Wild Rivers Waterpark is NOW open! The soft-opening was on July 10, 2022 in Irvine at the Orange County Great Park. Reservations for season pass holders started on June 12 and can now be made online. (Construction on Wild Rivers began July 7, 2021.) Tickets can be purchased online now. Admission prices have been reduced for the soft-opening as all attractions may not be available for the initial opening.
Get discounted Wild Rivers tickets through Groupon and Goldstar!
Wild Rivers Park Hours
Monday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Days and hours and reduced during the Fall and Spring and closed during the winter
End of the 2022 Season Is October 2nd
The retail store, lockers, changing rooms and restrooms are open. All restaurants, bars, attractions and rides are now open.
Address: 10000 Great Park Blvd, Great Park Irvine, CA 92618
Phone: (949) 749-1900
Website: https://wildrivers.com/
Season Pass Reservation Portal
Facebook | Instagram
Full list of Southern California Waterparks
Wild Rivers Tickets & Season Passes
Season Pass holders can make daily reservations well in advance and hold up to 5 reservations at any one time.
A season pass is $175 while a one-day pass is $65.
Season Passes can be ordered online at WildRivers.com.
Purchase tickets online. Tickets will be sold at the gate if the park has not reached capacity.
Get discounted Wild Rivers tickets through Groupon and Goldstar!
Pre-paid parking tickets can be purchased online. Paying at the lot costs more.
Cabanas (does not included admission) are available for reservations in six different areas. Each cabana comes with a server, two chaise lounges, two chairs, a table, and a safe to secure your personal belongings.
Wild Rivers Discounts & Free Entry
Seniors age 62 and older will be admitted free to Wild Rivers.
Children under age 3 will be admitted free.
Military personnel with a valid ID may purchase up to four tickets at the park for our junior price of $50.00.
Find more ways to get Wild Rivers Discount Tickets!
Sign up to their newsletter to get notified when the tickets and reservation system is open. You can make daily reservations in advance and hold up to 5 reservations at any one time.
Wild Rivers Map
View the Wild Rivers Interactive Map or Animated Flyover
Wild Rivers Rides & Attractions
Find detailed descriptions and pictures on each Wild Rivers ride, attraction and amenities.
Heigh Requirements: All tube slides and most other rides have a minimum height requirements of 48” (122 cm). Other slides. There are a select few rides with a minimum height requirement of 42” (107 cm) or 40” (102 cm).
- Aquaconda – 3-6 person ride
- Bombay Blasters – Body slides
- Bora Bora Boomerango – 3-6 person ride
- Castaway River – Lazy River
- Cook’s Cove – Kid’s play area
- Fiji Falls -1 or 2 riders on a double tube
- Kontiki Cove – Tots pool and slides
- Pelican Plunge – 1 or 2 riders on a double tube
- Pipeline – 1 or 2 riders on a double tube
- Samoan Serpent – 1 or 2 riders on a double tube
- Shaka Bay – Wavepool
- Tahitian Toucan – Single rider body slides
- Tala and Mano – Enclosed & open body slides
- Tiki’s Revenge – SuperBowl tube ride, 1-2 riders
- Tomcat Racers – Body slides, 6 – 1 per lane
- Tortuga – 3 – 6 riders per raft
- Typhoon – 3 – 6 riders per raft
Wild Rivers Restaurants
- Island Sweets
- Mustang Bar
- Pacific Grille
- Shaka Bay Grille
- Dippin’ Dots Kiosks
- A Kona Ice truck serves shaved ice at the front entry on select days.
Wild Rivers Tips
- Re-entry is permitted to the park and parking lot.
- Paid lockers are available on a first come, first served basis.
- Towels are not provided but are available for purchase at the store.
- Bring sunscreen, sun glasses, hats.
- There are over 2,000 chairs and chaise lounges on various sundecks.
- Outside chairs are allowed.
- There are no grass or turf areas, lounge chairs or sun beds except at the cabanas.
- Shaded areas are limited. Outside umbrellas have been allowed though not their website does not say either way.
- No outside food and beverage allowed including birthday cakes.
- Unopened sealed or empty water bottles, baby food, and food for guests with special dietary restrictions are permitted.
- Refillable water bottles are allowed. Water bottle refill stations are located at the main entry building, locker and changing facility, and outside each of the four restrooms.
- Birthday packages are not currently offered.
- Only park in the Wild Rivers parking lot to avoid being towed elsewhere.
- No dogs or pets allowed.
- No public Wi-Fi available (future plans).
- Smoking is prohibited on all parts of the property including the parking lot.
- Cash, major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), and mobile payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted.
- There is no ATM at Wild Rivers.
- There are no stroller, electric conveyance vehicles, or wheelchair rentals.
- There is security screening prior to entry.
Wild Rivers Directions
5 North
- Exit Sand Canyon Avenue and turn Right
- Turn Right at Marine Way
- Turn Left at Skyhawk
- Follow the road signs to Wild Rivers Parking
5 South
- Exit Sand Canyon Avenue and turn Left
- Turn Right at Marine Way
- Turn Left at Skyhawk
- Follow the road signs to Wild Rivers Parking
405 North
- Exit Sand Canyon Avenue and turn Right
- Turn Right at Marine Way
- Turn Left at Skyhawk
- Follow the road signs to Wild Rivers Parking
405 South
- Exit Sand Canyon Avenue and turn Left
- Turn Right at Marine Way
- Turn Left at Skyhawk
- Follow the road signs to Wild Rivers Parking
The New Wild Rivers Theme Park
The new and improved $60 million Wild Rivers Water Park (privately funded) is located at the Great Park in Irvine. The new design is a total of 26 acres – an almost 50% increase from the original park’s 14 acres – and includea an uphill water coaster, a longer lazy river, a bigger wave pool, water play structures, the original Wild Rivers’ popular Congo River Rapids, a reimagined version of Bombay Blasters, and of course, more water slides.
The water park will be built on 26 acres across from the sports complex along Skyhawk and Great Park Blvd instead of the originally planned location along Marine Way. The agreement includes a 30 year lease in which the city receives either 4.5% of gross revenue or $550,000 per year, whichever is higher.
The city maintained 14.7-acre parking lot includes precise grading, landscape planting and irrigation plans, lighting plans, striping plans, and utility plans. The parking lot provides spaces for the future Wild Rivers Water Park and for visitors to the Cultural Terrace during Wild Rivers’ nonoperating season. The design budget is $11.7 million.
Wild Rivers hopes to keep the park open for events during the winter months when park operations are closed.
The water park will be within the Cultural Terrace portion of The Orange County Great Park. The Cultural Terrace is the final piece of the Great Park’s Master Plan to be developed and may include a veteran’s cemetery, library, California fire museum, a permanent amphitheater, and a lake.
Wild Rivers History
The popular Southern California water park was located in Irvine, operating for 25 years from July 1986 to 2011. The park was located on land that was originally home to Lion Country Safari, a drive through zoo that opened in 1970 and closed in 1984. When Lion Country went bankrupt, they subleased the land to Wild Rivers, Camp Frasier (a youth summer camp, now Camp James), and Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. The Irvine Co. chose not to renew the lease for Wild Rivers past 2011 and subsequently built Los Olivos Apartments and retail establishments on the former land. The former Wild Rivers address was 8770 Irvine Center Dr. Irvine, CA 92618.
The original water park was a favorite among locals, with wave pools, lazy rivers, and a variety of slides to offer a place to cool off during the warm summers. Rides included The Abyss, Chaos, The Patriot, Bazooka Bowls and Buccaneer Bay. In 2007, Great Park officials voted against setting aside land for the water park, but Wild Rivers advocates never gave up. After a series of talks and negotiations, an agreement between the water park and city officials set the stage for a newer, bigger Wild Rivers to come back to Irvine.
When and Why did Wild Rivers close?
The lease with the Irvine Co. ended in 2011 and Irvine Co. elected not renew its lease. After the closure the park was demolished and 3,700 apartment units called Los Olivos Village at Irvine Spectrum were built.
A common misnomer is that this former place was a Raging Waters. It was and always has been Wild Rivers, a separate company, and there has never been an Irvine Raging Waters. The nearest one is in San Dimas, CA.
Did you know? There was a Malcom in The Middle episode where the family goes to a water park which was filmed at the old Irvine Wild Rivers.
Related Articles
| Wild Rivers Discount Tickets | Wild Rivers Rides, Attractions & Amenities |
| Orange County Great Park | Water Parks in Southern California |
| City of Irvine | Adventure Lagoon – Anaheim Aqua Park |
Heidi Deal is the author of the Newcomers Handbook to Living In Los Angeles & Orange County, and a children’s book author specializing in history and human rights.