Lakemont Park

I remember when the kiddie coaster at Lakemont wasn't operating exactly as it should and the ride operator sometimes had to push the train to get it to the chain. In one case, part of the the ride operator's body (I believe it was an arm) got caught between a car and the track while the train was going up the chain lift causing a serious injury.

Skyliner is a great ride. One of the most underrated/unacknowledged coasters in the country, IMHO. I'd kill to have a ride like that in my backyard.

That Skyliner really had some defined airtime on the first hill... and depending on where you sat, it was at excact opposite ends of the hill. The front seat lifts you out on the crest of the 2nd hill after the 1st drop, the back sends you out on the actual 1st drop itself... was very cool :)

The Skyliner has a great name. Think about it. Imagine seeing it across a lake at a resort. All the neon lit, with a new paint job.

Personally, I think it could really shine with Vettle trains like the Conneaut Lake's Blue Streak.

Its a great midsized coaster that could fit at any park. *** Edited 6/6/2007 1:11:25 AM UTC by Agent Johnson***

It just might be my favorite John Allen coaster, which is kinda ironic because it's not much like other John Allen coasters. It's short and compact, not tall and sprawling. It has one turnaround with a dip and another with a curving drop instead of just flat ones. It has numerous crossovers while most of his rides have none.

Nothing against Lakemont, but I'd love to see Skyliner at a more "complete" park in a great setting. With the neon, of course. How about neon along the circuit instead of chaser lights?

Is there any other ballpark (major or minor league) where there is a roller coaster just beyond the outfield fence? That's where the Skyliner is amd Altoona Curve fans can see the lettering on the coaster train saying GO CURVE.

The Skyliner is in a great setting..what other coaster can you ride and watch a baseball game too? :)

^^ Probably not today. But Boardwalk & Baseball likely integrated the two concepts rather nicely ;)

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Ex_Westview and KW_worker said:
The Skyliner is in a great setting..what other coaster can you ride and watch a baseball game too?

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Almost had that situation with Coney Island Thunderbolt if it was still there and in operation.

Well, you can see Keyspan Park from the Cyclone!

Glad to see so many people talking about Lakemont Park / The Skyliner / The Leap The Dips, etc. Some of the information in the posts isaccurate, some is not. You are ALWAYS WELCOME to send me an email with any of your comments, questions or concerns. Barry Kumpf - General Manager - Lakemont Park - Altoona, PA bakparkmanager@aol.com Thank you!

Its always great to hear from the heirarchy.

Great to see you post here Barry :)

Leap-the-Dips was awesome, I can't wait to ride it again - stopped by last year to pick up the Herschell kiddie credit (wasn't running for RideFest, '04 maybe), but LtD was down and the kiddie wasn't taking adults. Is that a permanent change in policy on the Herschell? They are getting tougher and tougher to get. Thanks!

Is Leap The Dips running reliably this year? I'm thinking of going to Lakemont this weekend.

The Coney Island minor league baseball team is appropriately called the Cyclone after the roller coaster. It is a farm team of the Mets.

Years ago, Idora Park in Youngstown had a ballpark where the Youngstown minor league team played. It was right next to the Jack Rabbit coaster.

I would visit Lakemont all of the time evenings after work when I lived in Altoona. Feeding the fish, ducks, and geese near the bridge to the island waterpark was one of my favorite things to do there. Skyliner is one of my favorite wooden coasters.

Lakemont is nowhere near perfect, but if someone finds himself close the park with some extra time, why not spend at least a few hours there? ...and then shoot over to DelGrosso's for a few more.

It seems like a few people like to put Lakemont down as "Del Grosso's poor cousin", but personally, I much preferred the former. LtD has all that incredible history and uniqueness, and both it and Skyliner have character that no coaster at DG can compare to. Skyliner is a great ride, almost the platonic ideal of what a woodie should be.

The main point: both parks are worth visiting, even on the same trip. They are small and inexpensive making it easy to do both on the same day. Lakemont has rides that DelGrossos lacks such as wooden coasters and a car ride. DelGrossos has that Crazy Mouse and the antique carousel. You could thnik of these two parks as a mid-sized park that is in two pieces, about 10 or 15 miles apart. Total cost for ride all day at both parks is a little over $20 without discounts.

Point well taken. You really can't go to one without going to the other (unless you happen to live in Altoona). I'm not putting down Del Grossos. It's just I don't like seeing Lakemont getting short shrift from enthusiasts.

I'm actually going to Lakemont for the first time on June 26th. I wasn't planning on going to del Grossos at all, but might have to stop by depending on how the first part of the day at Lakemont goes.

Can't wait for LtD and the Skyliner.