Kenton’s Cove Keelboat Canal

Opened: 1973

Closed: 2000

Location: Rivertown, where the former The Crypt ride was located

Former Names: Lovingly dubbed “Flop” by park employees

Manufacturer: Arrow Development

Model: Hydro-flume

Length: 1,758 feet

Height: 60 ft

Drop: 45 ft

Vehicles: 5-person boats

Description: Kenton’s Cove Keelboat Canal was an Arrow Development hydro-flume, which was an updated version of the classic log flume. Keelboat-shaped boats would ascend a large lift hill, drift through the treetops, and then descend down one of two parallel chutes. A small hill at the base of the drop would give riders a pop of airtime before their boat skid across the water’s surface.

History: Kenton’s Cove Keelboat Canal was one of three new rides added to Kings Island in 1973 (the other two being Flying Dutchman and Bayern Kurve). It was added in Rivertown and replaced the short-lived Kenton’s Cove canoe attraction, reusing the former attraction’s lake. There was a major delay with the construction, and did not open until the fall of 1973. Details

Kenton’s Cove Keelboat Canal was one of the first log flumes to use a turntable loading platform (Magic Mountain in Valencia, California was the first, having opened in 1972).

Kenton’s Cove Keelboat Canal originally featured parallel drop chutes, with boats alternating whether they’d travel down the interior or exterior one. This increased the ride’s capacity. By the late 1990s, only the interior drop was used.

2000 was the final season for Kenton’s Cove Keelboat Canal. It was demolished at the start of the 2001 season and replaced with Tomb Raider: The Ride (later known as The Crypt) in 2002. Its pumphouse, which had been to the left of the ride, remained in place and still stands to this day. During the ride’s 27 seasons, it gave 40,069,518 rides.

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