Swamp Fox (roller coaster)

The Swamp Fox wooden roller coaster is located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina It is one of 37 rides at Family Kingdom Amusement Park.[1] The coaster is named after American Revolutionary War leader, Francis Marion.

Swamp Fox
Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Location	Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Coordinates	33.682510°N 78.891702°W / 33.682510; -78.891702
Status	Operating
Opening date	1966
General statistics
Type	Wood
Manufacturer	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters
Designer	John Allen
Track layout	Double Out and Back
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	75 ft (23 m)
Drop	65 ft (20 m)
Length	2,400 ft (730 m)
Speed	50 mph (80 km/h)
Inversions	0
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Swamp Fox at RCDB Pictures of Swamp Fox at RCDB

The Swamp Fox is a wooden roller coaster that runs over a 2,400 feet (730 m), figure-eight track. The “double out and back” design takes riders to heights of 75 feet (22.9 m) at speeds up to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and features dramatic drops of up to 65 feet (19.8 m).[2]

In one experiment performed on the Swamp Fox, operators found that the train ran its track anywhere from eight to 10 seconds faster at 9 p.m. than it did around 2 p.m. in the afternoon.[2]

The Swamp Fox roller coaster, built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company of Pennsylvania, opened in 1966 as one of the rides at Grand Strand Amusement Park. In 1992, that park was purchased by the Ammons family and rechristened "Family Kingdom Amusement Park". The Swamp Fox was then totally refurbished according to the original specifications of the original design by John C. Allen.[3] In 2016, American Coaster Enthusiasts marked the 50th anniversary of the Swamp Fox by adding a historical marker.[4]

The Swamp Fox was declared a historic structure by the city in March 2017.[5]