San Diego Giant Dipper Mission Beach

As Spring begins to show it's bright eyes and Summer soon to follow, I took a bike ride along the boardwalk in Mission Beach and looked to the sky to rediscover our very own Big Dipper....well technically, the Giant Dipper Roller Coaster.  Originally built in 1925 and opened on July 4th., this is a wooden roller coaster....a rare antique compared to the twisting metal of today's models.  This amazing Mission Beach icon has a great rise and fall which translates into an authentic and historic ride, complete with the heart in the throat drop from the top and rattling corners.  This is the type of coaster that can shake your insides and have you walking away with a huge grin stuck on your face.  It is as classic as the cars from the 1920s.  The Giant Dipper is located in the Belmont Park theme park, right on the Mission Beach boardwalk complete with views from the top of Mission Bay and the Ocean.  Also known as the Earthquake, the Giant Dipper Coaster, along with it's near twin at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk are the only remaining coasters on the West Coast built by noted coaster builders Prior and Church.  

This coaster enjoyed a great life from the late 1920s through the 1960s, ultimately falling into disrepair.  It was finally closed in 1976 and by the early 1980s, people began to call for it's demolition.  A date for the demolition was set, but then a group of Citizens calling themselves the Save the Coaster Committee intervened and had the Giant Dipper designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1987.  Following the historic designation, funds were raised in excess of $2 Million that were then spent on the restoration.  New trains were also added with a capacity to seat 24 riders per run in six four passenger cars. On August 11, 1990, the Giant Dipper was reopened to the public. The response was so strong that a second train was eventually added to the coaster.

So take a ride on the wild side and come on down to Mission Beach to ride the historic and exciting Giant Dipper.  Enjoy many of the other games, rides, and attractions at the Belmont Park and set the inner child free.....get some cotton candy and stroll along the Boardwalk with your special someone and enjoy a romantic sunset...a la 1920s....and if your lucky you may even see that more elusive Green Flash on the horizon!