Outlaw Run: RMC's First Wooden Coaster

Outlaw Run opened at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri on March 15, 2013, and immediately shattered every assumption about what a wooden roller coaster could do. Built by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) and designed by Alan Schilke, it was the first wooden roller coaster the company ever constructed from the ground up — and the first wooden coaster anywhere in the world to feature multiple inversions.

The $10 million attraction packed a 162-foot drop at an 81-degree angle, three full inversions including a world-first double barrel roll, and a top speed of 68 mph into 2,937 feet of RMC’s proprietary Topper Track. That combination earned Outlaw Run the 2013 Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride with 45 percent of the vote, and it launched RMC into a decade of record-breaking coaster design that reshaped the industry.

Quick Answer

Outlaw Run is the first wooden roller coaster ever built by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). It opened on March 15, 2013 at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, and became the first wooden coaster in the world to feature multiple inversions — three in total, including a world-first double barrel roll on a wooden coaster.

Stats at a Glance

RMC’s First Wooden Roller Coaster: How It Came to Be

Rocky Mountain Construction was founded in 2001 by Fred Grubb and Suanne Dedmon, initially specializing in theme park construction and wooden coaster maintenance. The company built and repaired coasters at parks across North America, including fabrication work on El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure and T Express at Everland in South Korea — both for Intamin. By the late 2000s, RMC had established deep expertise in wooden coaster structure, but had never designed an original coaster of its own.

That changed in 2009, when Alan Schilke of Ride Centerline joined RMC as lead designer. The partnership quickly produced two distinct track innovations. The I-Box track — a steel rail system for converting aging wooden coasters — debuted on New Texas Giant at Six Flags Over Texas in 2011. Simultaneously, Schilke was developing the Topper Track system specifically for all-new wooden coaster construction, a process that took roughly four years of engineering before its full commercial debut.

When Silver Dollar City approached RMC with a tight Ozark footprint, a $10 million ceiling, and a mandate for a world-first moment, Topper Track was the answer. Silver Dollar City CEO Joel Manby wanted a wooden coaster with a double barrel roll — something no wooden coaster had ever done. Planning began as early as 2009. Outlaw Run was officially announced on August 9, 2012, the final track piece was installed on September 26, 2012, and the ride opened to the public on March 15, 2013. It was the first wooden roller coaster Rocky Mountain Construction had ever built from scratch.

What Makes Topper Track Revolutionary

Traditional wooden coasters use laminated wood beams that resist twisting, which limits designers to sweeping curves and modest banking angles. RMC’s Topper Track solves this fundamental constraint by bonding a continuous precision-formed steel running rail to a laminated base of six layers of Southern yellow pine. The steel rail can be bent into inversion shapes and extreme banking while the wooden structure provides structural mass, visual character, and lower build cost than an all-steel coaster.

The practical results are dramatic: dramatically reduced maintenance compared to conventional wooden track, a smoother ride surface, and the ability to engineer elements — inversions, drops beyond 80 degrees, tight heartline rolls — that standard laminated wood track could never safely support. Outlaw Run remains the defining showcase for what Topper Track can achieve, and the ride’s success directly led to wider adoption of RMC’s technology at parks around the world.

The Ride Experience

Riders board two-car trains (24 riders per train) and climb a chain lift to 107 feet before plunging into the signature first drop: 162 feet at 81 degrees, a gut-wrenching angle steeper than a traditional vertical drop. At Outlaw Run’s 2013 debut, that drop ranked as the fourth steepest and fourth tallest among wooden coasters worldwide.

The heart of the layout is RMC’s inversion sequence. An over-banked turn transitions into a double heartline roll — a 720-degree rotation that constitutes the world’s first double barrel roll on a wooden coaster. Three inversions total, all delivered at speeds up to 68 mph across a 1-minute-27-second ride that packs lateral whip, sustained airtime, and full upside-down moments into a track length of 2,937 feet.

Seat selection noticeably shapes the experience. Front rows offer the clearest sightlines into each inversion and slightly smoother transitions. Back rows amplify airtime and lateral g-forces on every element. For the shortest wait times, arrive at park opening and go directly to Outlaw Run. Evening rides — especially during Silver Dollar City’s fall Harvest Festival or WinterFest — add the park’s scenic Ozark lighting to an already cinematic experience.

Records and Legacy

When Outlaw Run opened on March 15, 2013, it collected an immediate list of firsts: the first wooden roller coaster built from the ground up by Rocky Mountain Construction, the first wooden coaster in the world with multiple inversions, and the first wooden coaster anywhere to feature a double barrel roll. At 68 mph it ranked as the sixth-fastest wooden coaster on the planet at opening.

Its three inversions tied it with Wildfire at Kolmården Wildlife Park in Norrköping, Sweden for the most inversions on any wooden coaster globally — a record the two rides continue to share. The 2013 Golden Ticket Award for Best New Ride, earned with 45 percent of the vote, confirmed what enthusiasts already knew: Outlaw Run had redrawn the boundary of wooden coaster design.

Silver Dollar City’s $10 million investment proved transformative beyond the park itself. The success of Outlaw Run as RMC’s first wooden coaster validated the Topper Track system and launched the company into a prolific expansion of both new-build wooden coasters and I-Box conversions of aging woodies at parks across North America, Europe, and Asia. The modern RMC era of coaster design traces its commercial momentum directly to Outlaw Run’s opening day on March 15, 2013.

Visitor Tips

Outlaw Run requires a minimum height of 48 inches. The ride is not recommended for guests with back, neck, or heart conditions. Silver Dollar City operates seasonally — the coaster runs during all major operating periods including summer, the Harvest Festival, and WinterFest, but check the park calendar before visiting.

Single-rider lines and mobile queue options (where available) can cut wait times significantly on peak days. If you plan to ride multiple times, front-of-line passes sold at the park are worth considering during holidays and summer weekends.

Outlaw Run FAQs

Was Outlaw Run the first wooden roller coaster built by Rocky Mountain Construction?

Yes. Outlaw Run, which opened on March 15, 2013 at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, was the first wooden roller coaster ever constructed by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). While RMC had previously done wooden coaster maintenance work and developed the I-Box retrack system for converting existing coasters, Outlaw Run was their first ground-up wooden coaster designed and built from scratch.

When did Outlaw Run open at Silver Dollar City?

Outlaw Run opened to the public on March 15, 2013 at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. A limited soft opening took place on March 13, 2013, two days before the public debut.

What records did Outlaw Run set when it opened?

Outlaw Run set several records on its March 15, 2013 opening: it was the first wooden roller coaster in the world to feature multiple inversions, the first wooden coaster to include a double barrel roll (a 720-degree rotation), and the first wooden coaster ever built by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). At 68 mph it also ranked as the sixth-fastest wooden coaster in the world at the time.

How many inversions does Outlaw Run have?

Outlaw Run features three inversions: an over-banked inversion and a double heartline roll (720 degrees, also called a double barrel roll). This made it the first wooden roller coaster in the world to feature multiple inversions when it opened on March 15, 2013 at Silver Dollar City.

What is RMC’s Topper Track, and how does it differ from a standard wooden coaster?

Topper Track is Rocky Mountain Construction’s hybrid track system that bonds a continuous precision-formed steel running rail to a laminated wooden base of six layers of Southern yellow pine. Unlike conventional wooden coaster track, the steel rail can be formed into inversion shapes and extreme banking angles. This is what allowed Outlaw Run to achieve its 81-degree first drop and three full inversions while remaining classified as a wooden roller coaster.

What is the height requirement for Outlaw Run?

Riders must be at least 48 inches tall to ride Outlaw Run at Silver Dollar City. The ride is not recommended for guests with back, neck, or heart conditions.

Who designed Outlaw Run?

Outlaw Run was designed by Alan Schilke and manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC). It was the first wooden coaster RMC ever built from the ground up, opening on March 15, 2013 at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.

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Outlaw Run: RMC’s First Wooden Coaster & World-First Inversions