Silverwood sets coronavirus-related guidelines for its summer season

For many Inland Northwesterners, it just isn't summer without taking a whirl on the Aftershock or Timber Terror, or sliding and soaking down Rumble Falls.

And while the summer at Silverwood Theme Park and Boulder Beach Water Park was in doubt like so many things during the pandemic, owner Gary Norton announced recently Silverwood would open May 30 under phase 3 of the Idaho Rebounds Plan, and Boulder Beach will follow on June 6. The Silverwood RV Park opened May 16.

Here's a little info about what that's going to look like at the North Idaho summer resort.

Sanitation wipe downs between rides, reduced daily capacity and socially distanced lines will all be the norm for the immediate future. Those are among several steps Silverwood's taken in order to try and have some sort of summer season for the theme park and Boulder Beach Water Park.

"Safety is our number one priority, and that is why we have developed extensive social distancing and cleaning protocols to reduce the risks to guests and employees as much as possible during their time at the park," Norton says in a statement.

Starting May 23, all Silverwood tickets will be reservation-only and require attendees to pick their date of visit in advance. People are encouraged to pay for their tickets in advance online as well to limit person-to-person contact at the park. Similarly, most food outlets and gift shops at the park will use cashless payment whenever possible, but people can use cash to pay for their tickets at the front gate and to buy reloadable cash cards for use in the park.

The lines are going to look longer than normal as the park asks families to leave 6 feet between groups. Masks aren't required, but will be available free of charge upon arrival for interested guests.

Learn more about what's happening at Silverwood related to the COVID-19 outbreak here.