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The Wilderness Run Rollercoaster at Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park, Louisville, Kentucky

Outside of Kentucky Kingdom's old Vekoma Rollerskater coaster that is now called the Hollyhock & Roll (which I forgot to get pictures of) the only other coaster from the old Kentucky Kingdom existing is Thunder Run.   As with pretty much everything i n the Discovery Meadow section of the park it has a new name.  Thunder Run is now called Woodland Run.

The Wilderness Run Rollercoaster at Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park, Louisville, Kentucky

Woodland Run has always been the star attraction at Kentucky Kingdom and honestly it was running better than I have ever experienced.

The Wilderness Run Rollercoaster at Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park, Louisville, Kentucky

Woodland Run was initially designed on a cocktail napkin during the IAAPA trade show and was intended for Cincinnati's Lesourdsville Lake Park.  When the park manager who came up with the rides idea left to work at the brand new Kentucky Kingdom during Ed Heart's first go at the park the design for the coaster came with him and opened up in 1990.

The Wilderness Run Rollercoaster at Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park, Louisville, Kentucky

The ride layout is pretty simple as it was sketched on a cocktail napkin.  Take a hundred and eighty degree turn out of the station, head up the lift, take another hundred and eighty degree turn to the left, drop, take another hundred and eighty degree turn followed by airtime hills, another hundred and eighty degree turn, airtime hills, one more hundred and eighty degree turn before a few more airtime hills as you then finally you speed into the brake run.

The Wilderness Run Rollercoaster at Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park, Louisville, Kentucky

Woodland Run has always been an aggressive coaster with plenty of thrills.  This year in the off season Kentucky Kingdom brought in The Gravity Group to do some work on it.



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Paul B. Drabek


Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park, Louisville, Kentucky