Wyoming has a roller coaster, and it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn where you can find it.
Never mind areas like Cheyenne and Casper, start with the state’s tourist traps. If you’ve narrowed it down to Cody or Jackson, you’re getting warm.
Other than seasonal county fair carnival rides, the state’s lone roller coaster can be found in Jackson, and it operates all year-round to boot.
The Cowboy Coaster at Snow King Mountain in downtown Jackson debuted in 2015 and has been one of the many resort amenities putting smiles on faces every day. Or maybe that’s the G-forces.
Year-Round Thrills
The Cowboy Coaster is one of the few year-round attractions that operates the same in February as it does in July, rain or snow.
This time of year, the Amaze'n Maze is snowed in and the Alpine Slide snowed under. Miniature golf? Yeah, forget about that until June.
But the Cowboy Coaster keeps on chugging down 3,295 feet of stimulating terrain while achieving speeds of 26 mph.
When the coaster came online in 2015 after three years of planning and construction, it was in instant hit.
“The completion of the coaster and Treetop Adventure Park are a huge step towards making Snow King a world-class mountain resort in the heart of Jackson,” said GM Ryan Stanley.
The 18-hole miniature golf course was added in 2016 along with the snack shack King’s Grill. Snow tubing came along in 2017. A year later, the Treetop Adventure Course debuted featuring the Tarzan Swing.
The Experience
The 1,660 linear feet of track features four 360-degree corkscrew turns, six bridges, several jumps and waves and plenty of open coasting.
The ride has anti-collision technology and riders can control their own speed.
Each of the 50 or so individual two-person sleds will automatically apply braking when they reach 25 mph.
The ride up the mountain takes about five minutes. The ride down takes anywhere from two to four minutes.
Riders should be sure to smile as they approach the bottom. An automatic camera is installed to capture the action, photos available for purchase post-ride.
Coaster drivers must be at least 54 inches (4.5 feet) tall to drive and no taller than 84 inches (7 feet) or at least 38 inches for kids 3 and older to be a passenger.
Drivers must be 16 years of age or older, and passengers must be at least 3 years old. The max combined total weight is 375 pounds.
Malfunctions Were Isolated
Two seat belt malfunctions on the Cowboy Coaster in 2018 triggered a nationwide recall by manufacturer Wiegand Sports of Stevensville, Montana.
The malfunctions at Snow King were the first known instances of the defect, and the resort temporarily shut the attraction down until replacement belts were received. There have been no further incidents since.
Snow King Perfect Fit For A Coaster
Snow King Mountain is the state’s oldest ski resort, now in its 85th year of operation.
In the early days of the 1920s, the resort was referred to as Kelly’s Hill or simply the “town hill.” It was officially named Snow King in 1938.
Investor Max C. Chapman bought the resort in 2014 and has since poured millions into upgrading the facilities and adding attractions. Chapman also owns Brooks Lake Lodge on Togwotee Pass.
Snow King Mountain is in the process of updating and upgrading its year-round operations.
Phase 2 of its master plan is underway, already resulting in a new eight-passenger gondola, additional ski runs, and sweeping changes to the summit with a new restaurant and observatory/planetarium.
The mountain already completed the steepest zip line in North America reaching speeds of 60 mph down a 36% grade. That’s been a main attraction on the mountain since summer 2022.
In addition, the ski resort already has plenty of other amenities that help get it through the summer and remain sustainable when skiers are not filling the lifts.
Resorts around the world have similarly explored cultivating a broader user base by adding non-skiing options and summer activities.
But Jackson’s Cowboy Coaster is a unique ride in any season.
Jake Nichols can be reached at: Jake@CowboyStateDaily.com
You control your speed on the Cowboy Coaster. (Courtesy Snow King) 
Riding tandem on the Cowboy Coaster at Snow King. (Courtesy Snow King) 
Coaster riders disembark at Snow King. (Courtesy Snow King) 
The Cowboy Coaster can hit speeds of 26 mph. (Courtesy Snow King) 
Snow King has come a long way from the Old Man’s Flats rope tow, he first cable tow on the mountain that opened in 1940, left. Now it has multiple attractions, right. (Courtesy Snow King) 
Ziplining at Snow King is North Americas steepest. (Courtesy Snow King) 
An 18-hole miniature golf course is a popular seasonal attract at Snow King. (Courtesy Snow King) 
Alpine Slide at Snow King. (Courtesy Snow King)
Jake Nichols can be reached at jake@cowboystatedaily.com.
