The Wild Ride Is Coming to an End at Wild Rivers

After 25 years, Wild Rivers in Irvine is turning off the water for good. 

The family amusement water park is being closed to make way for 1,700 apartments to be developed by the Irvine Co., which owns the land.

Mike Riedel, president of Wild Rivers, said he is looking at the Orange County Great Park as the possible location of a new water park. Construction would take about nine months. 

Hundreds of thousands of people visit Wild Rivers each year, making it one of Southern California's most popular water parks. It is also the largest youth employer in Orange County, providing jobs for about 1,100 people a year.

With the loss of Wild Rivers, which opened on Irvine Center Drive in 1986, Orange County will be left with just one water park, Soak City in Buena Park.  Though the closure of Wild Rivers does not come as a total surprise—the lease has been renewed only year-by-year since 2007—the community is having a hard time coming to grips with its demise. Facebook pages have even been created to rally fans. 

“The park is beneficial for children, contains a good variety of entertainment, and the food is geared toward children,” said Lisa Barragan, a previous restaurant supervisor at Wild Rivers and Irvine mother.

Riedel said the park's last day will be celebrated on Oct. 2 with a "Rubber Ducky Derby."