A Bit More Detail

And just a few weeks after our last visit to Lake Compounce, we went back today. Sam had actually bought a season pass, which for Compounce is a really good deal that pays for itself almost immediately, particularly if you use the three buddy passes that come with it. So we only had to buy one new ticket for this visit.

We went today because my daughter's summer job is giving her some weekdays off instead of weekends, and unlike some regional parks, Compounce's waterpark was now open (it wasn't on our last visit). Hours were short, though, and it was an "Education Day" attended by many school field trips. So crowds were, not heavy, but a little heavier than before and very tilted toward large crowds of teenagers.

The only coaster we got on was Wildcat again, which has become a new favorite of my daughter. This time we sat near the front, which made for a less forceful ride but more impressive visuals. (Boulder Dash actually wasn't running today, or I'd had tried for a front-row ride there, which I've heard is essential.)

But we did do a bit of splashing around in the lake itself at the small beach there, and rode the park's large family raft slide, Mammoth Falls. But the real highlight of the day was that Compounce's excellent but frequently inoperative raft ride, Thunder Rapids, was actually operating! And, yeah, we got multiple rides on that thing. Here's Canobie Coaster's off-ride footage, which gives you some idea of the nice landscaping:



This is in an area oddly isolated from the rest of the park, far out along the west edge of the lake. The miniature steam train does now have a station there, but the vintage trolley that used to also run out there is gone. Anyway, it's easily the best of these rapids rides in New England, far livelier than Blizzard River at Six Flags, or Dr. Geyser's Remarkable Raft Ride at Story Land. When it's actually running, it's imperative to ride it.