March 22, 2019

Rocky Top Mountain Coaster


Welcome to the Longest Coaster Ride in East Tennessee - The Rocky Top Mountain Coaster

After purchasing your ticket you enter the queue area leading up to the load platform

After getting your belt checked you are dispatched onto the ride course.

You start with this lift hill, which you'll quickly learn is only the first of many on this course.

A fun feature about this ride is that almost the entire course is hidden from street view.  You seriously have no idea what you are in for - and it is nothing like the other coasters in the area.

You are about to go on that serpentine path you see to the right.

The first section is pretty tame, let's call it your warm up.  You'll notice you go past some facades.  I imagine they are only just starting to do themeing for this ride.

After your first section, it's time for lift hill number 2.  This one takes you through a tunnel that you can see at the top of this first lift section.  That tunnel has some special effects in it.

You also go through a barn

The fun part about this ride is that there are so many sections that it is hard to distinguish in this photo which section belongs with which curve.

The course, which is almost 9 minutes long, features fast straight aways, curves, tunnels, helices, and more.  This layout has everything you could want.

Time to head up the final lift - we purposely are leaving out some of this ride because we don't want to spoil all of the surprises that it has hidden in the hills.

The final stretch of the ride is probably the most traditional with two large helices going down the hill back to the station.

That final curve has some built in braking to slow you down before the station.

We have to admit that this is easily one of our favorite mountain coasters in the region.  Also, since it is just down the street from Dollywood - it is extremely easy to get to.  I know we'll definitely be back next time we are in the area.