Helen’s Georgia Mountain Coaster reopens to thrill-seekers

HELEN, Ga. - After closing down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, Helen’s famed Georgia Mountain Coaster is back open — which means those screams you hear coming from the North Georgia are probably thrill-seekers taking a fast and furious ride down the mountain.

Owned by the team behind Helen’s popular Cool River Tubing, the Georgia Mountain Coaster temporarily suspended operations in March, posting on Facebook in part, “We want to do our part during these hard times and, in our judgment, this is the right thing to do.” Now, nearly three months later, the team has decided to re-open the attraction, with some new safety measures in place.

Georgia Mountain Coaster in Helen, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta).

So, what is the Georgia Mountain Coaster, exactly?  Owned by the team behind Cool River Tubing and built by Wiegand Sports, the ride features carts (accommodating one or two people) which travel along a track up and down the mountain for roughly a mile.  The carts come equipped with hand brakes — which riders may or may not use during the quick trip back down to basecamp.  In case you missed it, we took a ride on the Alpine Coaster late last summer, resulting in some truly memorable television — you can check out the videos here.

For information more on current hours and admission, click over to the Georgia Mountain Coaster website or Facebook page.