What Is That Place Off I-5 in Woodland? It's Velocity Island Park (and Yes, You Can Go)
You know the spot. You are driving Interstate 5 just north of Davis, somewhere between Sacramento and wherever you are actually going, and you glance to the side and there it is: a big open lake, cables strung across the water, and a giant colorful inflatable obstacle course floating out in the middle. Maybe you catch someone getting whipped across the surface on a wakeboard. And every single time, the same thought: "What is that place? One of these days I need to figure that out."
This is your answer. That place is Velocity Island Park, a 15-acre lakefront water park in Woodland, CA, and the most common thing we hear from first-time visitors is some version of: "I have driven past this for ten years and always thought it was private." It is not. It is open to the public, anyone can come, and it is a lot more than the one thing you can see from the freeway.
That Thing You See From the Freeway
Let's start with what you have actually been looking at all this time, because there are really two things out there on the water.
The cables on the towers are a cable wakeboard system. Instead of a boat, an overhead cable pulls riders around a course on the lake, the same way a ski lift pulls skiers up a mountain. That is the person you sometimes see flying across the water.
The big inflatable course is the aqua park: a floating obstacle course with climbing walls, slides, balance beams, jumps, and trampolines, all out on the lake. It is the part that looks like a bounce house had a baby with an American Ninja Warrior set and parked it in the water. Kids and adults climb, bounce, and wipe out into the lake for hours. That splash of color is what catches your eye at 70 miles an hour.
No, It Is Not a Private Club. It Is Open to the Public.
This is the big one, so let's be clear: Velocity Island Park is open to the public. You do not need a membership. You do not need to know somebody. You do not need to be a wakeboarder. During the season (roughly June through August, plus spring weekends), anyone can buy a ticket on the pricing page or at the gate and walk right in.
We think the "is it private?" assumption comes from the setting. The park sits on its own lake off a quiet road, a little removed from the freeway, with no big flashing sign screaming for attention. From I-5 it reads like some exclusive lakefront something-or-other. In reality it is a public park that would love to have you. The mystery is the only thing keeping people out, and that is exactly the problem this article is trying to fix.
Wait, Is This Wake Island?
Quick clarification, because people genuinely mix these up: there are two cable wakeboard parks in the greater Sacramento area. Wake Island is over near Pleasant Grove. The one right off I-5 in Woodland, the one you have been driving past, is Velocity Island Park. Same general idea, different park, different lake. If you have been searching "wake island Woodland" trying to find this place, this is the one you mean.
What You Can Actually Do There
Here is the part most people driving by never realize. It is not just wakeboarding. Velocity Island Park is a whole day on the water:
- The Aqua Park – the inflatable obstacle course you see from the road. Climb, slide, jump, and fall into the lake. The most popular thing at the park, and no special skill required.
- Cable Wakeboarding – the cable system, open to everyone from total beginners to advanced riders hitting rails and ramps.
- The Swim Beach – a sandy lakefront beach for swimming, floating, and lounging. Bring the floaties.
- Paddleboarding – rent a board and explore the calm water at your own pace.
- Beach Bonfires – reserved evening fire pits on the sand, perfect for groups and sunsets.
- Costa Fuego – the waterfront restaurant and full bar (more on that below, because it surprises people the most).
You can come for an hour or make a full day of it. Reserve a beach site, do the aqua park with the kids, grab lunch and a margarita, and watch the wakeboarders. You do not have to commit to anything intense.
But I Have Never Wakeboarded. Isn't It Hard?
Two answers. First: you do not have to wakeboard at all. Plenty of people visit Velocity and never touch a wakeboard. The aqua park, the beach, paddleboarding, and the restaurant are the whole reason a lot of guests come.
Second: if you do want to try wakeboarding, cable wakeboarding is far more beginner-friendly than the boat version you are picturing. The cable pulls at a smooth, steady speed, and the line pulls slightly up and forward, which is exactly the help a first-timer needs to get out of the water and onto the board. A lot of people stand up and ride on their very first day. There is beginner instruction to get you going, and you can start as a complete novice. If "I would look ridiculous" has been your reason for not stopping, you would be in very good company out there, and nobody is watching anyway. For a deeper walkthrough, read our guide to cable wakeboarding for beginners.
There Is a Full Restaurant and Bar Too
This is the detail that makes people's jaws drop: there is a real restaurant and a full bar on the water, and you do not need a park ticket to use it. Costa Fuego is the lakeside kitchen, serving sushi, coastal tacos, wood-fired pizza, burgers, and a tequila bar with margaritas, all with a view across the lake.
So if the activities are not your thing, you can still pull off the freeway, sit on the patio with a drink and a plate of tacos, and watch everyone else play on the water. It is one of the more unexpectedly nice spots to break up an I-5 drive in the whole Sacramento Valley, and almost nobody knows it is there.
How to Find It (and Which Exit)
Velocity Island Park is at 755 North East Street, Woodland, CA 95776, just a few minutes off Interstate 5. It is about 20 minutes from downtown Sacramento, 10 minutes from Davis, and roughly 12 miles from Sacramento International Airport. The simplest way to get there is to drop the address into your maps app and let it route you to the gate. See the plan your visit page for directions, parking, hours, and what to bring.
A Quick Stop or a Whole Day
If you are local, consider this your sign to finally pull in. The thing you have wondered about for years turns out to be a lake, an obstacle course, a beach, and a bar, all open to you. If you are road-tripping I-5 through Northern California, it is a genuinely fun place to stretch your legs, cool off, feed the kids, and get back on the road having actually done something memorable instead of eating gas-station snacks in a parking lot.
Either way, the mystery is solved. Now you just have to take the exit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is that place with the lake and cables off I-5 near Woodland?
It is Velocity Island Park, a 15-acre lakefront water park and cable wakeboard park in Woodland, CA, just off I-5 about 20 minutes north of Sacramento. The cables are the cable wakeboard system, and the colorful floating course is a giant inflatable aqua park obstacle course on the lake.
Is Velocity Island Park open to the public?
Yes. It is open to the public, not a private club. Anyone can buy a ticket online or at the gate during the season, and you can visit the on-site restaurant and bar without any park admission at all.
Is Velocity Island Park the same as Wake Island?
No. They are two different cable wakeboard parks in the Sacramento area. Wake Island Waterpark is near Pleasant Grove. The park right off I-5 in Woodland is Velocity Island Park.
Do you have to wakeboard, or is there other stuff to do?
You do not have to wakeboard at all. Most visitors come for the inflatable aqua park obstacle course, the swim beach, paddleboarding, beach bonfires, or food and drinks at the lakeside restaurant. Wakeboarding is just one option.
Is cable wakeboarding hard for beginners?
It is much easier than boat wakeboarding. The cable pulls you at a steady speed and slightly upward, which helps you get up, so many first-timers ride on their first day. Beginner instruction is available and no experience is needed.
Do you need a ticket to eat at the restaurant?
No. Costa Fuego, the waterfront restaurant and bar, is open to the public. You can dine and grab a drink without buying park admission. Tickets are only required for activities like the aqua park, wakeboarding, and water access.
Where is it and how do I get there?
It is at 755 North East Street, Woodland, CA 95776, a few minutes off I-5. About 20 minutes from Sacramento and 10 minutes from Davis. Put the address in your maps app and it will route you to the gate.