RiverRush water coaster to open at Dollywood's Splash Country in May 2013

RiverRush will be the first ride of its type in Tennessee when it opens next year. Image © Dollywood

Dollywood has announced plans to open Tennessee's first water coaster, RiverRush, at its Splash Country water park in May 2013.

Riders on RiverRush will board four-person rafts, before traversing a 25-foot, 45-degree first drop. The ride's circuit will also include three additional drops, with linear induction motors being used to propel the rafts uphill in some sections. After navigating these, guests will plunge through a series of twists and turns before emerging back onto dry land.

The new addition to Splash Country will be similar in style to the record-breaking Mammoth water coaster, which opened at Holiday World earlier this year. Its circuit will be slightly shorter, though, reaching a total length of 1,175-feet.

Describing RiverRush, Dollywood's co-owner Dolly Parton said: "At Dollywood, we made history with Wild Eagle, the country's first wing coaster, so I thought, why not do it again at Dollywood's Splash Country with my new RiverRush water coaster. You know me. I love making a big splash, and RiverRush is all that and a whole lot more!"

Dollywood's Splash Country covers a 35-acre area adjacent to the theme park itself. The owners of the park are due to open a second water park in Nashville in 2014.

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