Grizzly
Product brand
UnclaimedGrizzly is a wooden roller coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, known for its forest setting and double figure-eight layout.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Grizzly is a wooden roller coaster and named attraction at Kings Dominion amusement park in Doswell, Virginia. It opened on March 27, 1982, as the park's principal new thrill attraction for that season. Kings Dominion promoted the ride as taller than the popular Racer 75 and as an attraction intended for serious thrill-seekers. Rather than relying on an elaborate narrative or technological theme, Grizzly creates its identity through isolation and environmental immersion: much of the ride is hidden within dense woodland in the park's Old Virginia area, making it difficult for guests to see the track or judge the experience before entering the queue. The coaster was designed by Curtis D. Summers. Its layout is closely related to the Wildcat roller coaster formerly operated at the early Coney Island amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio, which was demolished in 1964. A substantially similar Summers-designed coaster, Wilde Beast, operated at Canada's Wonderland. Grizzly's track follows a double figure-eight configuration, initially winding through forest before moving into a larger infield section. The surrounding trees and restricted sightlines are central to the attraction's character, creating the impression of entering an isolated wilderness rather than simply boarding a visible park ride. The attraction's physical presentation reinforces that concept. Its station and support structures use faux timber-frame cabin architecture, while the coaster itself is finished in a gray-brown wood tone. The trains use orange and yellow colors. A simulated stone carving of a grizzly bear stands near the queue, and the ride's woodland setting supplies most of its thematic content. The ride is not definitively themed as a narrative attraction; instead, its environment evokes the natural habitat associated with its name. In 2019, the Grizzly Gulch gift shop was added along the route to the attraction, replacing the former Dinosaurs Alive gift shop and serving as a themed approach to the ride. Grizzly has undergone several rounds of maintenance and modernization. Sections of the track were retracked during portions of the 2009 and 2011 seasons. A larger refurbishment in 2016 replaced the first and second hills with new wood and running rails and rebuilt the station floor using wooden planks. After Labor Day in 2022, the ride closed for a major project led by The Gravity Group. Approximately 1,040 feet of track was retracked, the first drop was steepened from 45 to 55 degrees, and the fan turn after the tunnel was reprofiled to improve its transition. The work also increased the stated overall length by approximately 12 feet, bringing it to about 3,162 feet. Grizzly reopened on May 13, 2023, with a smoother and more comfortable ride experience while retaining its original wooden-coaster identity.
History
Grizzly was developed for Kings Dominion's 1982 operating season as a major wooden thrill attraction. The park announced the project in a March 15, 1982 press release, presenting the ride as taller than Racer 75 and targeting dedicated thrill-seekers. It opened on March 27, 1982, in the Old Virginia section of the park. The ride was designed by Curtis D. Summers. Its configuration was strongly influenced by the Wildcat roller coaster at the former Coney Island amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio. Wildcat had been demolished in 1964, but its double figure-eight concept was carried into Grizzly and into the similar Wilde Beast at Canada's Wonderland, also designed by Summers. Grizzly's placement was an important part of its identity. The first half of the ride travels through existing forest, while the latter portion enters a larger infield. The dense vegetation conceals much of the coaster from nearby paths, preventing guests from easily assessing the track before riding. Grizzly's theming is environmental rather than story-driven. The attraction is intended to suggest a grizzly bear's wilderness habitat through woods, cabin-style architecture, natural wood colors, and a stone bear carving at the queue entrance. The station and support building resemble timber-framed cabins. The ride's orange-and-yellow trains contrast with the gray-brown wooden structure. Signage and visual details around the queue have changed over time; a replacement sign was installed near the entrance in 2009 after an earlier sign had disappeared. The coaster required periodic structural maintenance. It closed for portions of the 2009 and 2011 seasons while track work was performed. In 2016, the first and second hills were comprehensively retracked with new wood and running rails. The station floor was also replaced, changing it from laminated plywood sheets to wooden planks. In April 2019, Kings Dominion added the Grizzly Gulch gift shop along the path to the attraction. The shop replaced the Dinosaurs Alive gift shop and contributed additional themed treatment to the approach. After Labor Day in 2022, Grizzly closed for its most substantial documented modernization. The Gravity Group retracked approximately 1,040 feet of the ride. The first drop was modified from 45 degrees to 55 degrees, and the fan turn following the tunnel was reprofiled to create a smoother transition. The stated length increased by approximately 12 feet to 3,162 feet, or about 964 meters. Grizzly reopened on May 13, 2023. The refurbishment preserved the ride's original wooden-coaster character while addressing comfort and ride quality. The attraction remains an operating Kings Dominion ride whose principal appeal is the combination of classic wooden-coaster forces and a secluded woodland setting.
- 2023
Refurbished ride reopens
[1]Grizzly returned on May 13 after extensive retracking, a steeper first drop, and a reprofiled fan turn.
- 2022
Major refurbishment begins
[1]The attraction closed after Labor Day for a major retracking and layout-modification project by The Gravity Group.
- 2019
Grizzly Gulch added
[1]Kings Dominion introduced a themed Grizzly Gulch gift shop along the approach to the attraction.
- 2016
First and second hills rebuilt
[1]The first two hills received new wood and running rails, and the station floor was reconstructed.
- 2011
Additional seasonal retracking
[1]Grizzly was closed for part of the season while further track work was carried out.
- 2009
Track maintenance and renewed ride signage
[1]The ride closed for part of the season for retracking, and a new sign was installed near the queue entrance during the year.
- 1982
Kings Dominion announces Grizzly
[1]A March 15 press release announced Grizzly as a new headline thrill attraction for the 1982 season.
- 1982
Grizzly opens
[1]The wooden roller coaster began operation at Kings Dominion on March 27 in the Old Virginia section.
Products and positioning
A forest-immersed wooden thrill ride that uses limited visibility, natural surroundings, and a classic double figure-eight layout to create an isolated wilderness experience.
Wooden roller coaster · 1982
Grizzly
The core offering is Kings Dominion's wooden roller coaster, opened in 1982 and designed by Curtis D. Summers. The ride uses a double figure-eight layout, forest immersion, a faux timber-frame station, and a secluded route through the Old Virginia area. Its track and geometry have been repeatedly maintained, including a major Gravity Group refurbishment completed in 2023.
Themed retail and attraction approach · 2019
Grizzly Gulch
Grizzly Gulch is the themed gift-shop approach introduced near the ride in 2019. It replaced the Dinosaurs Alive gift shop and extends the attraction's wilderness-oriented presentation with signs and visual elements leading guests toward the coaster.
Brand decisions
2022
Major retracking and ride-profile revisionGeneration changeBackground
Kings Dominion closed Grizzly after Labor Day for a substantial refurbishment intended to improve the ride experience while retaining the wooden coaster's established identity.
Action taken
The Gravity Group retracked approximately 1,040 feet, increased the first-drop angle from 45 to 55 degrees, reprofiled the fan turn after the tunnel, and slightly increased the stated ride length.
Aftermath
The refurbished attraction reopened on May 13, 2023. The available reference describes the resulting ride as smoother and more comfortable.
2016
Hill and station refurbishmentOtherBackground
The attraction required structural renewal after years of operation.
Action taken
Kings Dominion replaced the wood and running rails on the first and second hills and rebuilt the station floor with new wooden planks.
Aftermath
The ride continued operating as a maintained wooden coaster.
Sources1 sources
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