Visitors to Ohio − home to the roller coaster capital of the world − can say hello to the state’s newest thrill ride: a mountain coaster nestled in the woods of Hocking Hills.
Construction on the coaster is about to begin, and it’s expected to be done in late winter or early spring, according to Jake Ryan, the managing partner of Jake Ryan Realty, the company responsible for the development of the project. They announced the plans in an Instagram post July 10.
Ryan said he has a management company that is responsible for about 270 cabins in the Hocking Hills area that serve as tourist accommodations. They often get feedback from their guests that there aren’t enough things to do in the area, which is heavily wooded and sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
“Obviously the Hocking Hills [area] is beautiful,” Ryan said. “There’s tons of hiking and caves and waterfalls and things to see, but from a true activity side, it’s lacking a little bit.”
After riding on a mountain coaster by Flathead Lake in Montana, Ryan felt inspired to bring something similar to Ohio. Although discussions about the project began years ago, he said the company first began seriously planning it last year.
The coaster is being built on a 55-acre property and will be built in tandem with a building for souvenirs and ticket purchases. Ryan said the coaster itself will only take up about 10-15 acres of the land, and they currently have no plans for what to put on the rest of the lot.
The ride will last about five minutes, cover about 3,600 feet of track and seat two people per cart. About 25 carts will be running on the coaster at any given time, allowing it to serve up to 350 people each hour, according to Ryan.
Currently, the company is estimating ticket costs to be around $18 to $20 per person. Ryan also said they are discussing providing discounts to locals and collaborating with schools in the area for events.
Overall, Ryan said the feedback they’ve gotten from the Hocking Hills community has been less than positive, but the feedback from visitors has been very good.
“The feedback, for the most part, was great; a lot of people are really excited,” Ryan said. “The tough part is locals are frustrated with the project and feel that it’s not a great thing for the area.”
Despite this negativity, Ryan maintains that the coaster will have a positive impact on the community and said he recognizes the importance of avoiding over-commercialization and over-development. Although he declined to share the overall cost of development, he said the coaster will bring about 40 new jobs to the area.
“I felt that this project was a good balance of bringing additional revenue and jobs to this area but not over-commercializing it or destroying land,” Ryan said. “There’s little-to-no site work for this project. The coaster itself bobs and weaves through the trees. We designed it around the forest.”
Dispatch reporter Lilli Malone can be reached at lmalone@dispatch.com or on Instagram at @lillimwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Hocking Hills to open mountain coaster
Reporting by Lilli Malone, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Lilli Malone, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
