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A log flume is a horizontal structure that has a cavity for flowing water to carry lumber and logs and generally spans many miles. The longest log flume is the Kings River Flume in Sanger, California.
Today, the name describes an amusement ride consisting of a water flume and artificial hollow logs. Passengers sit in the logs, which are propelled along the flume by the flow of water. The ride usually culminates with a rapid descent and splashdown into a body of water.
The first log flume is said to be the Timber Mountain Log Ride (formerly Calico Log Ride), built by amusement company Arrow Development (also known as Arrow Dynamics, Arrow/Huss, Arrow, and now part of S&S/Arrow) in the 1960s at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. The designer, Bud Hurlbut, drew his inspiration from stories of lumberjacks riding logs down rivers. Another notable log flume is Splash Mountain at the Disney theme parks, based on characters in Song of the South..
Log flumes are a variant on the Shoot the Chutes ride at Coney Island's Luna Park, in which a boat slid down a long chute and splashed into a pond.
See also: Liseberg