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Giant Dipper

Giant Dipper, a attraction in California
Giant Dipper, a attraction in CaliforniaLarry Pieniazek, User:Lar , (primary) · CC BY 2.5
Giant Dipper, a attraction in California
Larry Pieniazek, User:Lar , (primary) · CC BY 2.5
Giant Dipper, a attraction in California
Larry Pieniazek, User:Lar , (primary) · CC BY 2.5
Giant Dipper, a attraction in California
Larry Pieniazek, User:Lar , (primary) · CC BY 2.5
Giant Dipper, a attraction in California
Larry Pieniazek, User:Lar , (primary) · CC BY 2.5
Giant Dipper, a attraction in California
Larry Pieniazek, User:Lar , (primary) · CC BY 2.5

More photographs at the Wikimedia Commons category.

Giant Dipper is an attraction in California, at a modelled elevation of 5 m. Loma Prieta stands 1,154 m to the northeast, 14 miles off. The nearest named place is Raymond Street Park, a park 0.1 miles away. Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1 passes 27 miles off.

About

The story

The Giant Dipper is a historic wooden roller coaster located at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, United States. Designed by renowned coaster architects Frank Prior and Frederick Church, it was built during the Golden Age of roller coasters and officially opened on May 17, 1924. The Giant Dipper replaced Thompson's Scenic Railway and was constructed in just 47 days at a cost of $50,000. The ride stands 70 feet (21 m) tall and reaches a maximum speed of 55 mph (89 km/h). In addition to being one of the oldest operating roller coasters in the world, it remains one of the most popular, ranking consistently among the top 50 wooden coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards published by Amusement Today. Giant Dipper has accommodated over 68 million riders and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. It was also awarded an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark designation by American Coaster Enthusiasts in 2007.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dates from 1924.

Wikidata Q1522718, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

The record

What the record says

Built
1924-05-17
Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates36.96471, -122.01533

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
Attractions
  • Looff Carousel: 0.1 mi
  • Undertow: 0.2 mi
  • Stagnaro Fishing Charters & Whale Watching Cruises: 0.4 mi
  • NOAA - Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: 0.5 mi
  • Steamer Lane Surfing: 1.1 mi
Picnic sites
  • Aloha Terrace: 0.3 mi
  • Buckeye Picnic Area: 1.7 mi
  • Oak Picnic Area: 1.8 mi
  • Evergreen Picnic Area: 1.8 mi
  • Wagner Grove: 1.8 mi
Artworks
  • Stone Spire: 0.3 mi
  • Life-size Gray Whale Sculpture: 0.3 mi
  • Tori Gate (Opening to the Sea): 0.5 mi
  • Swimming Dolphins: 0.5 mi
  • Fluke: 0.5 mi
Nature reserves
Historic sites
  • Santa Cruz Hostel: 0.5 mi
  • Surfer Memorial Statue: 0.9 mi
  • Santa Cruz Bicentennial Monument: 1.0 mi
  • Soldiers & Sailors Statue: 1.0 mi
  • Compass Rose Plaza: 1.1 mi
Peaks
  • Bolcoff Hill: 1.2 mi
  • Horseback Hill: 1.9 mi
  • Prospect Hill: 2.0 mi
  • La Corona: 3.1 mi
  • Mount Massiah: 4.8 mi
Beaches: 55
Gardens: 42
Museums: 40
Waterfalls: 23
  • Moose Lodge Falls: 4.3 mi
  • Ferndell: 6.5 mi
  • Maple Falls: 8.9 mi
  • Fairy Falls: 8.9 mi
  • Five Finger Falls: 10.3 mi
Springs: 15
  • Dodero Spring: 2.2 mi
  • Horse Trough Spring: 3.1 mi
  • Crystal Springs (private): 3.1 mi
  • Redwood Springs: 6.3 mi
  • Old Growth Spring: 7.6 mi
Cliffs: 12
  • Chrystal Cliff: 1.1 mi
  • Anthony's Bluff: 1.2 mi
  • Upper Quarry: 3.3 mi
  • Upper Quarry: 3.3 mi
  • Capitola Bluffs: 3.8 mi
Ghost towns: 10
Lighthouses: 3
Covered bridges: 2
Natural arches: 1
  • Natural Bridges Rock Arch: 2.6 mi
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 18.7 miles of Giant Dipper. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Loma PrietaNE 43°1,154 m13.8 mi
Crystal PeakNE 44°1,097 m14.3 mi
Mount UmunhumNNE 25°1,063 m15.0 mi
Mount ThayerNNE 21°1,061 m14.7 mi
Mount ChualNE 43°1,046 m14.6 mi
Mount BielawskiNNW 346°985 m18.4 mi
El SombrosoNNE 21°917 m15.9 mi
The PeakN 350°917 m17.8 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:1218:4619:20
June solstice05:5019:5320:32
September equinox06:5718:3219:07
December solstice07:1816:1516:56

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F525355586063646565625651
Precip in6.46.14.32.00.90.20.00.00.11.33.26.0

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Santa Cruz, 2 mi away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata

OpenStreetMap element way/34300977

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