During my recent whirlwind of trips this summer, I had a chance to visit 11 new parks ride 45 new-to-me coasters. It was my original plan to end the trip at Dollywood before heading home, but a last minute change of plans had me on a collision course with a park I’d always wanted to check out: Beech Bend. This park is just a bit out of the way for most trips our family tends to take, so with a chance to finally visit, I had to go.
Beech Bend Park is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, just south of the beautiful Mammoth Cave National Park. It’s a good 10-15 minutes from the interstate and when you are driving there you can’t help but think to yourself “there can’t possibly be an amusement park out here.” But low and behold, sitting among the farmland in southern Kentucky rises the little hidden gem that is Beech Bend Park.
The night before our visit I was looking at ticket prices and they are around $38 a piece. Upon further investigation I saw that the park was having a sale on season passes through the end of the month (June), and that with the pass came a slew of perks that included two bring-a-friend-free coupons. This was perfect for us because we are a family of three. So for about half the price of three separate one-day tickets, I was able to get all of us in! I never would’ve thought I’d be a passholder at this small park six hours away from my house. Will I get back this season to use the pass again? Maybe! There are a lot of unique attractions at Beech Bend, definitely more than I was able to ride in our relatively short amount of time we had to spend there.
Kentucky Rumbler itself may get me back to Beech Bend. It’s a phenomenal wooden GCI coaster that’s celebrating 15 years of thrills in 2021. From start to finish Kentucky Rumbler is relentless. The first drop is preceded by a small curved drop that builds your speed before plummeting you into the rest of the course. The rest of the ride is a complete blur—you are in and out and up and down, speeding through structure. There is even a station fly-by that feels like you are going way faster than the ride’s top speed of 47 mph.
If I had to compare the ride experience to other coasters it would be similar to a Mine Blower, Mystic Timbers, or Thunderhead. The coaster is not butter smooth by any means, but it was not rough enough to be uncomfortable.
Beech Bend has two other roller coasters: a SBF Spinner three loop model and a Zamperla spining wild mouse. I’ve been on quite a few normal figure-8 SBF Spinners, but this was my first triple loop one. I’m not sure if it was just how this one was running that day but it seemed way slower than the rest, almost like the pacing is better on the shorter models. The wild mouse was about what you expect from a 16 year old Zamperla, but it was cool to ride with my son because it was his first big wild mouse.
Beech Bend also is home to a bunch of flat rides, some that you would find at your local fair and some you may have never seen before, like Scat II, a one-of-a-kind, miniature double-barreled round-up type ride.
We also played the park’s mini golf course, which was free with admission. The course wasn’t in the greatest condition but it’s nice to see it not being treated like an upcharge attraction, like you’d expect to see at other parks.
Other attractions that we didn’t get a chance to ride, but hopefully will on our next visit, are the go-karts, the haunted house, and the surprisingly large water park. Unfortunately our time at the park was cut short with our long drive home that day, but I’d love to get back and make sure to ride the rest of Beech Bend’s weird rides!
If you are a coaster enthusiast or a family with small children, I highly recommend checking out Beech Bend Park. There are a number of small rides under the 42″ height requirement and Kentucky Rumbler is worth the drive itself.
Have you made the trip to Beech Bend? What was your experience like? Check out our Small Park Showcase article on Beech Bend by clicking here!
For more information on Beech Bend, visit their website!
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