Ohio’s first ‘mountain coaster’ coming to the Hocking Hills

While it’s still too soon for a moniker like ‘Cedar Point South,’ a unique new thrill ride is landing in the Hocking Hills.

According to Jake Ryan, CEO of the vacation rental service Book Hocking, he is planning to bring the state’s first mountain coaster to the Hocking Hills, although the new attraction will be not be affiliated with Book Hocking.

What is exactly is a mountain coaster? Ryan said they operate similarly to traditional roller coasters but rely entirely on gravity on the way down. It will be the first of its kind in the Buckeye State. You can check out a video of a Tennessee mountain coaster action here.

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The new Hocking Hills mountain coaster will feature approximately 3,600 feet of steel track, and will take roughly five minutes from beginning to end. Riders will be pulled up a large hill in the Logan area (Ryan said, due to safety concerns, he can’t yet release the exact location of the coaster), and will rocket down to the bottom, reaching speeds of 27 mph.

Ryan first experienced mountain coasters while on a family trip, and has wanted to bring them to the Hocking Hills ever since.

“They’re popular across the United States; There are about 50 of them. I rode one in Montana, in Whitechurch. My kids absolutely loved it,” he said. “We get a lot of feedback from our [Book Hocking] guests who say there aren’t enough attractions like that in the area.”

Ryan told 614Now his goal is to bring something new to the area, while still being non-invasive to the abundant nature in the area.

“We wanted to build an attraction that’s great for guests and great for the Hocking Hills too,” he said.

Ryan believes the new mountain coaster will be ready to open by late winter or early spring.

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