The majority of log flumes have some variety of drop, which creates the almighty splash that is guaranteed to soak guests. Arrow development continued to hold a monopoly on the log flume business until the 80s, at which point other manufacturers began to follow suit. Most log flumes utilise some type of conveyor belt lift, and rely on gravity to propel the logs and water down the course. Guests climb aboard elongated boats that are typically shaped and themed to look like logs, which are pushed by water that is pumped into different parts of the course. Quickly, Log Flumes became exceedingly popular and became staples of amusement and theme parks across the world, with much of the design remaining relatively unchanged since. Their first installation was ‘El Aserradero’ (The Sawmill) which debuted at Six Flags Over Texas in 1963, and is still in operation today, with ‘The Mill Race’ following it only a few weeks later at Cedar Point. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that the modern log flume was truly perfected by a company called Arrow Development. And old mill rides, which usually just had a boat that floated along a trough, through darkened mill-building tunnels. The modern-day log flumes are a variant of the shoot-the-chute rides, which still continue to be built today, and featured a larger passenger boat that would slide down a chute and skip along the water at the bottom before being manually hoisted back up the slope. Such rides were the precursor of the modern log-ride amusement park rides.Īs theme park rides developed and evolved into the early 20 th century, boat and chute rides began to pop up, taking their inspiration from this fun-looking logging technology. A ride down the flume would surely rival that of the modern day amusement park ride, as due to gradient of some of these transport channels, the speeds could reach up to 50 miles an hour. On occasion, despite being exceedingly dangerous, flume herders and others would ride down the flume in small crafts or boats, either for inspection or for thrills. However, many took note of the log’s slow-moving trail throughout the mountain ranges and saw there was potential to “re-invent the wheel,” so to speak - specifically, the engineering company Arrow Development, a company dedicated to developing amusement park attractions.Employed by these sawmills, were ‘flume herders’, whose main responsibility it was to inspect the length of the channels, to ensure the lumber wasn’t jamming up and to watch for leaks or breaks in the flume. Thus the seeds for this timeless American attraction were planted.Īs technology continued to advance, the need for these flume systems quickly diminished. They stated this was to provide constant inspections on their progress, however, it is rumored that there was a minor thrill element involved in this as well. In fact, many of these workers would hop into a log themselves and give the flumes a proper ride-through. Developed in the late 1800s, lumberjacks created a complex system of wooden flumes that used a steady flowing stream of water to deliver the wood to the proper sawmill. This need for innovation inspired America’s first log flume system. Even the brawliest of the lumberjacks would have a difficult time making constant treks to deliver said timber on a daily basis. A popular contender during these times was the lumber industry, which often relied on the lush ecosystem in the western mountains.ĭue to the rough and steep terrain, it was nearly impossible for lumber workers to transport large amounts of wood back and forth. Thus, many had to take a cold hard look towards new industries to make a profit. Where some settlers found bountiful fortunes, others were left with nothing but the scraps. However, the sheer demand for gold was outweighed by the vast amount of settlers competing for a slice of the action. Interestingly enough, the history of these attractions doesn’t come from the minds of theme park engineers, but from the rustic frontier of America’s booming lumber industry.ĭuring one of America’s most notable moments in history, the Gold Rush inspired thousands of pioneers to flock to California.

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