Wilderness Run

Jr. Gemini
1979-2013

Jr. Gemini was a roller coaster designed specifically for kids.

In 1979, Cedar Point opened the Gemini Children’s Area. It was added to the Gemini Midway. The area featured a new roller coaster called Jr. Gemini. Rock, Spin & Turn and Space Age were also relocated to the new kids’ area to give children more rides to enjoy.

Gemini’s Children’s Area was located directly across from the Gemini roller coaster.

Jr. Gemini was designed especially for young children. If adults wanted to ride, they had to be accompanied by a child.

Jr. Gemini was the first roller coaster in the world built by Intamin. It was also the first project that Cedar Point worked on with the company.

Cedar Point and Intamin would go on to build some of the best attractions in the world together, including: Demon Drop (1983–2009), Avalanche Run (1985–1989), Thunder Canyon (1986), Disaster Transport (1990–2012), Millennium Force (2000), Wicked Twister (2002–2021), Top Thrill Dragster (2003–2021), Maverick (2007), and Shoot the Rapids (2010–2015).

During this time, Intamin also worked with many other parks around the world. In 2025, the company opened Falcon’s Flight, which is currently the tallest roller coaster in the world.

Jr. Gemini would become the first roller coaster for millions of kids who visited Cedar Point.

After adding Jr. Gemini in 1979, Cedar Point continued to add more attractions to help balance out what the park had to offer. It added: Oceana (1980), Ocean Motion (1981), Kid Arthur’s Court (1982-2005), White Water Landing (1982-2005), Demon Drop (1983-2009), Avalanche Run (1985-1989), Berenstain Bear Country (1985-1998), Thunder Canyon (1986), Iron Dragon (1987), Soak City Water Park (1988-2016), Magnum XL-200 (1989), Disaster Transport (1990-2012), Mean Streak (1991-2016), Challenge Park (1992-2016), Snake River Falls (1993-2024), Kiddy Kingdom (1993), Raptor (1994), Cedar Point’s 125th Anniversary Celebration (1995), RipCord (1996-2016), Mantis (1996-2014), Chaos (1997-2011), Swan Boats (1997-2003), Power Tower (1998), Camp Snoopy (1999), Millennium Force (2000), Lighthouse Point (2001), Wicked Twister (2002-2021), Good Time Theatre (2002-2014), Top Thrill Dragster (2003-2021), Castaway Bay Resort (2004), maXair (2005), Skyhawk (2006), Maverick (2007), Planet Snoopy (2008), Shoot the Rapids (2010-2015), WindSeeker (2011), Dinosaurs Alive! On Adventure Island (2012-2018), and GateKeeper (2013),
All of these additions were great for Cedar Point, and each one gave park guests an experience they hadn’t had before.

Kids loved riding Jr. Gemini. It provided a great experience for young riders.

Even though Jr. Gemini was a very popular ride, it began to show its age during the 2010s. The ride was about to undergo some major changes.

On August 27, 2013, Cedar Point announced plans to remodel the Gemini Midway for the 2014 season. Gemini’s Children’s Area was set to be replaced with Pipe Scream and Lake Erie Eagles.

Jr. Gemini’s entrance was moved to Camp Snoopy. The ride was renamed Wilderness Run and repainted to match the theme of Camp Snoopy.

Jr. Gemini closed on Sunday, October 27, 2013, and was transformed over the winter.

Wilderness Run
2014

Wilderness Run is a children’s roller coaster located in Camp Snoopy.

Wilderness Run opened to guests on Saturday, May 10, 2014.

The track was painted green and the supports were painted brown, allowing the ride to blend in seamlessly with the surrounding trees. Additional trees were also planted around the ride.

Wilderness Run also received a new entrance plaza. The plaza is open and has a smooth, easy flow for guests.

Transforming Jr. Gemini into Wilderness Run was a great move for Cedar Point. The ride will continue to delight children for decades to come.

Wilderness Run is located in Camp Snoopy. The ride sits in front of Linus’ Beetle Bugs and across from Red Baron and Camp Bus.

Wilderness Run is Cedar Point’s smallest roller coaster. It gives children their first experience of what it’s like to ride a roller coaster.

Wilderness Run Ride Facts
Opened:
May 12, 1979 as Jr. Gemini
May 10, 2014 as Wilderness Run
Location: Camp Snoopy
Type: Children’s Roller Coaster
Manufacturer: Intamin AG
Height: 19 feet
Length: 443 feet
Speed: 6 mph
Hills: 2
Trains: 1
Inversions: 0
Wilderness Run was the first roller coaster in the world built by Intamin.

Intamin has built at least four roller coasters of this type. Today, only two are still in operation, including Woodstock Express at California’s Great America.

Ride Experience

The Wilderness Run ride experience begins with guests entering the ride plaza for Wilderness Run.

Riders typically wait 10–30 minutes for this ride. Since the ride completes two laps per ride, wait times can sometimes be shorter.

Riders are loaded into small cars, each equipped with a seatbelt and a lap bar.

Wilderness Run takes riders up a 19-foot-tall hill. It takes about 20 seconds for the train to reach the top of the lift hill.

Once the train reaches the top of the lift hill, it begins turning to the left.

As the train turns, it slowly descends. Riders reach speeds of up to 6 mph during the drop.

Wilderness Run then takes riders over an airtime hill! A ride photo is captured as they go over the hill.

Riders experience a fun burst of airtime as they go over this hill.

Wilderness Run then makes a turn before returning to the station.

Wilderness Run maintains a steady pace throughout its layout.

Once the train comes to a complete stop, riders are asked if they want to ride again. The ride crew then ensures all riders are properly secured before sending the train around for a second lap.

Wilderness Run is a great starter ride for kids. It is both fun and exciting.

A Great Fit for Cedar Point

Wilderness Run is a valuable addition to Cedar Point, which is known worldwide as "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World." It’s an excellent ride for kids to get their first experience riding roller coasters.

Wilderness Run is not a thrill roller coaster, which is exactly what makes it perfect for kids.

Kids love Wilderness Run. It’s a lot of fun and truly a classic ride at Cedar Point.

Wilderness Run is a very reliable ride and is almost always open.

Wilderness Run is a great starter roller coaster. Riders often begin with Wilderness Run before moving on to Woodstock Express.

Wilderness Run has a charming theme and fits in perfectly with Camp Snoopy.

The new Gemini Midway was a great addition when it opened at Cedar Point in 2014. After its debut, Cedar Point went on to open:Rougarou (2015), Valravn (2016), Cedar Point Shores Waterpark (2017), Steel Vengeance (2018), Forbidden Frontier on Adventure Island (2019-2022), Cedar Point’s 150th Anniversary Celebration (2021), Snake River Expedition (2021-2023), The Boardwalk (2023), Top Thrill 2 (2024), and Siren’s Curse (2025)

All of these additions have helped enhance Cedar Point’s collection of attractions.