WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. - Funnel rides. Bowl drops. Water coasters.

It seems there are hundreds of ways to get wet and, occasionally, a little dizzy in the small town that bills itself as the water park capital of the world.

Smack in the middle of the Wisconsin countryside, at least three hours away from major cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis, Wisconsin Dells has become a Mecca for people seeking watery family fun at prices that can be surprisingly affordable.

"It's like a little fantasy land for families without the huge Las Vegas-style glitz," said Dave Bilyk, who drove 11 hours from Winnipeg with his two children this summer to take in some of the action.

With more than 200 water slides, plus wave pools, lazy rivers and other water-based activities, Wisconsin Dells claims more water parks per square kilometre than any other community on earth. It's home to Noah's Ark Water Park, the largest water park in North America, and almost two dozen others.

Each water park tries to outdo the other by developing new rides almost every year. As a result, visitors are offered ever-expanding variations on the combination of gravity and centrifugal force that is the basic ingredient of every waterside.

At the Great Wolf Lodge, you and three friends in a raft can swish and swirl down a six-storey-high funnel drop called the Howlin' Tornado, spinning nine metres up the sides of the massive structure before eventually losing momentum and dropping out a small hole at the bottom.

At the Kalahari resort, you can plunge into the Swahili Swirl, where a rapid slide leads you to a large open bowl. Riders go around and around in a speedy vortex before dropping out a hole in the middle.

At Noah's Ark, daredevils can aim for speed on The Point of No Return - two 10-storey slides that drop almost straight down, bringing sliders to a long runway (and likely a wedgie) in less than five seconds.

"You need to provide something different that no other destination can provide. For us, it was the critical mass of indoor and outdoor water parks that we have that couldn't be rivalled by any other destination," says Romy Snyder, executive director of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau.

What separates Wisconsin Dells is not only the sheer number of water slides but the fact that many parks and resorts are aimed at young children, too tiny or timid to take on a 10-storey plunge. The community's rural location is another unique feature. Lodging and attractions can be downright cheap and parking is free almost everywhere. It adds up to a vacation that seems more targeted at families than at thrill-seeking teens and twentysomethings.

For as little as US$99 a night, hotels such as The Polynesian Water Park Resort provide a room with two Queen size beds and unlimited use of the dozen or so water slides on the property. The slides are relatively small - ranging from three storeys to just two metres high - but are enough for a full day of fun and excitement for most kids under 12.

"It's good value. The fact that they've got inclusive packages with hotels and slides works really, really well," Bilyk said.

At The Riverview Park and Waterworld, where the gentle slides and toddler-friendly wave pool also are geared toward younger children and families, an unlimited day pass goes for as little as $10 per person.

Even the biggest park of them all, Noah's Ark, charges a relatively modest $35 per person for a full day of top-level thrills.

And, if you eventually tire of swishing and splashing down large plastic tubes, there are other attractions in the area - most water-based, of course.

For about $12 per person, you can take a 50-minute tour of the Wisconsin River and see the magnificent bluffs that give Wisconsin Dells its name. Cruises can be had in either a slow-moving riverboat or a thrill-inducing jet boat, which travels up to 60 kilometres an hour and pulls sharp 360-degree "doughnut" turns on the water, soaking all onboard.

If you'd prefer to watch someone else get wet, you can take in one of the area's oldest attractions - The Tommy Bartlett Show, a display of water-skiing acrobatics and stunts that has been running since 1952.

The one warning for any visitor to Wisconsin Dells is to check the weather before heading out. It's a northern climate by U.S. standards. Temperatures are usually above 25 C in summer but a cold front can drop the thermometer below 20 C and prompt the closure of some outdoor water slides. Fortunately, many water parks have large indoor slides, lazy rivers and faux beaches as well.

It was the concern over cold weather, and the desire to extend the tourism season, that prompted the area's first indoor slides 20 years ago at The Polynesian Water Park and Resort. From there, the idea caught fire.

"Most (indoor parks) started relatively modest, maybe 20,000 square feet which by today's standards is a little bit smaller . . . but that, over time, blossomed," Snyder said.

"When someone creates something successful, imitators follow."

The Kalahari Resort expanded its indoor water park a few years ago to more than 11,600 square metres, and now boasts a water roller coaster and a special wave pool for surfers that produces a constant five-foot ocean-style wave.

Getting to Wisconsin Dells can be a challenge. It's several hours by car from Canadian border communities in Ontario and Manitoba, and a half-day's drive from major cities in the U.S. Midwest. For some, however, the relatively remote location is a plus.

"You don't get huge, huge crowds," Bilyk said.

"There was no waiting around (in line), so I thought it was a bonus."

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If you go . . .

-Wisconsin Dells is adjacent to Interstate 94, a three-hour drive north of Chicago or a 3.5-hour drive southeast of Minneapolis. All water parks are within a five-minute drive from downtown.

-The nearest international airport is two hours away in Milwaukee, although it offers few direct flights from Canada.

-The community of 5,000 permanent residents can accommodate 50,000 visitors in a wide range of campgrounds, motels and hotels. Many hotels offer admission to their own water parks as part of their nightly rate, or offer discounted tickets to other attractions.