New land ‘Camp Timber Trail’ builds on Six Flags Great America history without character IP
Six Flags Great America in Illinois has spent decades building its reputation around major roller coasters, but its new family land for 2027 draws from an older part of the park’s identity.
Camp Timber Trail will bring nine attractions and experiences, including a new suspended family coaster, an outdoor play area, rethemed rides and two historic attractions. No movie, television, comic book or character franchises will take over this land. Instead Camp Timber Trail is focused on the great outdoors.
Camp Timber Trail is a newly named family area being developed within the site of Six Flags Great America’s Yukon Territory. Six Flags is building its story around woodland trails, campfire traditions, birds, bees, wagons and outdoor exploration. The original theme allows Camp Timber Trail to connect with Yukon Territory, one of the lands that opened with Great America in 1976.
Camp Timber Trail is described by Six Flags as a new family area within Yukon Territory. The company has not explicitly said the entire Yukon Territory name will disappear.
“With Camp Timber Trail, we’re making a significant investment in family experiences.”
— John Krajnak, Six Flags Great America park president.
WATCH: Six Flags provided the video below to highlight Camp Timber Trail.
Nine attractions are included in Camp Timber Trail
Six Flags calls Camp Timber Trail one of its largest investments in family attractions at Great America in recent years. Its nine announced experiences include three new attractions, four rethemed rides and two returning park classics.
Sky Hawk suspended family coaster
Sky Hawk will serve as the land’s headline attraction. Six Flags describes it as the Midwest’s longest, tallest and fastest suspended family coaster.
Unlike a traditional coaster with a train positioned above the track, riders on a suspended coaster travel below it. Six Flags says Sky Hawk will send riders through the treetops with views of the surrounding woodland area.
Take a look at the video below for a peek at this new family coaster.
Trail Trotters
Trail Trotters is described as an imaginative animal trek through the wilderness.
Concept art shows children aboard individual animal vehicles, suggesting it will serve some of the land’s youngest visitors. It reminds me of the joust style ride at Legoland Florida Resort and the dinosaur ride right next door at Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida, which is also replicated at Peppa Pig Theme Park Dallas-Fort Worth.
Forest Grove Play Park
Forest Grove Play Park will be an expansive outdoor play area with nature-inspired elements for climbing, movement and exploration.
The play park is an important part of the announced lineup. It creates an option for children who are too short for a ride, do not enjoy coasters or need time to move freely after waiting in lines. Note that what appears to be bright blue water winding through the play area in the concept below is most likely a spongy path next to an actual water feature.
Four familiar rides receive new names
Camp Timber Trail will incorporate four existing attractions under new woodland-inspired identities:
- Chirp Chaser: The former Sprocket Rockets family coaster will become a bird-themed flight through the wilderness.
- Wilderness Wagon: Crazy Bus will return as a rustic wagon ride.
- Creek Cruiser: Yahoo River will become a relaxing boat ride inspired by wilderness waterways.
- Bee Boppin’: Buzzy Beez will return with refreshed theming.
Six Flags says the attractions will receive enhanced theming and storytelling. The announcement does not indicate that the underlying ride systems will be replaced.
Camp Timber Trail preserves two pieces of Illinois amusement history
Little Dipper and Logger’s Run will remain in the area, connecting the new land with two different chapters of local amusement park history.
Logger’s Run opened with Great America in 1976 and has been part of Yukon Territory since the park’s first season.
Little Dipper has an even longer history. The wooden family coaster opened at Kiddieland in Melrose Park, Illinois, in 1950. Six Flags Great America acquired and relocated it after Kiddieland closed, reopening the coaster in 2010.
Keeping both attractions inside Camp Timber Trail supports the land’s original theme. It also gives the lineup a wider range of intensity, from outdoor play and gentle rides to two family coasters and a log flume.
A family land without a licensed franchise
Six Flags has extensive access to recognizable properties, including Looney Tunes, DC Comics and Peanuts. Camp Timber Trail shows the company does not plan to use those characters for every new family area.
The company says Camp Timber Trail will include themed dining, specialty treats, shopping and environmental storytelling.
Six Flags is investing in more family experiences
Camp Timber Trail was announced Aug. 6, the same morning Six Flags reported second-quarter attendance increased 4% on a same-park basis. Season-pass visitation rose 10%, while its active pass base grew 6%.
CEO John Reilly said Six Flags is refining its audience segments and tailoring products and marketing to each group. The company has also restored park presidents at 10 major properties, including Great America, to strengthen local accountability. Camp Timber Trail joins several recent Six Flags projects aimed at children and adults visiting together.
“We are developing more precise segmentation and tailoring the message, product and value proposition for each audience.”
— John Reilly, Six Flags president and CEO
Six Flags Magic Mountain opened a fully reimagined Looney Tunes Land in June 2026. That land uses Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Taz and Road Runner across four themed zones containing refreshed rides, interactive trails and play areas.
Carowinds expanded Camp Snoopy in 2025 as part of what the park called its largest family-attraction investment. The Peanuts-themed project added a family launch coaster, an interactive raft ride, splash areas and character experiences.
Courtesy of Carowinds
Knott’s Soak City will take a ride-based approach in 2027. Four single-rider slides in its high-thrill Shore Break complex will be replaced by Coral Craze and Kelp Kraze, two attractions using rafts that accommodate up to five riders. The change will allow families and groups to experience those slides together.
Camp Timber Trail takes a different creative path. It uses an original theme, retains regional park history and combines traditional rides with active play.
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