Image credit: oddharmonic via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Ride shown as Lucy's Tugboat, later renamed Rapid River Run.. License: CC BY-SA 2.0.
If your Buena Park day is built around Camp Snoopy, check the calendar before you promise anyone a tugboat ride. Knott’s Berry Farm’s official scheduled-closures list shows Rapid River Run offline from August 24 through August 28, 2026, right as late-summer heat makes water and outdoor family rides especially valuable.
The same official board also keeps the launched-coaster favorite Xcelerator closed through August 28, and it schedules Sky Cabin maintenance to begin on August 28. That mix matters for anyone trying to stack a cooler-feeling afternoon with a big thrill later.
Use the park’s live list, not yesterday’s screenshot, because Knott’s notes that attractions and availability can change without notice.
- Ride offline: Rapid River Run closed August 24 through August 28, 2026.
- Where: Camp Snoopy at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California.
- Also down: Xcelerator remains closed through August 28 on the same board.
- Next window: Sky Cabin maintenance is listed August 28 through September 12.
- Source: Knott’s official scheduled ride closures page, rechecked for this week.
What the official closures board says this week
Knott’s publishes a current scheduled ride closures page for Buena Park guests. As of the August 24 operating window, Rapid River Run is listed for maintenance from August 24 to August 28.
That is a five-day outage centered on the hottest stretch of the Southern California summer calendar.
Independent coverage from Travelers Today earlier flagged the same Rapid River Run window after reviewing the official board, along with other late-summer maintenance dates. Sierra Sidewinder’s earlier August outage has already finished.
Treat that older roundup as corroboration for the Rapid River Run dates, then rely on today’s official list for anything still open or closed.
Rapid River Run is the Camp Snoopy tugboat that lifts, rocks, and spins guests through a short river scene. Knott’s lists a 42-inch minimum height and a mild thrill level, which is why families with younger kids often park it early in a day plan.
When it is offline, that age band needs a substitute quickly or the morning plan starts to feel thin.
Why a five-day Camp Snoopy outage lands harder in late August
Late August in Orange County regularly brings hot, bright afternoons. A short outdoor water-adjacent family ride is not the park’s only cooling option, but it is one of the easiest Camp Snoopy stops for mixed-age groups.
Losing it for five days pushes more demand onto nearby family flats, indoor shows, and the adjacent water park strategy.
Knott’s still operates a full day around the outage. Park hours on recent late-August dates have run into the evening, and Summer Nights programming continues through August 30 on select nights.
The traveler problem is not “the park is closed.” The problem is that one dependable little-kid ride is missing during a heat-heavy week when parents especially want soft thrills and shade breaks.
If you are visiting with a child who specifically asked for the tugboat, say so early and reset expectations at the gate. A clean swap beats a mid-afternoon disappointment after a long walk into Camp Snoopy.
The Knott’s Berry Farm planning guide is the better place to rebuild a family loop once you know which Camp Snoopy pieces are live.
Xcelerator and Sky Cabin change the same-week tradeoffs
The same official board currently lists Xcelerator: The Ride for maintenance from August 17 through August 28. Guests who planned a launched-coaster day around Rapid River Run for younger riders now lose both ends of that mix through the 28th.
HangTime, GhostRider, and other major thrills remain the backup path, but the park’s signature hydraulic launch is not available for the rest of this closure window.
Sky Cabin’s listed outage begins August 28 and runs through September 12. That means the last day of the Rapid River Run and Xcelerator window overlaps the first day of the Sky Cabin window.
If your ticket is for August 28 specifically, recheck the board that morning. One day can look quiet on paper and still remove three named attractions at once.
None of these listings, by themselves, mean the rest of Knott’s is offline. They do mean a day built around one exact photo or one exact ride can fail.
Build a ranked list of three substitutes before you enter, and keep one indoor or shaded option for the hottest hour.
What to do instead while Rapid River Run is down
Start with other Camp Snoopy family rides that remain on the live map, then decide whether Soak City is the better heat play. Knott’s Soak City sits next door and is designed for exactly this kind of late-summer afternoon.
Our Knott’s Soak City planning guide helps you compare a split day against a full theme-park day when water rides matter more than coasters.
If you stay inside the theme park, use the printable Knott’s Berry Farm park map to re-route Camp Snoopy without backtracking through the hottest courtyards. Look for nearby shaded queues, indoor entertainment, and shorter family attractions first.
Save longer walks to Ghost Town or the Boardwalk for after the peak heat hour when possible.
Passholders and multi-day visitors have more flexibility than single-day ticket holders. If Rapid River Run is a must-do for your group, shifting to August 29 or later is the cleanest fix once the official board shows it back.
Single-day guests should treat August 24 to 28 as a redesign week, not a hope-it-reopens morning.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Visit August 24 to 27 with young kids | Drop Rapid River Run from the plan and rebuild Camp Snoopy around live family rides plus a shaded break. |
| Hold tickets for August 28 | Recheck the official closures board that morning for Rapid River Run, Xcelerator, and Sky Cabin together. |
| Need a cooling afternoon more than one exact ride | Compare a Knott’s Soak City block against staying in the theme park all day. |
| Can move the trip by a day or two | Prefer August 29 or later once Rapid River Run returns on the live board. |
- This week: Do not promise Rapid River Run for visits dated August 24 through August 28, 2026.
- Same board: Assume Xcelerator stays offline through August 28 unless the official list changes.
- August 28 overlap: Sky Cabin maintenance begins the same day the other two windows end.
- Heat plan: Keep Soak City or another cooling block ready for late-afternoon Orange County temperatures.
- Before entry: Recheck the Knott’s scheduled closures page and the mobile app ride status at the gate.
Scary Farm and Spooky Farm planning can wait until after you solve this week’s operating list. Seasonal Halloween inventory is useful later, but it does not replace a missing Camp Snoopy ride on a hot August ticket day.
Solve the dated maintenance first, then decide whether a fall event night belongs on the same trip.
Is Rapid River Run open at Knott’s this week?
No. The official Knott’s scheduled closures page lists Rapid River Run closed August 24 through August 28, 2026.
Where is Rapid River Run inside Knott’s Berry Farm?
It is the Camp Snoopy tugboat ride with a 42-inch height minimum and a mild thrill rating on the Knott’s attraction page.
What else is closed at Knott’s through August 28?
The same official board currently lists Xcelerator closed through August 28, with Sky Cabin maintenance beginning August 28.
Should families buy Soak City tickets while Rapid River Run is down?
Only if cooling time matters more than one Camp Snoopy ride. Compare a split day against rebuilding the theme-park loop first.
Can Knott’s reopen Rapid River Run earlier than August 28?
Possibly. Knott’s says attraction availability can change without notice, so recheck the official closures page and app before you arrive.
