5 Insane Rides That Made Action Park New Jersey The World's Most Dangerous Water Park
For a new generation of thrill-seekers, the legend of Action Park in Vernon, New Jersey, sounds like an urban myth—a theme park built without safety regulations where injuries were a badge of honor and death was a real possibility. Yet, this "Class Action Park," as it was affectionately nicknamed, was very real, operating from 1978 to 1996 and earning a reputation as the most dangerous amusement park in the world. Its legacy has been cemented by the 2020 documentary and recent retrospectives, with new articles appearing as recently as September 2024, proving that the park's brutal charm continues to fascinate and horrify, especially as its successor, Mountain Creek Waterpark, has begun to embrace some of the park's nostalgic throwback attractions.
As of December 23, 2025, the conversation around Action Park isn't just a historical footnote; it’s a living cautionary tale. The park, built on the grounds of the Vernon Valley/Great Gorge ski resort, operated under a philosophy of minimal oversight and maximum liability waivers, leading to an estimated six fatalities and thousands of reported injuries. From the infamous looping water slide to the concrete-lined Alpine Slide, the park’s attractions were engineered not for safety, but for pure, unadulterated danger, a concept that today’s heavily regulated amusement industry finds unthinkable.
The Legacy of 'Traction Park': A Brief but Brutal History
Action Park was the brainchild of Eugene "Gene" Mulvihill, a charismatic and unconventional entrepreneur who also owned the adjacent ski resort. Mulvihill's business philosophy was simple: build the rides cheap, staff them with minimum-wage teenagers, and let the patrons figure out the rest. This approach, coupled with a complete disregard for traditional safety standards and engineering, is what earned the park its notorious moniker: 'Traction Park.'
The park’s operational style was characterized by a distinct lack of safety netting, inadequate braking systems, and attractions that seemed to defy the laws of physics. Alcohol was freely consumed by patrons, further fueling the reckless environment. Park employees were often ill-equipped or too young to handle serious emergencies, and the sheer volume of accidents—ranging from broken bones and concussions to catastrophic head injuries—created a chaotic yet exhilarating atmosphere that drew millions of visitors. The park’s insurance company reportedly dropped them eleven times.
Action Park officially closed in 1996 under a cloud of liability lawsuits and financial troubles. It briefly reopened under new ownership as Mountain Creek Waterpark. Remarkably, the name Action Park was resurrected for a short period between 2014 and 2016 before the park reverted to the Mountain Creek name, signaling a final, official end to the infamous brand, though the spirit of the location remains a cultural touchstone.
The 5 Most Insane and Dangerous Rides That Defined Action Park
Action Park's attractions were not just rides; they were experiments in human endurance. The park featured three distinct areas: Motorworld, Waterworld, and Alpine Center, each home to an attraction more terrifying than the last. Here are the five most infamous rides that cemented its deadly reputation:
1. The Cannonball Loop: The Looping Water Slide
The Cannonball Loop stands alone as the ultimate symbol of Action Park's madness. Built in 1985, this water slide featured a fully enclosed, 360-degree vertical loop. It was so dangerous that it was open for only about a month before being shut down by the state. Test dummies reportedly came out of the loop decapitated or severely mangled. When human riders were allowed, they often emerged with missing teeth, cuts, and bruises, and sometimes got stuck at the bottom of the loop, requiring park staff to pull them out through a trap door.
2. The Alpine Slide: The Concrete Coaster
Responsible for the park’s first fatality, the Alpine Slide was a concrete and fiberglass track that ran down the side of the mountain. Riders were given a small, wheeled sled with a hand brake to control their speed. The problem was that the sleds were difficult to control, the brakes often failed, and the concrete track became slick and unforgiving. According to New Jersey statistics, the Alpine Slide was responsible for at least 26 catastrophic head injuries and 14 fractures, earning it the nickname "The Bone-Crusher."
3. The Tidal Wave Pool: The Grave Pool
Known by its grim nickname, the Tidal Wave Pool was a massive pool that generated six different wave patterns, some reaching over three feet high. Unlike modern wave pools, there was no gradual slope; the water depth plunged quickly to 10 feet. The pool’s powerful, unpredictable waves, combined with the lack of sufficient lifeguards and the fact that many patrons could not swim, led to constant rescues. One person drowned in this pool, and on a typical summer weekend, lifeguards would perform dozens of rescues.
4. The Tarzan Swing and The Cliff Jump
These two attractions were located in the glacial-fed, frigid waters of the park's pond. The Tarzan Swing allowed riders to grab a rope, swing out over the water, and drop in. The Cliff Jump was a 20-foot drop straight into the icy water below. The danger was twofold: the shock of the freezing water, which could induce hyperventilation, and the risk of hitting the submerged rocks or other patrons who were struggling to get out of the way.
5. The Aqua Skoot: The Human Catapult
The Aqua Skoot was a series of water slides that ended abruptly with a launch ramp, sending riders skimming across a small, shallow pool of water. The goal was to skim as far as possible, but the launch velocity was often too high. Riders frequently overshot the pool entirely, landing painfully on the concrete beyond, resulting in numerous broken bones and concussions.
Action Park Today: Mountain Creek Waterpark and The Return of Nostalgia
The site of the former Action Park is currently home to the reputable and safety-conscious Mountain Creek Waterpark. Located in Vernon Township, New Jersey, Mountain Creek operates as a modern, clean, and scenic water park, a stark contrast to its chaotic predecessor. It utilizes the natural mountain landscape for its attractions, including a gondola lift and a variety of slides and pools that meet all modern safety standards.
However, the park's history is impossible to ignore, and in a move that has delighted and intrigued long-time fans, Mountain Creek has begun to lean into the nostalgia of the "Traction Park" era, albeit with modern safety protocols. Recent updates, including a September 2024 article, highlighted the return of two beloved, albeit updated, throwback attractions.
This embrace of its past is a strategic move to appeal to the generation who grew up with the park and the new fans created by the success of the "Class Action Park" documentary. The current park operates with a completely different ethos than Gene Mulvihill's vision, focusing on family-friendly thrills and rigorous safety, but the landscape itself—the steep mountain slopes and the cold-water pond—still provides a physical connection to the park’s wilder days. The current Mountain Creek is a testament to how far amusement park safety has come, even as it pays homage to the place where rules were optional and the danger was the main attraction.
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