A longtime staple of a water park in Oakland County will be removed this season.
Ragin Rapids at the Waterford Oaks Waterpark in Waterford has reached the end of its lifecycle and will be removed before the water park reopens in June.
Recommended Videos
After the water park closed for the 2018 season, a structural inspection revealed the attraction was unsound for continued use. The wood and concrete structure supporting the waterslide was eroded by water, chlorine and Michigan winters. All waterpark features are inspected annually. The waterpark is located on Scott Lake Road in Waterford.
“Guest safety is our number one priority, so Ragin’ Rapids must be removed,” Executive Officer Dan Stencil said.
Ragin’ Rapids debuted at Waterford Oaks Waterpark in 1996, the same year The Big Bucket, children’s water playground opened. Stencil said The Big Bucket is still operational as is The Wave, Michigan’s first wave-action pool and the third in the United States, which opened at the waterpark in 1976.
“Thanks to investments made by our Parks and Recreation Commission to the wave pool we have been able to keep it in good condition. And I credit our parks staff for their diligent maintenance of all our park facilities,” Stencil said. “In the case of the Ragin’ Rapids, however, it was just too costly to replace for only three months of operation a year. The commission and staff must look at all the needs across the 13 parks and nearly 7,000 acres and make hard decisions about where the investment of taxpayer dollars is made. We listen to where the demand is the greatest, what current trends are and where we can serve the most residents and visitors.”
More waterpark news:
The waterpark will host its annual Make a Splash Series including: Shark Day – June 12; Pirate Day - July 24; and Wookie Wednesday – Aug. 14. These events include themed games, crafts, activities and costumed characters. And, a zipline will be on site July 15-18. All are free with waterpark admission.
Additionally, entrance fees will be reduced, according to Waterford Oaks Park Supervisor Mike Boyd. All children ages zero to one are free with a paid admission.
The 2019 entrance fees for Waterford Oaks Waterpark will be: Oakland County Resident Rate/Regular Rate: $8 (Monday-Friday); Weekends and Holidays: Regular Rate $13; Resident Rate: $10. Senior citizens (62 and older), adaptive, military and veterans receive $1 off the regular or Oakland County resident rate full day of admission. Does not apply to discounted rates.
Group rates, for pre-registered affiliated groups of 20 or more, has been reduced to $6/person.
Additionally, the Waterford Oaks Waterpark individual season pass which provides unlimited visits will be reduced. Now on sale online, the season pass for Oakland County residents is $40 ($45 starting May 25) and season pass Regular Rate is $49 ($55 starting May 25).
Week day and weekend fees for Red Oaks Waterpark, Oakland County Parks and Recreation’s second waterpark, can be found online at OaklandCountyParks.com. The Red Oaks season pass is also discounted until May 24.
Waterford Oaks and Red Oaks waterparks open for the 2019 season Friday, June 7. Hours are 11 a.m.–7 p.m. weekdays (Monday-Friday) and 10 a.m.-7 p.m. weekends and holidays.
Waterford Oaks Waterpark is located at 1702 Scott Lake Road in Waterford. Red Oaks Waterpark is located at 1455 E. Thirteen Mile Road in Madison Heights. Red Oaks Waterpark, features a children’s water playground, River Ride, wave-action pool, and giant triple flume waterslide.
