Clementon Lake and Trashcans of Terror

[Fredlv1]

I rarely post on any boards these days. I guess I got burned out many years ago after battling the trolls. I got back from a week and half long trip two weeks ago, and decided I really ought to share some of the photos I took.

 

The last park I hit on the trip was Clementon Lake in Clementon, NJ. I was lucky enough to find the right time to hit this park since it is rarely open outside the month of July. I found out on it was open June 29th at noon, which was five before my flight home out of Philly.

 

I planned to be there for two hours to get as many rides on Tsunami---whoops!--J2 as I wanted. Well, since I decided to go back to SFGrAdv that morning to get another ride on El Toro, I arrived at the park an hour later than expected. I have no regrets!

 

Clementon Lake is a truly ghetto park. There something very creepy about this place and I can't quite put my finger on. J2 wasn't nearly as good as I expected. It was more painful than out-of-control, unlike Avalanche, which was just absolutely and totally insane!

 

I also was amused in an unpleasant way with their clown trashcans, which I call trashcans of terror. It was quite funny to see someone try to throw their garbage into the mouths, which are just two small. I also chuckled at the recording in the queue of King Neptune's Revenge Log Flume. I was thinking how hard to believe this is CL's more popular attractions (as the recording states) since there are so few rides to begin with. And what was King Neptune so ....ed off about to exact revenge???

 

After 4 rides on J2, a ride on the ferris wheel (for photos), and roaming around for more photos, I got the heck out of there. I was glad I didn't spend more than an hour at this dump.

 

Fredrick Biedermann

One of the first sights you see upon entering Clementon Lake---J2!

Unfortunately, you have to pass by ghetto looking buildings such as this gift shop. Yuck!

An overview of Clementon Lake's wonderful array of rides and attractions including King Neptune's Revenge Log Flume.

J2 is like a fusion between Cornball Express on steroids, Avalanche on downers, and a dash of SOB's nasty shuffling.

When J2 (the coaster formally known as Tsunami) opened in 2004, it had the steepest drop of any wooden coaster. Big deal though, since the drop is only 105 feet and feel much shorter. Then came Avalanche, The Voyage, and El Toro.

The upward helix is the most intense moment of the coaster. Unfortunately, it is too rough to enjoy it.

The final leg of bunnyhops reminds me a lot of Avalanche, but without any of the extreme airtime.

Here's a typical reaction shot of riders upon hitting the brakes on J2. Is it out of pain, relief, amazement? Or all of the above?

What the HELL is that?!!!? It's a Terror Trashcan found at Clementon Lake, America's #1 Ghetto Theme Park.

A pair of scary trashcans in Clementon's wonderfully landscaped picnic area.

Another Terror Trashcan!!

A ride I cheerfully avoided out of fear of catching some illness from the water. Does anyone know what King Neptune is getting revenge over?

What an eyesore! Will it ever reopen?

The old Jack Rabbit sits dormant, although the grounds are still tended to.

Goodbye, Clementon Lake. I'll be back, maybe...

[Fredlv1]

Sorry about the confusion of pictures. I put them in backwards, thinking the last would turn up first. I guess those of you who posted with photos know what I am talking about.

 

Fredrick

[yankees15]

Nice trip report so far! I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it.

 

I have never been to Clementon Lake and it doesn't look like I'm too much, but it would be nice to take a ride on J2. How were the line for J2 by the way?

[robbalvey]

Hey Fred! Thanks for posting these. Sorry I missed your call earlier, I was out bike riding (yeah, you read that right!)

 

Even though you posted them in reverse order, the TR still read fine.

 

Anyway, looking foward to the rest of the Photos!

 

--Robb

[cfc]

Worked for me, Fred--what an "interesting" place. Perhaps Neptune wanted revenge on whoever was responsible for those scary clown cans.

[ECZenith]

He wants revenge for being randomly included in dozens of Poseidon/Atlantis/Neptune themed rides, often without proper representation... yeah that's it.

 

I like the TR so far, J2 looks HUGE! I've never really researched the park and I probably drove right past it on trips to Wildwood, abother great coaster I will most likely miss as I'm moving to Cali in less than 30 days. Keep the photos coming!

[YoshiFan]

I live less than an hour away from Clementon and I have little to no interest in visiting the park. It's expensive, doesn't have enough rides (I have looked at the website in the past) and now that Screamscape says J2 is closed indefinetly, I don't see any reason to go to the park. I went once in the late 80's/early 90's (I was around 7 or 8) and remember not liking the park. I had considered going when they had the $44.95 deal for 4 admissions after 5:00 p.m. but even that seemed overpriced.

[viking86]

When J2 (the coaster formally known as Tsunami) opened in 2004, it had the steepest drop of any wooden coaster.

 

You forgot Balder!

 

Good TR! Clementon looks fairly nice in the overview picture, but 'slightly' less nice in the pictures taken on ground level.

[Guest]

My stop at Clementon last year was fun. I really loved J2, it ran fast, had a lot of air, and was rough in a good way for me. Both of my rides on it were in the last car over the axle (4.2) and it wasn't really painful though, just really wild. Maybe the blue train runs bad or something? I also found the helix to be really fun. Yes it was rough, but it had good forces and it was very fast.

 

I live less than an hour away from Clementon and I have little to no interest in visiting the park. It's expensive, doesn't have enough rides (I have looked at the website in the past) and now that Screamscape says J2 is closed indefinetly, I don't see any reason to go to the park.

 

When J2 reopens I would check it out. It's worth the money to get in (only $10 after the waterpark closes) and J2 is worth it IMO.

 

@ the post below me: I think it may have failed a mid-season inspection as it did last year (and twice in 04). It was up within a few weeks of that happening with new wood on it when i rode it.

 

I also saw a lot of potential in the park when i was there. They have the rides to be a good park, they just need to clean it up and landscape it a bit. I doubt it would ever happen, but I thought the place could be a lot like Canobie if they cleaned it up.

[ginzo]

We went to Clementon a few weeks back. It's easily the crappiest park I've ever been to.

 

Although I understand that it used to be a good ride, J2 now beats you up every bit as badly as SOB did during its prime. A small park like that just isn't up to the task of maintaining such an extreme woodie. Oh and btw, J2 is down indefinitely for maintenance.

 

http://www.screamscape.com/html/smaller_parks.htm

 

Park News - (7/17/07) Sources tell us that J2 at Clementon Park has been closed indefinitely, though the park’s info line is saying it’s for scheduled maintenance. Our sources tell us that it will not reopen in July though there is a chance it may be fixed by August. Given how the park has been running this new coaster, only making one of the two trains available for use each season while the backup is overhauled in season rather than off-season, I’m not entirely surprised by this.

 

Scheduled maintenance? In the middle of the season? The park has one coaster and they schedule it for maintenance right in the middle of the season?

 

They wouldn't let us ride one person per seat on the Falling Star, which is one of the most rickety flats I've ever been on. They do run it in insane mode, but they rob you of the awesome lateral forces by forcing you to ride with a partner. Then they wouldn't let me sit on the edge for the second ride, even though the thing was mostly empty. I left the park after about an hour feeling completely ripped off and wanting my money back.

 

Remember how Robb cheered when they tore down Psyclone? I'm going to cheer whenever this pointless park closes its doors for good.

[napster1619]

i personally like the park maybe it is because i grew up at the park. but i have noticed the fall of the park J2 was just to big for the park that wasn't really making that much money. the park is just a gem waiting to be found again atleast that is my thoughts of it the potential there with the big coaster and an okay collection of flats. its just the park is broke

[ginzo]

i personally like the park maybe it is because i grew up at the park. but i have noticed the fall of the park J2 was just to big for the park that wasn't really making that much money. the park is just a gem waiting to be found again atleast that is my thoughts of it the potential there with the big coaster and an okay collection of flats. its just the park is broke

 

I gave the place a chance, and it just didn't do it for me. The fact that their 3-year-old coaster runs like crap is the main downfall to me. If the coaster ran great, all else would be forgivable.

 

Let's face it: the "live bear show" isn't exactly going to turn the place around. The place needs to be cleaned up, but they're turning it into more of a fringe establishment by doing that.

 

I found the place to be very unfriendly, which is very bad for a smaller park. I bought some water ice, and they made me hand over the receipt to prove that I wasn't stealing, even though I was the only customer in sight. The Falling Star ops yelling at me for taking an edge seat didn't help as well. They charged me $24 to enter a park with one barely working coaster and a handful of flats. The least they could do was let me enjoy the edge seat.

 

I'm honestly not sure what could fix this place. It's a very sub par small park that is just an hour away from Great Adventure, which has arguably the best coaster collection in the country.

[napster1619]

i completely agree the place really hasnt been the same in about 4 years the place needs a lot of work actually it needs a ton of work but i still see it as a jem that in its given area with lower prices can make money again just because of the water park

[ginzo]

i completely agree the place really hasnt been the same in about 4 years the place needs a lot of work actually it needs a ton of work but i still see it as a jem that in its given area with lower prices can make money again just because of the water park

 

I agree. The water park definitely seems to be the main draw for Clementon. Had they sold me a rides only wrist band for less money, I'd have felt less ripped off.

[WadeJ]

Being a local that grew up in Audubon and now living in Deptford NJ, both of which are only 10 minutes away, I can tell you this place has gone HORRIBLY down hill. They had a AWESOME antique carousel in that wonderful building that now houses the cat show (replaced by a chance on the tarmac), a great Whip and of course, the Jack Rabbit. While it was only a junior woodie, it was the PERFECT coaster for this park. 3 year olds could even ride it and it was still fun as you got older. I would wait 20 minutes for a ride on many times while J2 is a walk on nearly every single day with 1 train!

 

They took on too wild of a ride that is now closed for some "work" again. For what its worth, the Falling Star has that rule due to the fact that it tossed somebody back in the early 90's and unfortunately, the young child died.

 

I seriously get tears in my eyes now when I go back. It's obviously no longer being cared for as the water park is the only cash cow they have and I believe the owners want out (its been for sale for years now). And I still believe they got a lemon from S&S.

 

Anyway, thanks for the TR. You summed it up very well And believe it or not, that gift shop entrance was actually updated this season! For years it operated with a huge Freddy Kruger picture on it. You actually entered the gift shop through his mouth . I won't insert the photo but I don't think Tom will mind me posting a link to his site - http://www.amusementpics.com/Clementon%20Park/091005%20005.jpg Yes, there is a arrow pointing to the destroyed kiddie ride area right next to Freddy. btw- The kiddie rides used to be more throughout the park. Most of them had to be moved due to the water park and a bunch of the pavilions used to be in the park as well before the water park arrived.

[napster1619]

its been very true larry baker is trying to sell the park and only for 12 million the park can be yours but wade i completely agree with you the waterpark is the only cash cow they have. but i'm not sure about your statement about the lemon by J2 because they town was so against the new coaster it had to be changed i think about 5 to 6 times before they agreed but larry was out to create a legend like the crystal beach cyclone and i think he did it. but they are still trying to recover from putting that in.

[ginzo]

And I still believe they got a lemon from S&S.

 

The customer should share in the blame for demanding such a crazy woodie that they can't possibly maintain. J2 easily has the most insane wooden coaster lay out that I've seen.

 

S&S did great work with Avalanche @ Timber Falls. That's my #2 woodie right now.

[napster1619]

personally i think its a great lay out but then again i also like rough woodies i mean larry baker was out to create something along the lines of the crystal beach cyclone and from what i have read about coaster i think he did but then again thats my opinion

[Bubba Z]

It all went downhill after they removed the dark ride and bumper cars. Oh, wait ...it was really the day Jack Rabbit crashed that the park started to fall apart.

 

I still heart J2, but that's really the only ride I go on.

 

And as for Mr Neptune, the whole ride is built over water. That's what makes it so special.

[dj snow]

They wouldn't let us ride one person per seat on the Falling Star, which is one of the most rickety flats I've ever been on. They do run it in insane mode, but they rob you of the awesome lateral forces by forcing you to ride with a partner.

I'll leave the other points for others to comment on (as many already have), but out of fairness to the park here, it is a Chance Rides rule that no single riders are allowed on a Falling Star. Operators that allow otherwise are not following manufacturer instructions, and I doubt that the state of New Jersey would approve such operation.

[napster1619]

bubba i was at the park hanging out in the office when the train smashed through and you know i pin point that human error that lead is leading to the down fall of the park.

[WadeJ]

bubba i was at the park hanging out in the office when the train smashed through and you know i pin point that human error that lead is leading to the down fall of the park.

 

I have to agree. Things definately seemed to go downhill after that accident which was deemed human error. Sad that it could operate 90 years without incident and then screw it up now .

 

Anyway, on the S&S lemon comment, I had not realized the state made them hack/change the ride. Perhaps it would have ended up better then (learn something new everyday!). However, I still firmly believe this ride is way more than they can handle. Although admittedly, it has had moments of greatness .

 

Apologies for the thread highjacking Looking forward to the rest of it!

[ginzo]

I'll leave the other points for others to comment on (as many already have), but out of fairness to the park here, it is a Chance Rides rule that no single riders are allowed on a Falling Star. Operators that allow otherwise are not following manufacturer instructions, and I doubt that the state of New Jersey would approve such operation.

 

Thanks for the information. I've been to parks that don't enforce that at all, and the ride is much crazier as a result. This still doesn't account for their kicking me off the edge seat. I suppose they could have been trying to balance the riders out. But, I've never seen any other park bother with something like that.

[coasterace]

Stopped at Clementon for the 1st time this year (and probably the last time). Have to agree it was very ghetto, and the coaster sucked.

 

I would have rather ridden the old Jack Rabbit....It looked like a lot more fun and less painful! LOL!

 

coasterace

 

www.youtube.com/coasterace

[bobafett]

I live in Philadelphia, not far from Clementon, and it really is a ghetto park.If you go to screamscape.com, you will find out that Clementon has recently been sold and the new owners are looking to expand and clean the park up.Also, they might reopen Jack Rabbit if it can be done. It would be interesting to see this park take a new direction.