Trafalga Lehi is a great day trip for dates and families.
Abby Dent, 11, drives the go-kart with Grace Eyre, 6, around the slick track at Trafalga Lehi. The Splash Boats, miniature golf and laser tag, along with the go-karts are a great draw for youth groups or families with older kids.
Grace Eyre, 6, and Caleb Eyre, 4, ride on the airplane ride at Trafalga Lehi. The fun center has a few amusement park-type rides, including a roller coaster and carousel.
After driving by the mini Mount Rushmore and the little roller coaster and carousel along I-15 in Lehi, I finally made a stop at Trafalga — Lehi (the once short-lived Liberty Land).
We actually checked in with our Pass of All Passes for the first time, and away we went.
This second Trafalga location is similar in genre, of course — it is a fun center after all — but there are some things that differentiate it from its sister location in Orem as well as the other fun centers around.
The first ride we headed to was the splash boats — large motorized tubes with seats and water guns. The idea is to putt-putt around the pool and squirt your opponents, which isn’t very much of a challenge. With the clouds rolling in on the wind, it seemed a little cold, so we opted to move over to the slick track and avoid being trapped on the water with a bunch of rowdy teenagers determined to get soaked.
The slick track was the only ride with a line. But we waited and watched the cars zip around the small oval, with the cars on I-15 buzzing by on the other side of the fence. I imagine it would be quite the juxtaposition during the bumper-to-bumper traffic during rush hour.
Because I was the only adult in our group, I had to take Grace, 6, and Caleb, 4, one at a time. But while waiting in line, we teamed up with a trio of girls, Angelica Madsen, 14, Cortney Dent, 13, and Abby Dent, 11, all from South Jordan. Grace tagged along with Abby, and we avoided any fighting over who got to go first and who had to wait.
For me, the slick track was a new experience. Sure, I’d been on one a few times as a kid, but I was always cautious and never really understood the appeal of driving around in a circle.
I don’t know if it was driving as an adult, or the short track that gave me a little itch to spice it up a little — or maybe it was because I had my 4-year-old son sitting next to me who was mad that he couldn’t drive and I wanted to really give him a ride — but I realized for the first time why they call it a “slick track.” I didn’t let off the gas on the corners, I actually accelerated, and around each turn, the back end would whip around, like doing “donuts” on a snowy road.
After that trip around the oval, I can see why the line was ever-present.
The splash boats ended up being too tempting, and despite my warnings that they would be cold once they got wet, they still wanted to take a ride. And while there were only two other boats out on the water with us, we got plenty wet. And, yes, we had fun, but both kids agreed that this would be much better during the summertime when it was hot.
Inside Trafalga is an arcade and the check-in points for miniature golf and laser tag. There is also a “Frog Hopper” ride, which bounces you up and down. And while it fits adults, too, for this ride, the younger the better. I watched toddlers go nuts with glee on this thing — they couldn’t get enough of it.
One thing to remember: Wear closed-toed shoes and/or socks. Trafalga has a climbing wall, and it’s perfect for young kids because the belay system is automatic — the ropes help hold them up and then when they’re done climbing, they just let go of the wall, and their weight slowly lowers them down.
Grace and Caleb looked longingly at the wall, then down at their flip-flops. Next time.
There isn’t a lot of clear signage for any of the rides’ height requirements, etc., but no worries. The kids who work the rides are friendly, helpful and eager to answer questions.
When we checked in, there was more than 20 people in line to pay admission and exchange arcade tickets. In the chaos, we forgot to pick up our newly minted Pass of All Passes cards. More than an hour later, an employee came and found me in the park to give me the cards. The bumper boat attendant joked and laughed with us at our trepidation of even getting on this ride — and assured us that while the ride lasted 5 minutes, we didn’t have to stay out on the water that long if we didn’t want to.
All in all, Trafalga is a fun little place to go. On our visit, we saw families with young children, groups of teenagers and college kids on dates, and even youth groups. And though my kids are young still, this would be a great place to let them come with their friends when they are teenagers. There is an eatery with a full menu including pizza and hot dogs, ice cream and drinks among other items, including an all-you-can-eat buffet, and the perfect teenager entertainment with laser tag, miniature golf, and water fights in the pool. I can’t think of a better place to spend an evening or Saturday afternoon when I was 13 and 14.
Trafalga — Lehi
Where: 1320 N. 300 West; turn east off Lehi’s State Road at 300 West, and it’s right there.
Hours: Summer hours are in effect, 10 a.m.-midnight, Monday-Saturday
Admission: Prices vary. Attractions can be bought individually or in a bundle. Group rates and date rates are also available. And, of course, Trafalga — Lehi is one of the venues on the Pass of All Passes. See www.lehi.trafalga.com for more details.
Info: Visit www.lehi.trafalga.com or call (801) 766-4386
Attractions: Lazer Frenzy, Rock Climbing, Hawaiian Nights Blacklight Golf, Laser Tag, Rollerball, Rush Coaster, Mini Golf, Go-Karts, Arcade, Carousel, Airplane Ride, Play Park, Lighthouse Ride, Frog Hopper, Pirate Ship and Splash Boats.
