Big Dipper (Camden Park)

The Big Dipper is a wooden roller coaster located at Camden Park in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. Manufactured by National Amusement Devices, the ride opened in 1958 and is both the largest and oldest roller coaster in West Virginia.

Big Dipper
Camden Park
Location	Camden Park
Coordinates	38°23′49″N 82°31′54″W
Status	Operating
Opening date	1958
General statistics
Manufacturer	National Amusement Devices
Duration	1:40
Big Dipper at RCDB

As of July 2024, it is one of only three roller coasters manufactured by National Amusement Devices to still be operating, with the other two being Little Dipper at the same park, and Wildcat at Frontier City.

History

The Big Dipper was conceived when Camden Park owner, John Boylin, wanted to replace the park's side friction coaster, Roller Coaster. Roller Coaster closed in 1957 and was swiftly replaced with Big Dipper, which opened the following year.

On May 12, 2019, American Coaster Enthusiasts designated the Big Dipper as a Coaster Landmark.

Ride experience

Once the train leaves the station, riders make a right turn into the 50 foot (15 m) chain lift hill. After ascending the lift hill, riders immediately dip down before rising back up into a left turn, which leads into the main drop. The ride then rises into a hill and turns left over the station. The ride then features a second large drop that leads riders into a tunnel. Inside the tunnel, riders experience another turn, which leads into two small hills that goes into a manual brake run, concluding the ride experience. In total, one ride cycle lasts about 1 minute and 40 seconds.