Silverwood Theme Park celebrates 35 years with new thrills

The largest theme park in the Pacific Northwest is in Idaho's panhandle, about an hour east of Spokane.

It all started with a train. In 1986, Gary Norton outbid the Walt Disney Company for the purchase of a narrow-gauge stream train to be used at his Aerodome in Athol, Idaho. Two years later, Silverwood Theme Park opened with a small collection of carnival rides and a "Main Street" of shops and eateries. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, the park boasts of over 70 rides, shows and attractions, including five major roller coasters and an adjacent Boulder Beach water park. If it has been a while since you last visited, or ever visited, now is a good time to see what's new.

Roller coaster fans will appreciate that the park has recently re-tracked the two wooden coasters with steel along the twists and turns. The Timber Terror and Tremors coasters are two huge favorites of the park, but they were a bit jarring for folks. The new metal plates have really smoothed out the rides. No more sore necks!

Speaking of coasters, just two years ago, the park introduced the Stunt Pilot roller coaster. The single-rail coaster is a callback to the park's earlier Aerodome days, where every rider becomes a stunt pilot, at least for a short while. The coaster features an 87-degree drop, a dive loop and a corkscrew. Continuously going, Stunt Pilot is the fastest loading ride in the park, too!

The park has really upped its game in the area of live entertainment, as well. While resident magician Nick Norton has always drawn a crowd with his award-winning show (and is still very much worth going to), Silverwood has added a number of other live new shows around the park.

Although the #7 train has been a feature of the park since day one, it is a lot more than just a ride through the forest land behind the "town" of Silverwood. Running every hour, the 30-minute ride is actually one of two shows. During the "Silver Mine Shootout: The Search for Sasquatch," guides Ruby and Eddie will point out all of the wildlife hidden in the back woods while also searching for the reclusive Sasquatch. "Rescue Mission: Saving Sasquatch" is a similar show with tour guides leading the way to rescue Sasquatch from some evil poachers. Both shows are family-friendly comedies with fight scenes, shoot-outs and even plot twists! Compared to older shows on the rails, these are a lot more fun for kids AND their parents as the characters walk up and down the train and interact with guests throughout the ride.

Over at the High Moon Saloon on Main Street, Marvin the Moose is a literal talking head. The animatronic shares his stories about "moose life" before his life was changed walking in front of the train. It sounds gruesome, but kids love him.

The saloon also offers the brand new "High Moon Saloon Variety Show" – an old-timey vaudeville show with featuring a mentalist, a soprano, a mime, a ventriloquist and a villain! While the silly show is not quite Cirque du Soleil, it is an enjoyable way to way to eat pulled pork sliders.

While on the subject of food, the park is known for its wide variety of food options, from pizza to burrito bowls, and at reasonable prices, too. New this year, the Sugar Shack has a locally sourced huckleberry funnel cake that looks amazing. Pick one up before 5 p.m. for just five bucks!

Beat the crowd and come to the park early before the official opening time so you can enjoy the incredible cinnamon bread offered at the Silverwood Coffee Roasting and Trading Co. It's huge, so share it with someone or two. The bread is soft with a crunchy cinnamon coating and gooey icing on top.

While you can enjoy the park in one day, having a full day for Boulder Beach is totally worth it. This popular section features two group river-rafting type slides (for up to four people), three high-intensity slides and four classic waterslides at Rumble Falls. They also have not one but two wave pools and a Riptide Racer slide track where you can race your family – safely. Tired of excitement? Relax along the Elkhorn Lazy River. Come early and you can find a nice spot on the sand next to the "river." While always a hit with the kids, adults appreciate the float-up bar, The Cove.

Boulder Beach also features the ever-popular Polliwog Park with multiple kiddie slides, spraying contraptions and the "dreaded" huge bucket of water that pours out every so often.

The only thing new at the park that isn't pure fun is the increase in parking fees from $5 to $10, but it's still a much better deal than competing theme parks.

Silverwood is about 15 miles from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and about a five-hour drive from Seattle, depending on traffic.

Jeff Totey is a freelance writer for Seattle Refined. See more of his work here.