Grizzly Peak
Grizzly Peak is a themed land at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Opened with the park on February 8, 2001, it recreates the atmosphere of a Californian national park recreation area of the 1950s, drawing on Yosemite, the Sierra Nevada and the state's redwood forests. Its centrepiece, from which the land takes its name, is a man-made mountain about 110 feet (34 metres) high, sculpted in the profile of a grizzly bear, California's state animal.
The land occupies the centre of the park, between Buena Vista Street and Paradise Bay, and contains two of the park's original headline attractions.
History
Grizzly Peak began as one part of Golden State, the largest of the park's original areas, which also included the Condor Flats airfield district and Pacific Wharf. When the Golden State name was retired during the park's redesign, its parts became separate lands in 2012. Condor Flats was then merged into Grizzly Peak in 2015, following a reworking that replaced its desert airfield dressing with timber, stone and park-service styling, and renamed it Grizzly Peak Airfield.
Refurbishments in the same period gave the whole land a more consistent mid-century national park appearance, including new signage in the style of park-service lettering and a repainted mountain. The area's shops and restaurants were renamed to match, the former Taste Pilots' Grill becoming Smokejumpers Grill, a name referring to firefighters who parachute into forest fires.
Attractions
Grizzly River Run is a river rapids ride that circles and passes through the mountain. Circular rafts carrying eight riders climb a conveyor lift inside a timber mill structure before descending a winding channel with drops, geysers and a final spinning descent. It is among the longest and fastest rides of its type, and riders are routinely soaked.
Soarin' Around the World, in the Grizzly Peak Airfield section, lifts rows of riders in hang-glider-style vehicles before a large concave screen, combining film of world landmarks with motion, wind and scents. It opened in 2001 as Soarin' Over California, showing Californian locations, and was widely copied, including at EPCOT. The world film replaced it in 2016, while the California film has returned for limited seasons since 2019.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail is a walk-through play and exploration area themed to redwood forest, with rope bridges, climbing structures, slides and a small amphitheatre. It was rethemed in part to Brother Bear in 2003 and to Up in 2009, adding Russell and Dug from that film to its setting.
Dining and shops
Smokejumpers Grill serves burgers and similar fare in an airfield hangar setting by Soarin'. Humphrey's Service & Supplies, named for Humphrey the Bear, and Rushin' River Outfitters, at the exit of Grizzly River Run, sell outdoor clothing and park merchandise presented as park outfitters' stock.