Part glee and part terror, roller coasters provide an impossible-to-match feeling and the ultimate dopamine hit. You’re strapped and secured, and then within seconds, you’re catapulted at speeds that can surpass 100 mph.
Whether chugging up a lift hill or launching into inversions, roller coasters can inspire euphoric highs and a healthy dose of exhilaration. Innovations in roller coasters fuse cutting-edge technology with the timeless thrills of air time, steep drops and excellent theming.
As National Roller Coaster Day approaches Aug. 16, I’ve compiled this list of 10 of the best coasters in the U.S.
Steel Vengeance
Location: Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio
With a world-record-setting ride experience, Steel Vengeance has earned its place at the top of just about every roller coaster list. Cedar Point is often referred to as the “roller coaster capital of the world,” and Steel Vengeance is the park’s lynchpin.
The records on this mammoth coaster include the world’s longest hybrid roller coaster at 5,740 feet and the most air time on any roller coaster, clocking in at a shocking 27.2 seconds. The two-minute-and-30-second ride is unrelenting and begins with a 200-foot drop at 90 degrees with speeds that reach 74 mph. From there, you’ll encounter three zero-g rolls, a zero-g stall and overbanked turns that push the limits of physics.
Related: 11 regional theme parks that are closer to home but just as fun as the big names
The intricately laid track weaves at a rapid pace throughout the enormous wooden structure, with plenty of near-miss thrills and close calls. Add in a finale of five small air-time hills, and you have a perfect coaster that will make your head spin and heart flutter with joy.
Time Traveler
Location: Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
They broke the mold when engineering Time Traveler at Silver Dollar City. It’s a physics-defying, genre-busting, spinning roller coaster. This is the world’s fastest, steepest and tallest spinning coaster, with a shocking 90-degree vertical drop right out of the station and two launches that send you soaring through the maze of track.
The g-forces on this coaster alone are worth traveling to this charming theme park in the Ozarks near Branson. The unique circular trains reach speeds of up to 50.3 mph as each car free-spins through three inversions and air-time moments. The smooth ride is most thrilling from the back row, though the ride experience is different every time.
Wildcat’s Revenge
Location: Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Unrelenting in the best way, Wildcat’s Revenge at Hersheypark debuted in June 2023 to raves, and it earned the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Roller Coaster of 2023. This new Rocky Mountain Construction addition to the coaster-centric park is a two-minute-and-36-second jolt of exhilaration, reaching a top speed of 62 mph.
From the ride’s first gut-wrenching 82-degree drop, you’re on a course where there are no trims or brakes — just sheer speed. It aggressively barrels through four inversions and several air-time moments. The first element you’ll experience is the world’s largest “underflip,” an inversion tucked into an upward 270-degree roll into a dive down toward the side. Only the bravest riders can keep both hands up during this intense element.
The zero-g stall (that’s when the track twists 180 degrees and remains inverted for a section of the track) on this ride is a new standard on RMC coasters and a personal favorite. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by all the abrupt changes in direction throughout the course.
Twisted Colossus
Location: Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California
A sprawling park packed with 20 roller coasters, Six Flags Magic Mountain is a coaster-lovers paradise about an hour north of Los Angeles. Of all the great coasters in the park, Twisted Colossus tops the list with its unique layout and thrilling near-miss elements.
This one-of-a-kind hybrid from Rocky Mountain Construction is built as a dueling twin coaster with a unique benefit: You get to ride both tracks without stopping at the station. This long continuous circuit features side-by-side tracks with a coveted high-five element as both trains bank toward each other at 90 degrees. The extended track includes many surprise drops, sharp twists and a thrilling stall over the track below.
Add in the joy of getting to experience the ride twice in one go, and you have two incredible ride experiences on one rousing coaster.
Phoenix
Location: Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania
Deep in the woods of central Pennsylvania, you’ll find America’s largest free-admission amusement park, Knoebels. Family-owned and -operated since 1926, this oasis of family fun harkens back to the days of yesteryear with vintage rides and Dutch Country charm.
The biggest draw here is Phoenix, a wooden roller coaster that has been bucking riders with glee since 1985. This roller coaster has reached legendary status for its double out-and-back layout that reaches a top speed of 45 mph (but feels much faster on this track).
The real triumph is the coaster’s third act: a rollicking five-hill sprint packed with hair-raising air-time moments. The restraints here allow for some freedom within your seat which adds even more of a wallop as you pummel toward the station, back to terra firma.
Fury 325
Location: Carowinds, Charlotte
No matter how high you set your expectations for the tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America, Fury 325 will exceed them.
This steel wonder delivers an impeccable ride experience with speeds that reach a shocking 95 mph from its initial gut-wrenching, 320-foot drop. You won’t find inversions on this track, but there’s no need for them as you zip through hills and banked turns at top speeds.
This is the rare coaster that you’ll find crosses state lines, routing between North Carolina and South Carolina. You’ll feel the incredible speed and g-forces on all 32 seats of the coaster train, though the front row is the best to get a first glimpse at each element on this towering ride.
Jurassic World VelociCoaster
Location: Universal Islands of Adventure, Universal Orlando, Orlando
Strap in for one of the smoothest and most intense roller coaster rides on Jurassic World VelociCoaster. The coaster completely immerses you in the Jurassic World setting, from a remarkable queue that brings you up close with raptors to an exciting lead-up to a launch that finds you rocketing out of a raptor cage.
Related: Here’s how to plan an epic trip to Universal Orlando Resort this year
From that initial powerful launch of 0 to 50 mph in two seconds, you’re taken on a mad dash run with 12 air-time moments and a 100-foot-long zero-g stall. The best part of the layout comes in the middle of the track: The train enters its second launch and boosts riders from 40 to 70 mph in 2.4 seconds up a steep climb to a 155-foot top hat element visible from every corner of the park.
The long track finishes with a picture-perfect barrel roll over the park’s lagoon as it returns to the station from a perfect raptor hunt.
Cheetah Hunt
Location: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa
Well into its second decade of unexpected thrills at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Cheetah Hunt still reigns supreme. This triple launch coaster charts a unique course that’s as thrilling as it is scenic.
You’ll start with a bolt from the station as you turn into a second launch that will send you high into the treetops, just as a cheetah climbs a tree to scout its prey. For a brief moment, you’ll enjoy the peaceful breeze and excellent park views before a drop that sends you coasting by animal habitats and botanic gardens.
The real delight of this coaster is its third act as it races within inches of the ground, teetering over babbling brooks and ducking under trees in a thrilling re-creation of a cheetah on the hunt. The ride has a few more tricks up its sleeve as it reveals a third and final launch that propels you through several excellent air hills as you jaunt back to the station from your world-class hunt.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Location: Epcot, Walt Disney World, Orlando
Fuse Disney World favorites Space Mountain and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and add a touch of the spinning teacups from the Mad Tea Party to get the triumphant Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
This family-friendly, one-of-a-kind coaster is an intergalactic journey that enlists you to join the Guardians of the Galaxy to help retrieve the Cosmic Generator from the malicious Eson. After an endearing and well-plotted pre-show, you’re loaded into a five-car train. Each of the five cars rotates independently, on a controlled and timed axis, to divert your attention to various scenes and theme elements throughout the three-minute, 20-second ride. The ride begins with a thrilling 60 mph backward launch into a top hat element followed by a series of thrilling tight turns, helixes and sudden drops.
Related: 30 best Disney World rides ranked for 2024
One of the delights of riding this coaster is that its soundtrack is randomly selected for each ride from six pop songs. Collect all six ride experiences with these songs: “Disco Inferno” by the Trammps, “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls, “Conga” by Miami Sound Machine, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears, “One Way or Another” by Blondie and “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire.
Kingda Ka
Location: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson Township, New Jersey
The defining structure of Six Flags Great Adventure’s skyline, Kingda Ka is not only the tallest coaster in the park, it’s the tallest in the world. It measures 456 feet high. Add in that it’s the fastest roller coaster in North America — reaching speeds up to 128 mph — and you have one shockingly fast and extreme ride.
The ride starts with a jolting hydraulic launch that reaches its maximum speed in just 3.5 seconds. From there, you’ll bolt up the large U-shaped structure, rolling up before cresting at the peak for the best views of the park and, if the weather’s right, the Manhattan skyline in the distance.
Then it takes you straight down through a 270-degree spiral and into a 129-foot camel hump before hitting the brakes and bringing you back to the station. Clocking in at 50 seconds, this could well be one of the most thrilling minutes of your summer.
Bottom line
For many, roller coasters are the highlight of any theme park experience. Even if you are too young (or frightened) for the coasters on this list, most parks also have family-friendly coasters.
For those who can ride these top coasters, you’ll be hard-pressed to find more thrilling coasters in the U.S.
Related reading:
