Okay, I’m probably going to ruffle some feathers with this trip report, so be warned. I want to say up front that I do not dislike Lake Compounce or its coasters. I’ve just had some rather uncomfortable rides on them over the years. Let me explain.
In 2014 I visited this park for the first time. I was so excited to ride Boulder Dash. I had heard nothing but how amazing it is. I saw all the awards it had won. I just knew that I was going to be adding a world class woodie to my credit list. Heck, it might even rank among my favorites. And… that couldn’t have been further from the truth. The ride hurt and the operations were horrible. I was bummed, but maybe it just needed some track work or I rode it on a bad day.
Four years later I was back at the park to give it another try. And once again, it freaking hurt. Sure, I liked the setting of the coaster, but the roughness made it unbearable. I got off and decided to go ride Wildcat instead. I had good rides on it back in 2014. And holy crap! Wildcat was rough too. I grabbed Phobia Phear Coaster and left the park early, electing to go to Quassy earlier than I had planned.
Maybe the third time will be the charm? Boulder Dash has a bunch of Titan Track on it now, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed. As much as I’d like for the coaster to remain wooden, anything that would improve the ride’s roughness would be a plus in my book. I also heard Wildcat got some new track and is riding much better. We shall see.
A Birthday Visit for Sam
This visit also came on Sam’s birthday. It’s always fun to spend some time at an amusement park with friends when it’s someone’s birthday. I think it’s also cool when that park is a new experience for them, as was the case here. This was a trip Sam and I have talked about doing since she broke into the hobby too so it was great to finally make it happen.
Phobia Phear Coaster
I have long said that Phobia Phear Coaster was my favorite Sky Rocket II coaster. For years it was the only one I ever rode that didn’t have those damn comfort collar straps. Those things always annoyed me. Both Tempesto and Tigris had them, although United Parks looks to finally be removing them. Thank God! Sam and I also rode another Sky Rocket II without them earlier this month at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (SFDK) in Superman Ultimate Flight. We both enjoyed that one much more without the straps. Just like all three of us did with this one.
Straps aside, I’ve also always enjoyed this ride’s color scheme and the whole fear/phear concept. I like the little signs talking about different phobias around the station too. I grabbed a photo or two of them that are down in the gallery below.
Wildcat
Okay, we’re were off to a good start. Wildcat ran really smooth. While the ride and its elements were nothing special, or overly intense, the coaster was a fun, smooth experience. It no longer hurt. My ride eight years prior was borderline brutal, so this made me happy.
I made sure to ride Wildcat again because I had a fun time on the first ride. Plus it was only a station wait when we came back around again since it was running two trains. Unlike its wooden coaster sibling, Boulder Dash, which I’ve never seen run both trains during any of my visits.
Boulder Dash
I boarded the back row on Boulder Dash, expecting the worst, but hoping for the best. And after the ride made its first drop, it was looking good. It was hauling and the Titan Track was super smooth, albeit kind of forceless. I wasn’t getting any airtime, just feeling a lot of speed. Still, that was better than my previous rides so so far so good.
Then it all ended once the train left the Titan Track. Ouch, ouch, ouch. Seriously, I can’t with this ride. I’ve wanted to love it. Hell, at least like it. I can’t even tolerate it. I’ve tried. Sans them converting the entire track to Titan Track, I can’t see me even wanting to try this again. It’s sad too because this ride’s setting is second to none.
Meanwhile, neither Sam or Jen wanted to ride the coaster again either. While I rode in the back, they rode towards the front. Both said their ride wasn’t as bad as mine, but it still wasn’t enjoyable.
So I guess I’m going to have to say, in my opinion, this ride should be called Boulder Trash.
Final Ride Counts
Boulder Dash (1)
Ferris Wheel (2: Patrick, Jen)
Ghost Hunt (1)
Phobia Phear Coaster (2: Sam, 1: Patrick, Jen)
Saw Mill Plunge (1)
Thunder n Lightning (1)
Thunder Rapids (1)
Wildcat (2)
Zoomerang (1)
Small Crowds Let Us Head Out Early for Six Flags New England
Even though I went through this park with my camera for a bit before we jumped on the rides, we still ended up riding everything we wanted before the end of operations. Since we weren’t far from Six Flags New England (SFNE), we decided to leave and see if we could squeeze in a few rides there before they closed. There was some rain in the forecast though, so we’d have to keep our fingers crossed. After all, Sam and I had some good luck squeezing in a few California’s Great America (CGA) visits earlier in the month in California. Why not test our luck again? We had a full day at SFNE the next day anyhow, so anything we would do this evening would be a bonus.
Lake Compounce Photo Gallery - June 30, 2026
If you would like to use any of the images in the gallery above for your commercial and/or non-commercial projects, feel free to do so. I ask that you credit We Were Inverted whenever they’re used. I also ask that you do not alter the image or remove the watermarks. If you need any images/video resized or without the watermarks, please contact me directly.
CREW MANIFEST
The following flight crew members attended this park, & earned the respective credits below:
Patrick
CAG
New Credit(s): n/a
Sam
Admiral
New Credit(s): Zoomerang, Phobia Phear Coaster, Wildcat, Boulder Dash
Jen
Admiral
New Credit(s): Zoomerang, Phobia Phear Coaster, Wildcat, Boulder Dash