FARMINGTON — There's plenty of fun to be found north of Salt Lake City — 17 miles away, to be precise. For 119 years, Lagoon Amusement Park has served as a gathering place and "fun spot" for Utahns.
In fact, the Bamberger railroad line was dubbed "The Lagoon Road" in 1905, since that was its main destination.
Swimming, games, picnics and thrill rides have always been central components of the Lagoon experience.
Lagoon was "one of the most attractive watering places in the West," having opened on July 15, 1886 at the edge of the Great Salt Lake in its original "Lake Park" days. It boasted 53,000 guests that first season.
As the GSL began to shrink in 1893, the resort moved inland to its current location in July of 1896 and took the nine-acre "Lagoon" as its namesake.
By 1905, "Stake Lagoon Days" were already a regular fixture at Lagoon, as LDS Church members swarmed there each season.
(Utah's other 19th-Century fun centers, like Saltair, have all closed.)
Lagoon has steadily increased in size over the years. Rides have come and gone and thrills have come by faster and higher means.
Today, with 33 teenage/adult rides and 10 more rides just for kids, plus dozens of games, Lagoon-a-Beach water park, historic Pioneer Village and some entertainment offerings and food outlets, there's only "one Lagoon."
More than fun, Lagoon is a vital part of Davis County's economy. With more than one million guests a season, Lagoon ranks fourth among the State of Utah's top tourist destinations, behind Temple Square, Glen Canyon and Zion National Park.
Lagoon is Utah's largest seasonal employer of teenagers. It hires some 2,000 each year, many of them from Davis County.
Starting Today, June 3, Lagoon is open daily for the summer season, through Aug., 23.
You can "Cliffhang," "Rocket," "Catapult," "Tilt-o-Whirl," "Scramble," "Skyscrape" and even go "Batty" at Lagoon with its rides,
— Here's a rundown of the park's highlights, superlatives and other essential information (You may not agree with all the selections on this sometimes subjective list, but use these to determine your own favorites!):
Least crowded day of the season: Opening day.
Least crowded days of the week:: Mondays, followed by Sundays and Tuesdays.
Least crowded month: April.
Most crowded month: July.
Most crowded day of the week: Saturday.
Good value: Arrive before noon or even when the park opens to spend more time when lines are shorter. Also, find discount tickets off the regular admission price.
Best value: A season passport. Go to Lagoon just three times a year and you've already paid less than the cost of three daily passports.
Fastest moving ride line: Rattlesnake Rapids. Other fast lines are: Sky Ride, Fire Dragon, Merry-Go-Around, Turn-of-The-Century, Wild Mouse and Tidal Wave.
Slowest ride lines: Log Flume, Paratrooper, Roll-O-Plane.
Longest-lasting rides: Wild Kingdom Train, at least seven minutes and 30 seconds in duration. If you count loading and unloading, the Sky Scraper can last 10-20 minutes, and the Paratrooper and Rock-O-Plane can also last more than 10 minutes.
Shortest rides: Puff, the kids' coaster, at only 38 seconds; the Bat and the Rocket, both a single minute long.
Ten most thrilling regular rides, in order: 1. Rocket "re-entry" version (nearly a 200-foot drop); 2. Fire Dragon; 3. Samurai; 4. Rocket "Blastoff" version; 5. White Roller Coaster; 6. Turn of the Century; 7. Centennial Screamer; 8. Jet Star II; 9. Wild Mouse; 10. Spider.
Most thrilling "X-Venture" zone ride (extra cost beyond regular admission): Skycoaster ($15 a person), a 153-foot foot drop/swing.
Most thrilling kids only ride: Scalawags. Rises 13 feet off the ground and spins faster than other Mother Goose area rides.
Wettest ride (outside of Lagoon-A-Beach): Rattlesnake Rapids.
Most uncomfortable ride for adults: Music Express.
Favorite hands-on ride for teens, ages 12-15: Double Thunder Raceway.
Swinging ride everyone should do at least once: Skycoaster.
Most overlooked thrill ride: The Tilt-A-Whirl, where you can get dizzy.
Most overlooked attractions: Climbing wall and the entertainment shows.
Windiest ride: Flying Aces.
Fastest traveling regular ride: The Fire Dragon coaster at 55 mph.
Fastest X-Venture Zone rides: 1. Skycoaster, up to 80 mph; 2. Top Eliminator Dragster, up to 75 mph.
Rides with the biggest variance, based on where you sit: 1. The White Roller Coaster's front and rear seats are worth the extra wait and offer a much different experience; 2. Tidal Wave, the end seats are wild, middle section is tame.
Mildest rides: Stagecoach and Wild Kingdom Train.
Most obscure ride: The Stagecoach in Pioneer Village.
Oldest rides: 1. Lagoon's Carousel, built in 1893 and installed at Lagoon ion 1906; 2. White Roller Coaster, opened in 1921 at Lagoon (though all its wood has been replaced over the years.)
Most obscure path in the park: From the east of the north picnic area into the north end of Pioneer Village.
Least visited (and quietest) portion of the park: The north end of Pioneer Village, with a gun museum, rock chapel, jail, school and other historic buildings.
Five mistakes visitors commonly make: 1. Wearing flip-flops or other loose shoes. (You can't do some rides in such shoes.); 2. Coming to Lagoon once in a year in the peak summer reason and running yourself ragged trying to do it all; 3. Not having a separate towel or clothes handy when you have a pre-teen kid who gets soaked running through Lagoon's centerplace fountain; 4. Not realizing you can carry food and drink into the park and/or eating your lunch in the parking lot because you don't know Lagoon has numerous picnic areas; 5. Not looking for discount offers to get into the park for less money.
Biggest letdown for teens/adults: The new Bat ride. Great for kids 11 and under, but it's slow (about 27 mph); short (less than a minute) and offers little thrill for most teens and adults.
Most entertaining area of the park: Located just south of Lagoon-A-Beach on the way to Pioneer Village where leakage from a speed slide occasionally spills over, drenching unsuspecting passers-by.
Most entertaining picnic area: The Creekside tables, just south of the Log Flume plunge, where the ride provides regular splash entertainment.
"Sardine can" area at Lagoon: Large sections of its parking lot, where too narrow of parking stalls can mean hardly enough room to get your vehicle door open.
Best view: On the Skyscraper, a 150-foot high observation wheel.
Best two things in Lagoon-A-Beach: River run and the lazy river run.
Best advice for out-of-area visitors: Lagoon has an excellent campground and RV park on its southern border.
Most enduring bargain: The Old-Time Photos" studio in Pioneer Village are one of Lagoon's best features.
Entertainment: There's "Rock U 2 the Top," the park's rock music revue; "Hooray for Hollywood," a large-scale revue in the Music USA Amphitheater; plus the newly revived Lake Park Brass Band, which will march around the park beginning June 4.
Prices: Lagoon's regular prices are $32.95, plus tax, for those 51 inches tall to age 64; $27.95, plus tax, from age 4 to 50 inches tall; and $21, plus tax, for senior citizens, ages 65 and over. Parking will be $7 a day.
Season passport prices through June 5 are $72.95 each, plus tax, when four or more are ordered, and $82.95, plus tax, for one to three passports. Prices increase by $9 each after June 5. A season parking pass is $38.
The "X-Venture Zone" rides — Skycoaster, Top Eliminator, Catapult and Double Thunder Raceway — charge extra beyond gate admission.
There's an "Early Bird" Coca Cola can admission available at Lagoon again this year. Plus, other discounts, including some highlighted for joining the park's "Fun Time Club," available on-line and free to join.
More information: Call 451-8000. Also, go online to www.lagoonpark.com.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com