Blazing Fury is an indoor steel coaster in Dollywood’s Craftsman’s Valley, built in-house by the park’s own maintenance and construction crew when the park was still known as Silver Dollar City Tennessee. It opened on June 6, 1978, making it one of the oldest rides still running at Dollywood today.
The ride is themed around a fictional mountain town set ablaze, and it blends dark-ride storytelling with coaster thrills. Riders wind past burning building facades, a hotel guest stranded on a rooftop, a crumbling bridge, and a near-miss with a steam train before the cars send down an eighteen-foot finale drop.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Dollywood
- Manufacturer: Built in-house by Silver Dollar City Tennessee’s construction crew
- Opened: June 6, 1978
- Height: About 22 feet
- Top speed: About 22 mph
- Length: About 1,520 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Blazing Fury runs almost entirely indoors, carrying riders through a series of lit scenes depicting a mountain town engulfed in fire. The layout mixes a powered incline lift with a trio of drops rather than a traditional chain lift, keeping the pace steady between themed vignettes.
The signature moment comes at the end, when the train is sent down an eighteen-foot plunge that was once a splashdown into a braking pool. The park removed the water at the close of the 2011 season after it caused wear on the trains and show scenes, replacing it with a magnetic braking system, so the finale drop is now a dry plunge.
A Park Original Since the Silver Dollar City Days
Blazing Fury predates the Dollywood name itself. It opened in 1978 under Silver Dollar City Tennessee, the park’s name before Dolly Parton became a co-owner in 1986, and it was modeled on Fire in the Hole, the dark coaster at the original Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.
Because it was designed and built by the park’s own crew rather than a commercial coaster manufacturer, Blazing Fury has remained a distinctly homegrown attraction, and its long tenure has made it a nostalgic staple for generations of Dollywood visitors.
Explore more: Explore more roller coasters.
Park apps, mobile ordering and photos kill a battery by 3 p.m. This one snaps on magnetically, so there's no cable to snag on a restraint.
Ride with your glasses on and keep them. Many parks allow glasses on rides if they're strapped, so check the ride rules first.
Small enough to ride with on most coasters, big enough for a phone, card and keys. Two zippers mean nothing falls out upside down.
Blazing Fury FAQs
How old is Blazing Fury at Dollywood?
Blazing Fury opened on June 6, 1978, when the park was still known as Silver Dollar City Tennessee, making it one of Dollywood’s longest-running rides.
Does Blazing Fury have any inversions or big drops?
No, Blazing Fury has no inversions. Its biggest moment is an eighteen-foot finale plunge, which now uses magnetic brakes instead of the splashdown pool it originally had.
Does Blazing Fury still splash down into water?
No. The park removed the splashdown pool at the end of the 2011 season because the water was damaging the trains and show scenes, and replaced it with a magnetic braking system, so the finale drop is dry today.
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