What is an ‘alpine coaster’? Get a preview of the twists and turns down a NC mountain
A car that looks like a bobsled on a track points down the mountain. The rider has the force of gravity and a break to control their speed as they zip through the twists and turns along the 2,100-foot track.
The Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster takes riders on a dizzying ride down Sugar Mountain, a skiing area in Banner Elk. One or two people can ride in each cart.
The new “alpine coaster” is set to open in February in the North Carolina mountains.
Mountain roller coasters are popular attractions in Europe’s resorts in Switzerland and Austria.
“My parents retired in the area and wanted to bring an attraction for individuals already up in the area for families to do in their downtime,” Ashley Brown, whose parents own the new attraction, told ABC11.
“We rode these when we were stationed in Germany and fell in love with them.”
There are several alpine coasters just over the state line around Gatlinburg, Tennessee, but this is the first one to come to North Carolina, the company said.
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 9:13 AM with the headline "What is an ‘alpine coaster’? Get a preview of the twists and turns down a NC mountain."
