The Timber Mountain Log Ride is a themed

log flume A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pr ...

water

dark ride A dark ride or ghost train is an indoor amusement ride on which passengers aboard guided vehicles travel through specially lit scenes that typically contain animation, sound, music and special effects. Appearing as early as the 19th century, su ...

at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. The ride is themed after the Knott's Calico Ghost Town. The ride is one of the oldest log flumes in the United States and is the most popular ride at Knott's Berry Farm. Moreover, the Timber Mountain Log Ride celebrated its 50th anniversary on July 11, 2019 with unique merchandise, 2 new animatronic figures and the addition of a soundtrack developed exclusively for the log ride by Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. Timber Mountain Log Ride 10

History

The original concept of the Timber Mountain Log Ride was not a

, but rather a

roller coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...

which appeared to float in a trough. However, after discussions with

Arrow Development Arrow Development was an amusement park ride and roller coaster design and manufacturing company, incorporated in California on November 16, 1945, and based in Mountain View. It was founded by Angus "Andy" Anderson, Karl Bacon, William Hardiman ...

co-founders Ed Morgan and Karl Bacon, the ride's designer Bud Hurlbut chose to use a log flume ride system. The development of scenes throughout the ride saw Walter Knott approve the ride for construction. The initial $3.5 million cost for the ride was funded by the Hurlbut Amusement Company, with the ride later being sold to the park. Timber Mountain Log Ride opened on July 11, 1969 with

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...

on its inaugural ride. In January 2013, Knott's Berry Farm announced that the ride would undergo a five-month renovation to include animatronic figures and new scenes, while retaining the ride's theme of a 19th-century lumber camp. The ride closed on January 6, 2013, and reopened on May 31, 2013. The refurbished ride features animatronics produced by Garner Holt Productions. During December 2012, Knott's Berry Farm decided to give the park's most popular attraction a major overhaul and upgrade. This was beginning of a major change in the park's direction with moving back into themed attractions rather than just thrills. Cedar Fair had originally planned to add another major roller coaster in Knott's Ghost Town area. However, with a change in leadership at Knott's Berry Farm and Cedar Fair, it was decided to cancel the plans for another roller coaster. Instead, the park used those funds to begin a major refurbishment and upgrade to the Timber Mountain Log Ride. In January 2013, the log ride was shut down for roughly 5 months for a major upgrade done by Garner Holt Productions. The park's in-house staff also assisted in the renovation of the ride by adding roughly 100 sequoia trees, a distinctive feature of the mountain. On July 11, 2019, Knott's Berry Farm celebrated the 50th anniversary of the park's most popular ride: the Timber Mountain Log Ride. As part of the 50th anniversary, Knott's added 2 new animatronics designed by Garner Holt. All 36 logs were retrofitted with individual seats (similar to Splash Mountain) as opposed to the lap sitting seat design. Most of the logs feature 3 or 4 individual seats. Another major improvement made to the ride was the addition of a soundtrack. An exclusive soundtrack was developed for the ride by Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies. The ride now features a soundtrack exclusively about the log ride, giving an much improved ride experience.

Ride

Originally known as the "Calico Log Ride" (considered groundbreaking in its time) it takes riders through a 330-foot long mountain with a theme of a 19th-century

lumber camp A logging camp (or lumber camp) is a transitory work site used in the logging industry. Before the second half of the 20th century, these camps were the primary place where lumberjacks would live and work to fell trees in a particular area. Many ...

. The ride is housed in an eight-story building that contains 24,000 gallons of water and finishes in a 42-foot free fall. The ride features 24 animal animatronic and 39 human figure animatronic figures. The ride's forest scenes (2nd and 4th) scenes feature a distinctive pine cone smell, giving riders the experience of an authentic forest setting.

Photo Gallery

File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 3.jpg, Timber Mountain Log Ride's Entrance. File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 19.jpg, Timber Mountain Log Ride File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 4.jpg, A dog animatronic and a log cabin in the background. File:Sky Cabin 5.jpg, Timber Mountain Log Ride as viewed from the Sky Cabin. File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 2.jpg, Timber Mountain Log Ride's log (prior to the 50th anniversary upgrade). File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 11.jpg, Timber Mountain Log Ride entrance File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 12.jpg, One of the new animatronics added on July 11, 2019 as part of the ride's 50th anniversary File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 13.jpg, Logger anamontronics File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 18.jpg, Entrance File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 14.jpg, The second indoor dark scene featuring animatronics in a forest setting File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 16.jpg, Redesigned logs now feature 3 or 4 guests per log. These were added as part of the 50th anniversary File:Timber Mountain Log Ride 17.jpg, A log heads up the lift hill

References

External links

Official Timber Mountain Log Ride page
{{coord, 33.8452, N, 118.0000, W, source:wikidata, display=title Amusement rides introduced in 1969 Log flume rides Western (genre) amusement rides