Spectacular park settings

The CP TR thread genearted what I think is an interesting question: what parks are in unique, beautiful, or otherwise interesting physical settings?

For example, CP is surrounded by water, and the views from the top of nearly any ride are excellent. As another, SFFT has that awesome quarry wall, and several rides (including Supes) use it to its maximum potential.

What other parks get an extra nod just because of where they are?

I enjoy wooded and hilly parks. Silver Dollar City is a prime example.

I think people would agree with BGE. The Williamsburg park is a beauty.

X Factor

Rye Playland - sandwiched between a lake and the Long Island Sound make this a rather interesting park.

Busch Gardens Europe (Williamsburg) - Huge ravine in the middle of the park with a manmade lake in it. Generally a very beautiful park.

Indiana Beach - a boardwalk like pier in the middle of Indiana...set on a lake/river.

Conneaut Lake Park - built near a large lake in Pennsylvania.

Waldameer - built on a pennisula like Cedar Point, only smaller and not at the tip.

Knoebels - built in the middle of the mountains at a converging point of 2 creeks.

I generally like seaside settings best, but Alton Towers has a beautiful setting. I didn't get a chance to walk through, but took in the gardens from the skyride.

http://www.towerstimes.co.uk/rides/gardens/gardens.htm

Prater is also very unique due to the fact that it's in the middle of the city and you can literally stroll in to any point in the park. It's funny seeing bikers and dog walkers cruising through an amusement park. *** Edited 7/19/2006 1:28:31 AM UTC by PT300***

Parque Espana in Japan. From the parks hotel you get an unbelievable view of the ocean(At least I think it was the ocean). Much better than CP's view.

Furthermore, the park itself is just amazing, great dark rides, fantastic inverted, and equally fantastic Mack minetrain. *** Edited 7/19/2006 1:49:05 AM UTC by Coasterphan***

Silverwood.

Can't argue with Compounce. Here's an anectode:

One of my all time favorite park moments was at the halloween event last year. We rode the train which was pretty dark (and quite spooky) just before closing. As we got to the far end of the course the conductor stopped the train for about 30 seconds or so.

We could see the entire park reflected in the lake, with the lights shimmering and gleaming on all the rides. We could faintly hear Boulderdash roaring through it's course, faint screams, and the gentle lapping of the lake against the shore.

And it was magic. I said to my friends "Wow...this is it," and that's all I could really say. The train was completely full and I didn't hear anybody else say a thing. It was a perfect moment, and somewhat profound as well. I was at a gorgeous park, at the end of a perfect day, with people I loved, and I couldn't help but be...reaffirmed? Its moments like that that define why I am in this hobby in the first place.

I can't help but get goosebumps thinking about it now. I only have had two or three other moments like that at a park but that was definately just momumental to me and it couldn't have happened if I wasn't at such a beautiful place.

Cedar Point- The view of the lake from the bigger rides are really nice and the pennensula gives you a feeling of being away from everything.

Dollywood- The wooden and mountain terrain(SP) is very nice and it's like your really in an old thrilling log cabin town.

Six Flags St. Louis- You have the view of the mountains and the park is on the bottom of one and the park is unique for a six flags,

Busch Gardens Europe- Beautiful.

Wow, no mention of Kennywood? How many parks can have a coaster where the last drop is the biggest, because of the terrain? I can even overlook that it's near Pittsburgh. ;)

Bonfonte Gardens and...

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk- Talk about a beautiful seaside location.

Northern California is just beautiful all around.

I agree about LC. How many parks have both a lake and a mountain in them?

Idlewild Park is a nice wooded park with a creek running through it and it is in a mountain valley.

Now some of you may love to hate this place, but I think that SFMM has a cool location. The fact that the park is built on and around the "mountain" makes for some cool terrain and rides.

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JOberts15 said:
Six Flags St. Louis- You have the view of the mountains...

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Mountains? In Missouri?

I would agree with the setting of the park if I didn't have to look at I-44 from the back of the park.

*** Edited 7/19/2006 3:18:07 AM UTC by Neuski***

What about Denver's Lakeside Park? Sure the park is a bit run down in some places but that view of the park from across the lake is awesome at night.

I'd toss in Tokyo DisneySea for, at least, interesting physical setting. Standing in the American Waterfront area, you can look out of the park to the ocean beyond, and never realize there's a busy road and the monorail between you and all that water.

It is possibly the most beautiful Disney park.

I would agree about Lakeside in Denver -- a beautiful sight at night. *** Edited 7/19/2006 3:51:33 AM UTC by slithernoggin***

Canobie Lake Park-A traditional park nesseled in the New Hampshire woods and on a lake, need I say more?

Ocean Park - Hong Kong

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Neuski said:
Mountains? In Missouri?

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He might have meant Ozark Mountains, but I don't think those go up that far north. And yes we do have mountains in Missouri -- they are just as big as those in TN and KY.

You're right, but as you said, Eureka probably doesn't reach any said Missouri "mountains".