Lightning Rod 2021 New Track Review

Last month, Dollywood introduced a new-and-improved version of the park’s record-breaking Lightning Rod coaster. What originally opened as the world’s fastest and only launched wooden coaster now sports sections of steel track in place of its original wooden track — making it a true wood-steel hybrid coaster.

While a significant portion of the coaster’s wooden track has been replaced by steel, Lightning Rod purists like myself will be happy to know that the layout of the Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) coaster was not changed as part of the update.

I recently visited the park and was able to experience “Lightning Rod 2.0.” I was excited and a little anxious to find out how different the coaster would be with its new track.

Lightning Rod in June 2016

Having ridden Lightning Rod every year since it opened in 2016, I’ve seen the ups and downs of this coaster — literally and figuratively. Upon my first ride in 2016, it instantly became my favorite wooden coaster. The launch is amazing and the pacing is phenomenal.

A rendering of Lightning Rod’s “quadruple down” element.

But it was the quad-down element (four consecutive drops) that solidified Lightning Rod’s spot at the top of my list. The airtime experienced while plunging four times in a row is pure roller coaster bliss.

Though as much as I love Lightning Rod, I’ve developed a love-hate relationship with the coaster after its frequent bouts of downtime. Any visit to the park without a Lightning Rod ride seems incomplete. And unfortunately, there have been many Lightning Rod-less visits to Dollywood in the last five years.

I had mixed feelings when the park announced that the coaster would be closed for the latter half of the already shortened 2020 season so that the coaster’s manufacturer, RMC, could make improvements to the coaster. These upgrades would hopefully improve its reliability and rider experience.

Lightning Rod’s old track (left) and new track (right).

Those improvements included replacing high-stress sections of the coaster’s RMC wooden-style Topper Track with the company’s all-steel IBOX track. This would make Lightning Rod a true hybrid coaster, combining wooden and steel track.

The diagram below illustrates traditional wooden track compared to RMC’s Topper Track and IBOX (Iron Horse) Track:

I was skeptical about the changes. But at this point, I was willing to support the park doing just about anything except for tearing down the ride. Dollywood simply wouldn’t be the same without Lightning Rod.


So how does “Lightning Rod 2.0” compare to the original?

I had so many questions. Would the launch be as fun? Would the quadruple-down still be laugh-out-loud amazing?

Unfortunately, Lightning Rod was only operating with one train during my visit. Unconfirmed reports alleged that the coaster was unable to operate reliably with both trains in use. That resulted in considerably long lines throughout the day — I’m talking 2+ hours. That’s too long, even for a coaster that I love so much.

Side note: I highly recommend investing in Dollywood’s TimeSaver Pass, but even that line was long.

The above photo shows three levels of Lightning Rod track: the lower two levels are the new steel IBOX track and the top is the original Topper Track.

The coaster’s final element, the non-inverting half loop, marks the end of the IBOX track.


The new sections of track are noticeably smoother than the original.

If you’ve ridden Lightning Rod as many times as I have (too many to count), you’ll likely notice the new sections of track right away while riding. The IBOX track begins at the turn out of the station, so the launch track is where you’ll first notice a difference.

For nonriders, though, those with untrained eyes might not detect the new steel sections of track — the IBOX track is painted brown so it blends well with the wooden structure and Topper Track.


But it still retains some of its bumps.

For those of us who enjoy the rougher ride of a wooden coaster, have no fear. While the sections of IBOX track are indeed smoother, they are not glass-smooth. And I don’t think they should be.

The remaining sections of the original track have of course retained that traditional wooden-coaster feel — for an RMC, at least.

But while there were a few rough spots, the transition from the IBOX track to the original topper track felt seamless.


The launch is still as fast as it was in 2016.

I know this is a controversial subject. To me, Lightning Rod’s launch seems just as fast and intense as it was in June of 2016. This has been confirmed by the park multiple times.

However, the launch does seem to “turn off” earlier than it did when it first opened. That results in it cresting the top of the hill at a slightly slower pace. But still, I find the launch itself to be just as forceful.


Rest in peace, trees.

This is unrelated to Lightning Rod’s new track, but longtime Lightning Rod riders will likely notice the thinning of the trees surrounding the coaster. While I never considered Lightning Rod to be “in the woods” like Beast at Kings Island, there were plenty of trees in the area.

Lightning Rod’s quad-down as seen in 2016.

I’m assuming there was some reason for their removal, but the wannabe arborist in me was disappointed.


The quad-down is still amazing.

I was especially worried that the quad-down might lose some of its intensity. Nope, the maneuver is still as amazing as ever.

Lightning Rod’s quad down as seen in April 2017 with the coaster’s original RMC Topper Track.

It’s one of the few moments on a coaster that still manages to give me that “butterflies in my stomach” sensation. For the best experience, I recommend riding in the middle or back of the train.


The RMC Roar?

One of the things I found most interesting about the new Lightning Rod was the “roar” from the train as it exits the quadruple-down and enters the non-inverting half loop.

I often associate this type of roar with Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) coasters, so it was surprising to hear it on a non-B&M coaster.


Welcome back, Lightning Rod. It’s great to have you back.

Have you ridden Lightning Rod since it reopened with steel track? Let us know what you think of Lightning Rod 2.0 in the comments section below.

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