Timber Wolf is a wooden roller coaster at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, Missouri, that opened on April 1, 1989. Designed by Curtis D. Summers and built by the Dinn Corporation for about $3 million, the ride was engineered specifically around the park’s hilly Wild West terrain, giving it a layout defined by sharp direction changes and sustained speed rather than towering height.
The coaster quickly built a reputation among enthusiasts, being voted the world’s top roller coaster in a 1991 Inside Track readers survey and rated the number one wooden coaster in a 1992 NAPHA poll. While its rankings have cooled since those early accolades, Timber Wolf remains one of the longer-running wooden coasters in the Midwest and a staple attraction at Worlds of Fun.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Worlds of Fun
- Manufacturer: Dinn Corporation
- Opened: April 1, 1989
- Height: 100 feet
- Drop: 95 feet
- Top speed: 53 mph
- Length: 4,230 feet
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Timber Wolf’s layout leans on quick, low-to-the-ground turns and airtime moments rather than extreme height, a byproduct of Curtis D. Summers designing the track to fit the natural contours of its section of the park. The original course was known for a distinctive 560-degree helix near the finish, which delivered a disorienting, high-speed finale.
In 2018, that signature helix was reconfigured into an over-banked turn, altering the ride’s final sequence while keeping its reputation for a fast, rattly, old-school wooden coaster experience intact. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall to board.
History and Legacy
When it debuted in 1989, Timber Wolf represented a significant investment for Worlds of Fun and was built using roughly 680,000 feet of lumber, 80,000 bolts, and 15 tons of nails. Its early accolades, including being named the world’s best coaster by Inside Track readers in 1991, cemented its place in wooden coaster history.
Decades later, Timber Wolf has undergone periodic retracking and maintenance, including work using Gravity Group’s engineered pre-cut track, to keep the ride running smoothly as one of the park’s veteran attractions.
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Timber Wolf FAQs
Where is Timber Wolf located?
Timber Wolf is located at Worlds of Fun, an amusement park in Kansas City, Missouri.
How fast does Timber Wolf go?
Timber Wolf reaches a top speed of about 53 mph during its roughly 2-minute, 13-second run.
Who built Timber Wolf?
Timber Wolf was designed by Curtis D. Summers and built by the Dinn Corporation, opening on April 1, 1989.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.