Normally the high-pitched, blood curdling screams of little girls would lead to the scrambling of parents in search of their children.
On a hot Saturday afternoon, the primal sounds had the exact opposite reaction, smiles all around.
“Whenever you get more than three girls on this ride, better plug your ears,” said the “Frog Hopper” ride attendant. “They love it.”
More than just screaming daughters love Enchanted Forest.
To prove it, all you need to do is walk around the 20-acre site on a summer day to see all the smiles.
Each year roughly 120,000 people visit Oregon’s home-grown Disneyland – only forget the commercialism and over-priced photos, autographs and gift shops – Enchanted Forest is about families.
“We were created as a family-friendly attraction and we have kept it that way for 40 years,” said Susan Vaslev, whose father, Roger Tofte, built the park by hand in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Vaslev said her family opened the park because of the lack of things to do for families in the Salem area when she was a kid. Over the years they have maintained that approach and even allow people to bring in their own picnic lunches and will chill ice cream and cakes for birthday parties.
Family-owned fun“I think our food prices are very reasonable, and get the comment from guests,” Vaslev said. “We have tired to keep inexpensive things on our menu for those on a budget. We also allow picnics to help keep food service lines short and we have found some of our guests like bringing their own food.”
It goes to show that if you are looking for a locally owned attraction for most budgets, with some good scares and fun for all age groups, Enchanted Forest is a great stop.
While the park is located on a hill overlooking Interstate 5 south of Salem, once you enter the park you would never know that you are so close to civilization. Enchanted Forest isn’t just the name of the park, it’s also a description as the it is nestled in a lush forest setting. Despite losing several trees a few years ago to a out-of-the-ordinary large snowfall, the park still has it’s secluded feel and with it’s hills will tucker out even the most hyper of little one.
“During the summer, because of the trees and the hillside we are about 10 degrees cooler than in town,” Vaslev said sitting at one of the parks many picnic tables. “It still gets hot, but you are always in the shade.”
While it might be 10-degrees cooler than temperatures out of the forest, that doesn’t stop countless people from riding the log ride. Located at the top of the park, the log ride is one of the more popular attractions if sopped smiling people are any indication. The best view of the ride is from the observation deck, where you can watch as your loved ones ride a log down a steep ramp into a pool of water.
Another popular ride is the “Ice Mountain Roller Coaster” which gives you the feeling of tobogganing along the Swiss Alps – OK, maybe not the Swiss Alps, but mountains.
The newest big ride is the “Challenge of Mondor,” which was added in 2006. The ride is based on a wizard sending riders on a quest through forests, caves and castles to save the “Drumlins.” You use an infra-red gun to fight creatures and dragons.
“We keep most of the park running ourselves with summer help,” Vaslev said.
Vaslev hires approximately 180 people to not only help operate the park during the summer months, they open in March and run through September, and they keep the park spotless. Cleaning is one of the top priorities of the 95 people on staff at any given time, and during my visit I saw no trash or messes at all – and the place was packed with kids. Each ride attendant, food service worker or even people cleaning are always smiling and engage guests in a very professional and friendly manner.
Latest additions at the park include “Speedway Bumper Cars” and a “Tiny Toon Train” that lets kids ride a small train with their parents. But that isn’t the last of the improvements.
“We have more space on the property and are always thinking of new things,” Vaslev said. “We have some ideas, but don’t want to release any details yet.”
But while the rides might get top billing, the real gem of the park is the people and the atmosphere.
Now if you will excuse me, I have a quick draw contest to finish up with Johnny Rio in Western Town.
About the Enchanted Forest: A family owned and operated theme park that features everything from a western town to a fantasy fountain light show on a 20-acre hill south of Salem. The park is run by the Tofte family who celebrated the 40th anniversary of their creating in 2011. There is a movie about the start of the park and the Tofte family in the Western Town gift shop, don’t miss this inspiring story!
What to bring: Comfortable shoes and a camera are a must when you visit Enchanted Forest. The hillside, while manageable, is pretty steep so good shoes will make your visit much more enjoyable. The Tofte’s have placed benches around the park, so if you do tire from walking and standing all day, a bench is always nearby to relief you from chasing kids. There are many picturesque scenes at the park, so make sure you have those memory cards cleared and batteries charged up. Some of the shady areas of the park are a little tricky to take pictures of, so flash is recommended.
In addition there are spots in the park that do require cash for either ice cream, snack items or change machines are available so you can play arcade-style games. Having cash in small bills will help you not have to run up and down the hill to the ATM machine.
Tip: First and foremost is that the park is located on a pretty significant hill. Plan on walking up some good slopes and wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. If you see a log ride in your future, make sure to have someone hold your camera or cell phone, as you will get very, very wet if you ride with four people in one log. Mid-day is the busiest time of day, according to Vaslev.
Season: The park is open in the middle of March through September. For specific times and prices visit the website at www.enchantedforest.com .
Getting there: 8462 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, OR is the address of the Enchanted Forest, but getting there is relatively easy. Simply exit Interstate 5 at exit 248 and follow the signs.
By Patrick Johnson
For Oregon.com