New White Water Park WOKA Thrills Enthusiasts On Illinois River

A new whitewater park opened Friday on the Illinois River near the Arkansas state line.

The usually gentle flow of the Illinois River rushes through WOKA. That's attractive to water sports enthusiasts like Tracy McFetridge.

“The exhilaration of going through rapids and then turning around and surf in the water and the feeling of the water carrying you back and forth, it's amazing,” she said.

A 100-foot-wide channel was dug out to divert water from the river. It passed over 8 drops, down a 1,200-foot-long course.

That creates some rapids that are challenging even for experienced boaters, but safe enough for families to ride down on rafts.

“It's a lot of fun, you've got a lot of choices of different waves, I'm really impressed with it,” said Jerry Cookson.

The name comes from "Waters of Oklahoma and Arkansas," and the park is just inside Oklahoma, three miles South of Siloam Springs.

The park requires life jackets and helmets because of the strong rapids, but there are sections of this park suitable for all ages and experience levels.

People can bring their own equipment or rent it on site. The parking fee is $10.

The Walton Family Foundation donated $35 million dollars to build WOKA. GRDA will manage it.

”I think this is going to be a world-class water park in the regional and enhance the recreation for everyone along the Illinois River,” said Justin Alberty with GRDA.

On the first day, the park was busy with people eager to give it a try.

GRDA predicts 85,000 people a year will visit WOKA, making that a prominent name in whitewater sports for the region.