Rafts to Tom Sawyer's Island

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Raft's To Tom Sawyer's Island

The island that is surrounded by the Rivers of America in Frontierland was left almost completely bare when Disneyland first opened in 1955. Time and money had both run out, forcing Walt to leave it unfinished. But on the shores of this once barren isle, the following summer Walt Disney would unveil what is perhaps the most distinctive outdoor playground ever conceived, the fabulous Tom Sawyers Island. To gain access to the island, explorers board a log raft to carry them across the river. Here they will find a network of caves, rocks, bridges, and secret hideouts, including Tom and Huck’s tree house, Injun Joe’s Cave, Harper’s Mill, and Castle Rock, so named because of its natural resemblance to a fortress tower. For more hearty adventurers, there is a hanging suspension bridge, a pontoon barrel bridge, and a teeter-totter and spinning merry-go round fashioned from rocks.

At one time, there was also a fishing pier on the island called Catfish Cove, where fishing poles and live bait were provided for avid and amateur fisherman alike. Guests were invited to cast their lines and take home all the live fish they could catch. At the northern end of the Island once stood Fort Wilderness, an authentic recreation of the log forts used by the US Cavalry in the 1800s. From the lookout towers, young guests could enjoy firing popguns at make-believe targets. Fort Wilderness recently closed and was removed after years of decay made its natural wood construction unstable. This past year, the island has undergone a major renovation, incorporating an all-new pirate motif into its already existing elements. This is inspired by the enormous popularity of Disney’s new Pirates of the Caribbean film trilogy. There are similar attractions at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. The Disneyland Paris version is known as Adventure Isle and is located not in Frontierland, but Adventureland.

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