The Not-So-Secret History of Mountain Creek Park
Vernon, New Jersey Attraction Once the Infamous Action Park
Nov 28, 2008
Mountain Creek ski and water park is one of the most popular attractions in the New York City area. But beneath it lies the remains of one the most infamous amusement parks of all time. “There’s nothing in the world like Action Park,” crowed its commercial, now famous among New York City natives. And it truly was one of a kind, notorious for its unsafe rides, oblivious employees, and frequent traumatic injuries.
Action Park or Traction Park?
Action Park was an amusement park that featured one of the world’s first water parks and well as a motorized park. Located about an hour from Manhattan and driven by a heavy advertising campaign, Action Park was one of the most well known attractions in the New York City area. However, Action Park soon became well known for another reason. A long line of incidents and accidents gave the park a reputation for being unsafe, and the nickname “Traction Park.”
Officially, only six people were killed at Action Park in the less than twenty years it was open. But so many people suffered serious injuries there that it eventually had to close. Nearby hospitals claim that on an average day they would receive five to ten patients from Action Park with serious injuries. It became a rite of passage among New Yorkers to get injured there, tattooed by the concrete alpine slide or branded by an overheating go-kart.
Action Park was mostly staffed by local teenagers, many who were under trained and often uninterested in enforcing safety rules. Many of the accidents were caused by staff altering safety restraints on the motorized rides to allow higher speeds and subsequently, more serious accidents.
The most notorious of rides was the Looping Water Slide, a water slide that did a complete upside down loop on the way down. The slide was only open for one month, but the absurdity of an upside down slide and the numerous injuries from it cemented Action Park’s reputation for recklessness in the pursuit of fun.
Mountain Creek Ski and Water Park Was Once Great Gorge
Action Park closed in 1996 when its parent company went bankrupt. In spring 1998, it was rebuilt as Mountain Creek Water Park to go along with the Mountain Creek Ski Resort.
The amusement park and ski resort are a vast improvement over Action Park and Vernon Valley/ Great Gorge, the ski resort’s former name. Intrawest, its new owners, invested millions into updating and revitalizing the park. Intrawest closed the Motorworld part of the park, leaving only the water rides. Many of the more dangerous slides were closed or modified, although favorites such as the Tarzan Swing remain.
The ski resort has been updated as well. In addition, Mountain Creek is planning to add luxury condo/hotel units to the resort, especially important at Mountain Creek since parking is located at the site of the old Action Park Motorworld, a considerable walk away. Mountain Creek is also building a terrain park on the south side of the resort for experts. Intrawest is hoping that this will help Mountain Creek compete with the ski resorts in the nearby Catskill Mountains.
Visiting Mountain Creek
Mountain Creek is open all year, the ski slopes in the cold and water park in the warm weather. Although in a rural area on the New York and New Jersey border, Mountain Creek can be accessed by NJ Transit as well as by car. Although not the legend it once was under its former management, Mountain Creek is an enjoyable and especially, a safer experience.
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