Spectacular park settings

Jeff beat me to it with Kennywood. Next time there, ride the train and look to your left. The park basically sits on a bluff above the Mon River. Plus views of an operational steel mill and a cool set of locks on the river.

Also, I love CP with the water. That adds so much to the atmosphere at the park and makes for some great visuals from Magnum, MF, heck all the big rides!

Idlewild is beautiful for a nice, relaxing day. *** Edited 7/19/2006 5:14:00 AM UTC by beeman65***

I always felt SFOG was a very beautiful park. The hills in that park are a problem for some on a hot day. But I think they add to the excitement and really seperate the attractions nicely. I had my first visit there last year and loved how you really could only see various lift hill crests peaking around the park and then when walking toward them the coaster would kinfa unfold as you got closer to it or went over or came down a hil. GASM at night on the water is beautiful and Ninja is also very cool looking at night too.

I totally agree with Compounce being a really amazing experience too. I've never had an experience quite like the train ride you had there. But I've always enjoyed the layout and especially the train ride and the mountan lift is a nice way to escape from the park and relax for a bit. The log flume there is really nice too. Very unique experience there. Also the New Englandish seaport theme in the water park is reallly nice.

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rablat5 said:
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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I agree with this. The walk between Viper and down the hill to Deja Vu and Psyclone was one of the most gorgeous sections of any park I've been to. I thought the entire place was pretty nice except maybe for the area around Riddler's but then again, that's all supposed to be garish, right? ;) Also, this was my first time to Cali and being a tried and true east coaster, I thought everything about being on the west coast was fascinating.

Quassy,

Hey, It wasn't much of a amusement park when I went but it sure was pretty up thar.

Chuck, who agrees LC was probably the most surreal setting.

We also can't forget Knoebels. The whole park is built in a valley like Kennywood. Geauga Lake used to be scenic but not since the area began building stores and loads of restaurants around the park. Also, half the park faces OH SR43.

Another nice park is Lakemont, I wouldn't call the setting spectacular, but it is not bad either.

I am surprised that as many times as folks mention BGE in topics like this, no one ever mentions BGA. Have any of you ever been to BGA?!? That place is a very beautiful park with lots of great african wildlife and wild preserves; not to mention the outdoor tropical interactive nature walk-throughs with animals, the incredible aquarium and it's surroundings. I think that park is fantastically beautiful that I must go to when I am down there every year.

That being said, I also agree with Jeff about Kennywood and everyone else about CP.

Yeah but theres nothing natural about BGA

It's a beautiful park yes, But it was planted that way.

BGE is natural with some flowers planted for enhansement.

Chuck

Kennywood is not in a valley but its location on a bluff over the Monongahela River certainly is special. In some ways, this park is reminescent of the old Palasades Park in NJ except that it did not have that view of Manhattan.

DelGrossos is another park in a scenic location. It is in the same valley as Lakemont.

DollyWood. With the Smokies there, almost every view is amazing.
They have the best, most scenic SteamTrain ride anywhere.

Chuck has the distinction I'm after. Lots of parks are beautiful through sheer force of will (and lots of bulldozers). Others get a head start. I'm looking for those.

I agree with Kennywood. Thunderbolt and Phantom have the same things going for them that Supes and Rattler do at SFFT, with the added advantage that you can't really see them all in advance.

HKDL has the mountain range in the view of the castle from Main Street. That's worth something right there.

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Charles Nungester said:
Yeah but theres nothing natural about BGA

It's a beautiful park yes, But it was planted that way.

BGE is natural with some flowers planted for enhansement.

Chuck

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That is the silliest thing I have ever heard and is a pretty thin arguement. So, that makes it less beautiful then? I got some news for you, both of those parks weren't always there, they were both built.

*** Edited 7/19/2006 3:06:25 PM UTC by cyberdman***

The question wasn't about beautiful parks, but parks located in beautiful settings. There is a difference.

Trust me. Tampa is a nice beautiful sunny setting.

Two parks that I have never been to have not been mentioned, but from pictures I would think their settings could be considered "spectacular." One is currently SBNO, that would be Ghost Town In The Sky. The park was on TOP of a freakin' mountain for crying out loud! How about this view from a roller coaster?

http://www.rcdb.com/ig234.htm?picture=5

The other would be Scenic World in Australia, home to the SBNO for 20 some years Orphan Rocker roller coaster. The thing has never opened to the public but they still say it will someday. I always loved this picture of it:

http://www.rcdb.com/ig1870.htm?picture=7

You can make out the coaster at the top of the cliff.

I would consider these two parks to be in "spectacular" locations, no?

Tom

matt: Looks like we're in a similar boat here, as I'm used to east coast coasterin', and I just made my first trip to CA this year. I liked the Mountain myself, but it was annoying seeing/experiencing some of what SF has done to that place (also the lack thereof).

As for BGE, sure, it's got natural beauty, but let's not forget that the "Rhine River" there is actually a mad-made body of water, from what I've read or heard. So, in a way, this may have also been "planned".

What about Hersheypark? It's not the most beautiful park, but it is well-kept, pretty in spots, and it has its share of terrain. Also has a creek running through part of the park.

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DWeaver said:
Bonfonte Gardens and...

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

Northern California is just beautiful all around.

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I agree, with SCBB located directly in the middle of Monterey Bay, on a clear day you can see all the way out to Monterey/Carmel and beyond.

And the foothills around BG also provide an amazing backdrop. Especially on certain evenings before the park closes when the fog starts creeping over the Santa Cruz Mountains towards the park, talk about surreal!

I like Cedar point's looking out at the lake and sometimes seeing a ship.

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rablat5 said:
What about Hersheypark? It's not the most beautiful park, but it is well-kept, pretty in spots, and it has its share of terrain. Also has a creek running through part of the park.

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The area around Coment and SDL and Great Bear is as pretty an area as I've ever been in at a park. I love the atmosphere, I love the shear amount of rides packed in, but there's still much natural beauty with the creek and the trees and everything.

Very unique, very pretty I think.

Ghost Town in the Sky had an amazing setting as seen in the above picks. Hopefully the park will reopen someday.

Dollywood, on the other side of the Smokies, has a nice valley location. Too bad so many condos have been built on the mountains around the park. It doesn't feel quite as remote as it use to.

SFOG has a beautiful hillside setting as well.

What about Holiday Word? Think about the big three....Voyage, Legend, Raven....All are terrain. The park is also in Santa Claus, Indiana. That is a cool setting!

I agree with BGE! That is the most beautiful park I have ever seen!

Also....Kennywood and BGA are beuatiful. Kennywood for being on that steep hillside overlooking the Monongahela river and Busch Gardens Africa with their Serengeti Plain and dense jungles.

I can't make a decision.