighborhood was built.

835 local jobs

For many South King County teenagers, the park is a first paycheck — about 35 full-time staff and roughly 800 seasonal positions each year.

Green space, not asphalt

The proposal replaces 66.18 acres of tree canopy and open land with a single-story industrial warehouse of more than one million square feet.

The wave pool crowded with hundreds of swimmers, rows of loungers behind them and Douglas firs on the ridge above.
“Wild Waves Water Park pool” by Jeff Sandquist, CC BY 2.0
The multi-level water slide tower in use, green and purple flumes curving down past families on the decks.
“Wild Waves slide tower” by Jeff Sandquist, CC BY 2.0
Do you have a photo? There is almost nothing from before 2007, and nothing at all of Enchanted Village. Send yours →

What’s happening

The factual record, as documented in the public file. Every figure below links to its source before this site goes live.

66.18Acres in the application
9,162Signatures · as of 12 September 2026
1,034,818Square feet of warehouse proposed
The first public comment period has closed.

Comment on the initial application closed in June 2026. It is not too late to act — a SEPA environmental determination on this proposal opens a new comment period and an appeal window, and correspondence to the City Council enters the record at any time. What happens next.

  • 10 Dec 2025

    Premier Parks LLC, which operates the park, announces it will close after the 2026 season. The land is owned by EPI Realty Holdings Inc.

  • May 2026

    Panattoni Development Co. files application 26-101648 with the City of Federal Way to redevelop the site as “Podium I-5”.

  • 12 Jun 2026

    The city publishes the Notice of Application, opening the public comment period.CLOSED JUNE 2026

  • 7 Sep 2026

    The water park closes permanently on Labor Day. The rides continue.

  • 1 Nov 2026

    Wild Waves and Enchanted Village close to the public after forty-nine seasons.

  • TBD

    SEPA threshold determination expected. This reopens comment and starts an appeal window.NEXT

How to be heard

Three actions, in ascending order of impact. The first takes thirty seconds. The last is not open today — but it is the one that decides the outcome, so be ready for it.

Sign the petition

Thirty seconds. Builds the public number that press and council members cite.

Sign now

Contact your representatives

Elected officials weigh one constituent letter far above a thousand signatures.

Find yours

Be ready for the next window

Comment has closed once already. The SEPA determination reopens it, and that record is what binds.

What happens next

You are not alone in this

Thousands of neighbors are already organizing.

The fastest way to help is to bring one more person in. Join the group, share your memory of the park, and tell someone who does not know yet.

Join the Facebook group