Dollywood rides that have gone away

 

Some of us were discussing old rides at Dollywood that are no longer there. This was one of my favorites.

The Mountain Slidewinder

The hike up to this ride was no joke. 

I remember my mom waiting on the platform at the bottom for us to arrive, then we'd race back up the hill to go again. The rush of the ride was worth the climb up the hill. My mom would wait there for us to keep going over and over, until the hill won out and we wanted to go do something else in the park. This was by far my favorite ride ever, and one that I doubt will ever be replaced, sadly. 

Another oldie but goodie that is no longer around is the Flooded Mine. It was pretty morbid, but comical. They had to close it more than once for copperhead infestations. Incidentally, they had a similar issue with Blazing Fury one summer. Things you wish you didn't know. 

The Ferris wheel is long gone too. There are many gems that still remain though, and if you know where to look, there's plenty of stuff still around from that glorious first summer of Dollywood.