Our beach trip to Ocean Isle Beach in early October was exactly the get away that we needed. But fall is my favorite season for local and mountain activities – corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and hikes while the leaves are changing are some of my favorite things. So a weekend at the beach left us with one less weekend for fall fun.
And when what was probably the last week to see the leaves change in the mountains turned out to be a total washout, I almost gave up on my fall mountain dreams this year. But old habits die hard, and I just couldn’t stay away. So I dragged – I mean took – my boys to the mountains the first weekend in November. The leaves may have been off the trees but there was plenty of fun to be had.
But I still had to know my audience. Taking two boys on an 2.5 hour drive into the mountains on the day after Halloween was a tall ask. I knew we would do a hike but I also wanted to find something different to make the trip interesting and fun for them. The Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster fit the bill perfectly. Alpine coasters are popular in Europe but there are only about 20 in the US, and the newest one just happens to be nestled into the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC.
The Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster opened earlier this year. Opening a small business in the middle of a global pandemic is not ideal, but they seem to have done so successfully, despite a temporary closure in August due to state restrictions. Since reopening, they have handled covid safety precautions well and as a result have attracted nature lovers looking for a different outdoor experience, families looking for a fun activity, and thrill seekers looking for a fix while theme parks in the area remain closed.
In order to maintain social distancing, the coaster requires a reservation, which can be booked online, and they do not allow you in the building before your timed entry. Masks are required and stickers on the ground keep you 6 feet apart while waiting in line. And the coasters are sanitized in between riders. (They get points for uniqueness, as they sanitize by using what looks like a leaf blower to spray them down, but I have to question its effectiveness. Fortunately plenty of hand sanitizer was available to use before and after the ride.)
We arrived slightly early and waited in the car for a few minutes and then checked out their Halloween decorations on the way up. The kids loved the skeletons climbing all over the place.
We booked our reservations ahead of time but didn’t have to pay until arrival. You can purchase a single ride for $16 ($13 for youth) or a pack of 3 rides for $35 ($29 for youth). With three consecutive rides lasting a total of about 15 minutes, this is not a cheap outing. A family of four will pay $128 for a ride bundle – that’s about $8.50 per minute!
We were lucky that there was no line for the ride so we were able to hop right on. (One interesting side effect of the lack of lines is that we had to exit our car and move to the one at the front of the line each time we came around.) The cars can seat one or two people. Kids must be at least 38 inches to ride with an adult or 56 inches to ride by themselves. The coasters’ top speed is 27 mph and riders control their speed with a hand break.
The ride starts like a typical roller coaster, with an automated track pulling you up the 770 feet to the top. From there you let gravity do the work, as you release the break to shoot down the track and whip around bends. It is amazing how fast 27 mph can feel!
The track is 3,160 feet long and includes three 360 degree loops. The coaster is literally built into the mountain, curving around trees and rocks as gravity pulls you down the slope. It really is a unique experience to be zipping down the side of a mountain, navigating waves and dips and twists in the track as the trees rush past. It felt so much faster and more exciting than I had anticipated. We all loved it.
The ride is surprisingly smooth. There is some minor jostling as you go around tight turns, but nothing like the neck rattling you get on major coasters. Obviously this is a different experience than a real roller coaster that flips you upside down at 90 miles an hour. But it exceeded all expectations I had for a mountain coaster.
I highly recommend that you check out the Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster at least once. The price point is high but in my opinion it was totally worth it. It’s not something we would do multiple times a season but it is such a unique and fun experience that I think it is worth the splurge. Keep in mind that at just 5 minutes a ride, it is also a quick experience. I would not drive 2.5 hours just to go here. You have to have something else to do in the area. And there is no shortage of things to do nearby – Grandfather Mountain is right around the corner, there are tons of hiking opportunities nearby, and Boone, Blowing Rock and Banner Elk are all a short drive away. The mountains offer endless possibilities so you can make a day or a weekend out of it.
