Boulder Dash Roller Coaster at Lake Compounce in Connecticut
with
Arthur Levine
Take a ride aboard Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce in Connecticut and see why About.com's Theme Parks Guide rates it as the best wooden coaster.
Transcript: Boulder Dash Roller Coaster at Lake Compounce in Connecticut
Opened in 1846, central Connecticut's Lake Compounce is the oldest, continuously operating amusement park in the U.S. In 2000, when the park wanted to build a major new roller coaster, it had a dilemma: With no available space in the existing park and surrounded by a mountain, Lak Compounce made a brash, yet brilliant decision; it built the coaster into the side of Southington Mountain. Dubbed "Boulder Dash," the unique ride is my pick for parkdom's top wood coaster. And now you've got a front row seat.Boulder Dash doesn't look like a typical wood coaster. Instead of a mass of lumber rising off the ground, the ride uses the mountain as its base. Dubbed a terrain coaster, it even uses the side of the mountain as its lift hill. After a little turn at the top of the lift hill, it's off and dashing.