Roller Coasters in Washington

Ooh, we’re getting to the bottom of our list now! Let’s take a look at roller coasters in Washington state. We don’t have a whole lot going on here – one kinda ho-hum theme park (which is mostly a water park), a state fair, one mountain coaster, and a scattering of kiddie coasters. Some of these places are a little obscure (or at least don’t have a great online presence) so always check prices and hours before you visit.

Click on each coaster’s name below for a video of the ride! Ride all the roller coasters in Washington from your house!

Wild Waves Theme & Water Park

First up, Wild Waves Theme & Water Park is just outside of Tacoma with four roller coasters on its theme park side. They’ve got Timberhawk: Ride of Prey, Washington’s largest wooden roller coaster, and Wild Thing, a corkscrew ride. Plus Klondike Gold Rusher, a mad mouse ride in mine cars, and a rocket-ship-themed Kiddie Coaster.

Other theme park rides include a get-wet boat chute, disc’0, one of those Kennywood-like 360-degree looping rides (here, it’s an axe), a seated zip line, and a drop tower. On the tamer side, there’s a skateboard-like ship (might be closer to a rockin tug), a classic Ferris Wheel, carousel, pirate ship, bumper cars, hanglider, scrambler, a kangaroo bouncing ride, and a roulette-style spinner. For little kids, there’s a train, frog hopper, antique cars that look like safari jeeps, and cars, boats, and planes that go in a circle. The water park side adds 10 more attractions.

Admission

A single-day ticket can be as much as $63, though right now, it’s $53 online. Parking costs an extra $20-25. Right now, season passes (which include parking) are only $73.

Washington State Fair

Our next-largest option is the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, a bit south and east of Tacoma. They have a few static coasters and rides that are only accessible during the Spring Fair (this year April 11-14 & 18-21) and the Washington State Fair (Aug 20-Sept 22.) There are other events at the fairgrounds throughout the year, like concerts, Octoberfest, and a Christmas fair, but I’m not sure if the coasters are open then. Some of the flat rides may be.

At the fair, they have the Classic Coaster, a smallish woodie, and Wildcat, a rickety Schwarzkopf steel ride. Other rides look to be mainly a sky ride and several flat rides in an area called ThrillVille. Farther down, an area called SillyVille is just for kids.

Admission

Admission to the Spring Fair are the only prices currently posted. It’s anywhere from $11-17, depending on the day and how early you buy. Online is better than at the gate, and early bird trumps all.

Ride tickets cost extra. And as usual, the more you buy, the better deal you get. It sounds like rides take anywhere from 10-15 tickets, so I imagine they cost around 50 cents each? There’s no info on how much the coasters cost; I imagine it’s on the highest end. (I see a photo where solo rides are not allowed on Wildcat.) Parking costs an extra $25-30.

Remlinger Farms

I thought this might be another limited-time festival park, but no! Remlinger Farms in Carnation (directly east of Seattle) has a fun park that’s open on the weekends starting on Mother’s Day weekend, then “5 days a week” during the summer (not totally sure what 5 days – I expect Tuesdays and Wednesdays are off?), then back to weekends until Halloween. Make sure to visit their extensive calendar before you visit to make sure.

They’ve got one kiddie coaster, the Mine-Twister. There’s also a train, a zip line, pony trail rides, antique cars, carousel, flying pumpkins, scrambler, canoes, spinning barrels, pedal cars, a swing, a slide, a classic Ferris Wheel, a drop tower, little trampolines, and self-propelled spinners. There are also farm animals, a cafe, a brewery, and a big country store on site, plus seasons of U-Pick fruit crops.

I cannot tell how much it costs! Maybe since they haven’t opened for the season, they haven’t set ticket prices yet. It seems all-inclusive and not per-ride. But parking is free! They mention that.

Country Mercantile

Country Mercantile is a big produce store in the middle of the state of Washington, in the wine-producing area near Richmond and Pasco. Looking at the website, it seems to be popular for their deli and chocolates as well. And there’s a small amusement village and labyrinth next door, including a kiddie Roller Coaster.

There’s no information on the website about the amusement rides. It may only be open seasonally and who knows how much it costs. All rides look like they are for smaller kids.

Playtime Family Fun

Playtime Family Fun is a go-kart & arcade kinda place, and the only amusement rides found nearish the ocean. You can find it in Ocean Shores on North Bay, directly west of Olympia. Among the rides is one kiddie Roller Coaster. There are also go-karts, a slick track, bumper cars, arcade games, virtual reality games, and ice cream.

Everything is priced individually. A ride on the roller coaster is $7 each. (I can’t find any videos for this one, sorry!)

Leavenworth Adventure Park

Finally, we have one mountain coaster in Washington, the Tumwater Twister at the very Bavarian-themed Leavenworth Adventure Park, east of Seattle. Besides the alpine coaster, they have a climbing wall and gem mining.

Each attraction carries a separate cost. The Tumwater Twister costs $20 for a single ride, $36 for two rides for adults. And it seems to be open year-round! The climbing wall is $12 and the mining sluice is $8. Parking is free.

Water Parks in Washington

There are some decent options for water parks in Washington, and not just around the Seattle area! Slidewater looks pretty cool to me.

• Wild Waves Theme & Water Park has far more water slides than roller coasters. There are 9 slides, 1 kid’s splash tower, a lazy river, a wave pool, an activity pool with jumping-off areas, and warming pools. Admission is $53-63 for the whole park (not just the water slides) and parking is an additional $20-25.
• Slidewaters overlooking Lake Chelan features 8 big slides, 4 smaller slides, a kid’s area, lazy river, activity pool, a zero-depth entry pool with a large tipping bucket, hot tub, sand volleyball, and the “world’s largest stationary wave” for surfing lessons. Admission is $36 and under, $25 after 3 pm. I don’t see any information about having to pay for parking. Surfing lessons are extra.

• Birch Bay Waterslides is way up near Canada and features 7-8 slides, a kiddie pool with 3 slides, a small zero-entry pool, and a long hot tub. Prices last year were $20-27, less after 3 pm.
• There’s a Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound with an indoor water park. They feature 3 slides, 3 kid’s areas & slides, a wave pool, some activity pools, and hot springs. A day pass can be as much as $110, or as low as $32 for a half day. Parking is usually free.

• Surf n’ Slide Waterpark on Moses Lake is a regional park with 3 slides, a lazy river, kid’s splash pad and slides, and a FlowRider surf simulator. A daily pass is $10-19

Did I miss anything? Have you been to any of these parks? What are you looking forward to doing this year? Let me know in the comments below!