Wild Rivers Water Park in Irvine now open after decade-long closure
The water park is 50% larger than the original, according to officials, and sits on 20 acres of land.
IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- After being closed for a decade, the highly-anticipated Wild Rivers water park in Irvine is back and better than ever.
Wild Rivers, a summertime favorite that shut down in 2011, made its big return on Sunday with a soft opening at its new location in Irvine's Great Park.
The water park is 50% larger than the original, according to officials, and sits on 20 acres of land at the intersection of Skyhawk and Great Park Boulevard.
Guests will be able to enjoy new and updated attractions, including a wave pool, a lazy river, and several thrilling rides like Tomcat Racers and Bora Bora Boomerango.
More rides were created for the grand opening and are geared toward families, capable of seating six people. Plus, some state-of-the-art features will eventually be available to visitors.
As California deals with historic drought conditions, park officials said Wild Rivers is using water-saving mechanisms, including waterless urinals, drought-resistant plants for landscaping and a new tool to filter the pools.
"We basically fill and recycle the water through our filtration system so the water loss after the initial fill, or the water used after the initial fill, is minimal," said Wild Rivers Director of Guests Experience Eric Gieszl. "It's just basically accounting for the evaporation."
Daily tickets for the water park are available starting at $65 for general admission.
For more information, visit the Wild Rivers website.
