First, as we have noted in other posts, the last few hours of the day can often be just about as productive as your first couple of hours, as crowds and lines tend to thin out. Second, the park ambiance at night is truly something special. The lights on the attractions, hearing the rush of the coasters zooming through the dark, and the scenery, which leads nicely into our third and final point: on a clear (or even mostly clear) evening, the sun setting over the surrounding cascade range can make for some of the most spectacular sights you’ll ever see in a theme park.

While Silverwood doesn’t have quite the same line up of “nighttime” attractions that you’d find at, say, Disneyland, there are definitely some rides you’ll want to check out. Obviously, the waterpark closes early, so none of the attractions in that side of the park make the list. But within the dry park, there’s plenty to choose from. As with any “Top 5” or “Top 10” list, we found it difficult to come up with a ranking. After overthinking and changing the list several times, this is what we’re sticking with for now. Here’s our Top 5 Attractions to do at night:

5. ROARING CREEK LOG FLUME

This is one of the rides that we find to be vastly improved at night. The inside of the building looks great all lit up at night, almost having a hint of the “Blue Bayou” feel to it. And the outdoor sections of the ride through the forest are serene, beautiful, and even peaceful. Yes, this has the potential downside of getting you soaked, but we find that most of the time, folks aren’t standing by waiting to soak you with the water cannon in the evening. As long as no one hits you with that, you shouldn’t get very wet. Indeed, one of the reasons we leave Thunder Canyon off the list is that, despite it having many of the same nighttime pros as the log flume, you simply cannot escape that ride without being soaked!

4. SILVERWOOD CENTRAL RAILWAY

We get that some of you might not agree with ranking this so high, but we find this is a tough experience to beat in the evening. If you catch the final train ride of the night, usually just before dusk, you get a wonderful journey through the woods with the sunset. We had such a ride a few years ago, with a particularly spectacular sunset in the background. It was one of the most memorable experiences we’ve ever had at the park. The final rides of the night don’t include the robbery show, but if you’re willing to set that aside on one of your visits, you won’t be sorry. Somehow, everything seems a little more quiet, a little more ambient, a little more…dare we say…magical?

3. PANIC PLUNGE

This should come as no surprise, as it provides the highest “face forward” vantage point in the entire park. The slow ride up to the top gives you ample time to soak in the surrounding mountain range. Also, if you time it just right and get a seat facing west, you can get some incredible views of the sunset in the background with the rest of coaster alley in the foreground.

2. STUNT PILOT

Stunt Pilot is easily our favorite coaster in the park, and at night, it gets even better. The park has an impressive lighting package that kicks in as the sun sets, and it’s almost as much fun to watch as it is to ride! Add to that the fact that all of the quick drops, turns, and flips are slightly less visible, and you’ve got a winner.

1. TIMBER TERROR

Truly it could be said that all the coasters are better at night, but this one stands out for us. The views on the way up the lift hill, particularly if you look to your left, are better than any of the others. The sections at the far turnaround where the train dives through the ride structure are even more surprising in the dark. And the trees that have grown around most of the ride now fully engulf the experience to make it seem even more secluded. We also love the cheesy Christmas lights along the east side of the track…even if they look a bit silly, they have that old-school “carnival” feel to them, which is a nice touch. Most of all, if you are riding this at night in October, you get the backwards version. That, in and of itself, is the best ride in the park, in our humble opinion.

We know, we know. “What about Tremors??? Are you guys NUTS???” Well, yeah maybe a little. 🙂 We love Tremors, don’t get us wrong. And it has a lot of elements that make it a great attraction at night as well. But we actually prefer that ride during the day. The tunnels provide a much bigger contrast when the sun is out vs. the dark. Just our personal preference!