Rattlesnake Canyon — Attraction in Osoyoos

I don't feel great writing this, as I don’t like to needlessly criticize hardworking small businesses, but this review has to do with safety of children, so I feel compelled to write it. My goal with writing it is to spur ownership to complete a review of their safety protocols and procedures. I don’t want ownership to get defensive, or refute my observations, or even report back to me or apologize. Simply look inward, be humble, and confirm with yourself that you are doing everything in your power to ensure safety of the children who so adore your business. I should also add, I have had dozens of great experiences at Rattlesnake Canyon.

On Monday, July 10th at approximately 10pm I, with my wife and another couple entered Rattlesnake Canyon and bought tickets for mini-golf and the Tornado. My friend and I were being strapped into the Tornado by a very young operator (I will guess 12yo). The operator suggested whether or not we had a safety belt on did not matter (it would barely fit, as we were both large men). Before the ride was turned on, a loud commotion and hysterical crying erupted from the Bungee Tree, another amusement ride adjacent to the Tornado.

What I personally saw was a mom crying, a dad scrambling up onto the trampoline to get his child, and a broken rope. My wife witnessed the child flying uncontrollably through the air, attached by only one bungee cord, rather than the normal two bungee cords. Apparently, once bungee cord snapped mid-flight, and my wife say the child hit a railing. It is a small miracle that the child did not hit his head harder. It appeared he was ultimately unharmed – however totally traumatized. Based on the speeds and heights, it is easy to understand how this could have been serious or fatal.

This is concerning. Amusement Devices should, under no circumstances, have mechanical or human errors which put ride-goers at risk. Rattlesnake Canyon must do a review of their inspection processes, find the root cause of the malfunction, and immediately address it.

Also concerning was the general tone and response of employees, they were children, and understandable acting like children. A rope broke and they could not believe it. Not one employee, to my knowledge, assessed the victim child’s health after the incident. It was difficult to find an adult, though Rattlesnake Canyon has apparently said the owner was called immediately. I did see an adult re-affixing a rope after the incident on a ladder, about 10-15 minutes after the incident.

I've attached some photos I took...

Rattle Snake Canyon is a very small amusement in Osoyoos, BC. The amusement park has 5 rides (Go-Carts, Tilt a whirl, Swings, Water boat/gun and Child's Helicopter ride), a mini golf course, jumping trampoline, a rock wall and a small arcade. There is a ice cream shop, which is very generous with their portions, and a food concession stand.

I find the admission steep considering there isn't much to do there. It cost approximately $70 for a day pass for an adult (including teens). You do have the option of buying tickets for the park rides instead but they have limits and some rides will take 2 tickets at a time. I can't remember what the costs of tickets were though.

The amusement park starts off relatively clean early in the day but as traffic increases throughout the day (evening seems to be their busiest time - think more teenagers and young kids hanging out) the park becomes dirty and, at least, 1 of the 2 bathrooms near the ticket booth is no longer in use. I have found the morning and early afternoon to the best time to go, as lines are shorter and it's not as crowded.

We seem to end up here as more of a "something to do" place for the kids but it's certainly not my favourite. As I previously stated, it is small and there aren't that many rides. The novelty wears off quickly and as the park becomes busier with the evening crowd, it can become squishy and overly packed.

I guess if you have small children or need something to do after a day at the beach, then Rattlesnake Canyon might be able to provide you with that entertainment for about an hour but definitely lower expectations around the novelty or what you expect to find there.

*Edit: "7 rides plus Mini Golf, Go Karts, Ice Cream Parlour, Concession , Arcade and Gift Store." And the owner's response is correct, it is free to enter the park so you and your family want to check it out first or just ppl watch then it is...

It's pretty hit and miss. Your enjoyment of each station is all based on which employee is working at it. They don't even have an employee at each station/ride. Some employees are superstars, others are clueless that children are there to have fun.

Two examples:

We went to the rock climbing wall which is an activity that my kids are not familiar with. We had to wait a while for a go-cart employee to assist us. He had no concept of the fact that he had to tell my kids anything, like what to do when they wanted down. After he put on their gear, he didn't ask if it hurt them or felt comfortable or not. He clipped them into their ropes and started starting off at the go-cart track. Another employee, by chance, came by and noticed that my kids could barely climb anything. This employee came to the kids, asked to switch them to a different rope which would be easier for beginner climbers (they were originally hooked up to the most difficult part of the wall). That employee stayed and encouraged the kids, helped give them some pointers, and gave the kids friendly options of being done or wanting to try another wall. A 1 star employee vs. a 5 star employee.

At the trampoline station, my kids went to go jump while being attached to the bungie cords. There was one employee with a few kids in line. My kids jumped the same height they normally would on a trampoline without bungie cords. It was underwhelming. The second time my daughter went on the trampolines, there was still a lineup, but two employees. Both employees were helping launch the kids attached to the bungies to get massive air. Every kid was screaming with glee. A 1 star experience vs. a 5 star experience.

By the end, my kids were both really disappointed and excited with the experience. But, they both said they wouldn't care to come back. They need more 5 star employees, I guess. It's the kids who decide if we...