Located in northern Idaho, Silverwood Theme Park first opened its doors on June 20, 1988. Since then, the park has seen many changes over the years, including the opening of sister park Boulder Beach Water Park in 2003.
With much anticipation, a new 3.86-acre site opened this summer. The $15 million expansion includes a number of new amenities, food and beverage offerings, a new children’s playground, and the park’s newest attraction: a dueling water coaster.
Think of it as a combination roller coaster and water slide where you race against someone. Gravity sends riders down the slides while jets of water shoot them up the hills of the track. Whatever you just imagined, double it and you have Eagle Hunt!
Eagle Hunt is the first roller coaster in the West to have two water slides attached to it, and with 920 feet of slides, it is the longest in the United States. Instead of just one slide, there are two identical slides that allow pairs of riders to compete against each other. My family and I were some of the first to experience Eagle Hunt, so here are my thoughts on the new attraction.
As you might expect, Eagle Hunt immediately becomes Boulder Beach’s most popular attraction when the gates open, and the lines don’t clear until the park closes. Groups of two are weighed just behind the giant metal eagle sculpture. The ride’s rafts require two people. The combined weight of the two riders cannot exceed 450 pounds, but must be at least 150 pounds, and no single rider can weigh more than 300 pounds. Riders of all ages are welcome as long as they are over 42 inches tall (children must also be accompanied by an adult).
As the riders climb the many stairs, their rafts ride on what I like to call the “raft lift.” At the top, the riders are weighed again to determine who goes in front and who goes in back. (Hint: the heavier vehicle sits in back.) Two rafts are placed side by side on a large conveyor belt. The belts propel the riders onto their slides and the race begins!
The two rafts start the journey together and then separate in opposite directions. After a few hills, the rafts pass each other on a bridge and separate again, whipping around corners and traveling through tubes. Just before the end, the two rafts come back together for the final finish.
It’s pretty cool to be shot up the hills by jets of water, but we had to get used to the water pelting down on us on each hill. It’s considered a “high intensity ride,” but not too scary. Everyone (including us) seemed to really enjoy the experience, and we couldn’t wait to try it again.
Eagle Hunt was designed for large crowds, and Silverwood estimates that up to 720 people per hour could experience the ride. However, when we were there, the ride was interrupted at least three times while we were waiting in line. I’m told that some of the ride’s sensors were incorrectly measuring the weight of some of the rafts, causing the ride to be stopped immediately. The riders on the raft with the incorrect measurement were escorted out of their rafts and to the front of the line to try the ride again. A few staff members then had to reset each of the eight sensors (four for each slide) before the ride could start again. It only took a few minutes to reset the ride, with the goal of “safety first.” Still, it hadn’t warmed up yet in the morning, so the air was pretty chilly as we stood on the tower waiting for the ride to start again. Eagle Hunt is still so new that it might take some time for everything to be fully optimized. But it’s exciting and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
Eagle Hunt is part of the new Emerald Forest section of the water park, which also features the Salmon Run waterslides and splash pad for young children under 54 inches tall. The area features eight different “fun slides” in different shapes and colors, each corresponding to a different fish that swims in Idaho’s lakes and rivers. Unlike Polliwog Park (which is similar to Wild Waves’ children’s area), Salmon Run is a gentler area for little sliders.
Emerald Forest is also home to Rapids Grill, which serves cheeseburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, chicken strips, turkey legs, salads, fruit cups and desserts, allowing guests to come and go in record time. While the food isn’t as fancy as Silverwood’s signature full-service restaurant, Lindy’s, it’s still pretty tasty and reasonably priced. The Forest is also home to Northern Flights beverage center, which offers a selection of beers, tropical frozen alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. We had no problem walking up to the counter and ordering right away. Between the two buildings, you’ll find plenty of picnic tables with umbrellas.
Finally, the Emerald Forest also offers many cabanas, larger villas and two pavilions for really large groups.
Even with the new attractions at the park, most families can experience everything Silverwood has to offer in one day. But if you can take two days, do it. It’s nice to spend a day at the water park and a day at the “dry” park without feeling like you’re missing out on anything. Silverwood is about 320 miles from Seattle and only 20 miles from Coeur d’Alene, ID.
While Silverwood will remain in operation until September 22, Boulder Beach will close for the season on September 2, 2024.
Jeff Totey is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined. Read more of his work here.
