The Cove - Riverside

The Cove Water Park is the Inland Empire’s newest water park, complete with a surfing machine, three water slides, a lazy river, an activity pool and a splash playground for kids. Open since Memorial Day weekend in 2011, expect traffic to pick up as word gets out that this destination is open daily throughout the hot summer of 2011.

The Cove Logo

The Cove is part of the Jurupa Aquatic Center, which also includes an Olympic size swimming pool that is used jointly by the neighboring Patriot High School. The Jurupa Aquatic Center is situated on 7.5 acres. It was built by the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District, which partnered with the Economic Development Agency and Jurupa Unified School District.

The water park is located in Rubidoux, though their marketing materials claim Riverside, which perhaps is in reference to Riverside County.

Riptide Reef - Flowrider

Riptide Reef – Flowrider

By far the coolest attraction at The Cove is the Flowrider®, a slightly sloped wave surface that generates a smooth “barrel-less” wave that riders can dual body board on or stand to “surf” while miles away from the beach! The lifeguards at Riptide Reef are knowledgeable and skilled in riding this machine, offering helpful advice to novices and experts alike. With a cost usually below one million dollars, this Flowrider is one of only three in the Inland Empire(the other two are at Raging Waters in San Dimas and Pharoh’s Lost Kingdom in Redlands, with a fourth located in nearby North County San Diego at Wave Water Park). Expect The Cove to host the touring circuit of competitive Flowriders in years to come. If you haven’t seen a Flowrider before or just love watching people surf these things, check out the video below.

Crow’s Nest

The incredible water slides are another fantastic element of the park. After climbing to the top of the single tower, riders can choose from one of three slides. Each slide is 180 feet of fun, though each offers a very different ride. Most importantly, these are not short, boring slides. Each ride is about 20 seconds of fun. Here’s the lowdown:

Red Slide – Covered from begining to end. This has few turns, which is why this is by far the fastest slide and probably the most popular for those who are looking for a thrilling ride. Expect to beat your other riders by a second or two.
Green Slide – Covered for the first third of the ride, then open air. This slide is fast and fun, with a modest number of turns.
Blue Slide – Open air slide that has many turns, which is why this is probably considered the slowest of the three slides.

Ne’er Endin’ River – Lazy River

A quarter mile long lazy-river provides a shallow pool sends riders under a bridge, waterfalls, and past pools while relaxing on an innertube.

Lil’ Mate’s Lagoon – Kids Playground

This pirate-themed splash playground is aimed towards children, though there were no shortage of adults enjoying themselves with their children on the day we visited. This playground includes water canons, several slides and a water bucket that is sure to drench everyone below.

Captain’s Bay

This intimate “activity pool” in located in the middle of Treasure Cove.

General Information

During the summer, The Cove is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Note that there is no outside food allowed in the park. Instead, the park offers a full snack bar with many healthy options, including chicken burgers.

The Cove is an affordable destination for people of all ages. Prices are as follows:

Single-Day Admission