Cedar Point Skyride

Can someone tell me or link me to information about when Cedar Point had 2 skyrides. They had the existing one on the midway and there was another back in frontier land if not mistaken. I would love to see pics of these.

Here's a really old topic I came across (from my earliest days of posting here) that talks quite a bit about the Frontier Lift.

Sorry about that but I did search and got nothing. But now see the thread you showed me. Thanks.

To see some Frontier Lift photos, click on this link.

The Frontier Lift really went over some heavily wooded area at that time and in some places barely missed the trees. I imagine the task of getting in there every spring and chopping the folage for clearance was a real task. Not so today with so much of the deforrestation that has taken place. Back in the late 60's, (god, I am getting old) there wasn't much back in that part of the park. You basically rode the train or the lift to ride the water ride (WWL) and later the mine ride, perhaps purchase some old fashion candy, and then go back to the main midway.

The Frontier Trail (when it opened) was really more of a arts and crafts area (woodworking, candle making, country store, etc.) than anything else.

If you are interested in really a really different sky ride, the one at Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a triangle layout with three separate stations. Yet another one in Bush Gardens Florida actually is used in their new Cheeta coaster as an element - the coaster loops the skyride kind of like the Loch Ness Monster Coaster (in BGW) has nested loops that has trains timed to be in each loop at the same time. It's kind of freaky to be riding one ride, look over and see someone in another attraction only a few feet away.

Cool pictures Pete. When I think of the Frontier Lift, the one of the cars riding over the dense trees is what I picture.

Great pictures Pete! The last picture of the ride cutting through the trees is fantastic and really reminds me of what I really miss of the old park.

As a kid I remember thinking that Frontier Lift was higher and scarier (for me) than the Skyride (I don't know if that was actually the case). I also remember being able to see a path worn through the ground cover between the towers.

Thanks for that information. I have been to BGW back in 1980 and remember riding both the Loch Ness Monster and the Skyride and seeing the other ride go by. Very fun. And really the Frontier trail today is still very artsy/crafty.

SteveH said:
Yet another one in Bush Gardens Florida actually is used in their new Cheeta coaster as an element - the coaster loops the skyride...

Cheetah Hunt simply hops over the Skyride, there is no inversion around it.

I love these types of threads that bring back pictures of earlier days of the park, it is astonishing how much some parts of the park have changed, while others are still easily recognizable. :)

The pictures bring back memories from when I worked the Frontier Lift back in 1981 and the beginning of 1982 before I became a Fireman/Engineer on the CP & LE Railroad.

hello, my name is pete leaf and i worked on the frontier lift for 3 of my 8 years at cedar point in the 70's.

i see another member, also named pete has posted some of my frontier lift pics here. that's fine, glad you all enjoy them but i do have more and if anyone is really interested please email me and i can send some to you. my e mail is soberleaf@yahoo.com.

the "lift" was a great ride, longer than the skyride, having 4 towers and gliding thru the trees about where the iron dragon is now. in fact you can still see the concrete pad where the first tower sat coming out of frontiertown when you ride the train. that and the frontier town station are all that's left.

it was a very physically demanding ride to work on, much harder than the skyride (I worked on it as well). i remember the cars used to come into the east station (main midway) so hard and fast it was really challenging to be the "catcher" on that end. good exercise however! we ran 40 cars back then. skyride ran 38 i remember! good times and i was very sad to see the "lift" go. i have never liked the iron dragon i think because it replaced the "lift". a very unique von roll skyride!

Though as a consolation -- when you ride the Skyride now, you are sitting in the old Frontier Lift cabins...

Pete, I agree with you about catching cabins on the Frontier Lift. I remember wearing out the soles of my shoes a couple of times each summer. Loved working the Lift, just didn't like being down so much due to weather.

Loch Ness Monster!!! What ever happened to that :( I still look for him hoping he'd be out there!

Shoot the Rapids was the first ride in Frontier other than the train.

shamrockcb said:
Loch Ness Monster!!! What ever happened to that :( I still look for him hoping he'd be out there!

It is still running at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

shamrockcb said:
Loch Ness Monster!!! What ever happened to that :( I still look for him hoping he'd be out there!

Do you mean the one looking from the view of the CP/LE train in the boat ride lagoon area? I know exactly where he's at. He's still doing fine. He's back in my pond keeping the raccoons away from eating my fish, haha. Here's a picture of him for ya:

http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii572/CPpixx/100_2860_zps7a2adc66.jpg

Frontier Lift's distant station is still with us, between Mine Ride and Skyhawk. It still houses restrooms on the ground floor.
I thought it had more than four towers, but pete leaf would know. The towers weren't as tall as Skyride, and had a metal lattice structure rather than solid supports. Before landing in Frontier Town it passed over Mine Ride.
I remember when the ride was in operation, many took advantage of its secluded setting to smoke various things.
Many attractions we value would stand in the ride's way today, but I wish it was still there as another mode of transportation back to Frontier Town.
I had forgotten that the cabins were moved to Skyride when the ride closed. For a year or so they still carried the antique-y frontier style paint job, with subdued colors like maroon and dark green. There might have been a dark blue, too.

pete leaf, I also worked at CP, during the '74 and '75 seasons. I was with Interstate United in food service, at the Surrey the first year and the Beach Refreshments as manager the second.

Edit to add: sorry, now that I see Pete's link to photos I see the third color was a yellow beige.

RCMAC said:
I remember when the ride was in operation, many took advantage of its secluded setting to smoke various things.

... People still try to use Sky Ride for smoking "various" things.

Also, I really would like to see the cabins get a fresh coat of paint and some love. You can still see some of the original paint on some of the cabins if you know where to look.

pete leaf said:
hello, my name is pete leaf and i worked on the frontier lift for 3 of my 8 years at cedar point in the 70's.

i see another member, also named pete has posted some of my frontier lift pics here. that's fine, glad you all enjoy them but i do have more and if anyone is really interested please email me and i can send some to you. my e mail is soberleaf@yahoo.com.

the "lift" was a great ride, longer than the skyride, having 4 towers and gliding thru the trees about where the iron dragon is now. in fact you can still see the concrete pad where the first tower sat coming out of frontiertown when you ride the train. that and the frontier town station are all that's left.

it was a very physically demanding ride to work on, much harder than the skyride (I worked on it as well). i remember the cars used to come into the east station (main midway) so hard and fast it was really challenging to be the "catcher" on that end. good exercise however! we ran 40 cars back then. skyride ran 38 i remember! good times and i was very sad to see the "lift" go. i have never liked the iron dragon i think because it replaced the "lift". a very unique von roll skyride!

We can only run 37 cabins now. Also, our cabins come in pretty hard at East now. I'm having a hard time even imagining how they could come in much harder. Haha.

And I really wish I would have gotten to work the lift.

There's some Frontier Lift footage here --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVDaPrGavTQ