Are you an adrenaline junkie who craves vacations filled with high-speed, record-breaking thrills? If so, this round-up of America’s newest roller coasters is for you. Check out these five latest and greatest additions to the country’s roller coaster scene.
Santa Clara, California
Great America’s latest attraction is now both the tallest and the fastest wooden roller coaster in Northern California. The Old West-themed ride drops riders 103 feet at a 50-degree angle before shooting them through a 174-foot mine shaft, the longest initial descent tunnel on any wooden coaster. With top speeds of nearly 54 mph, Gold Striker offers nostalgic thrills at Great America.
Sandusky, Ohio
Cedar Point’s latest roller coaster isn’t just the longest wing coaster in the world – it also offers thrill-seekers a 164-foot drop, the longest drop in the world for a wing roller coaster. Over the course of two minutes and 40 seconds, riders hit top speeds of 67 mph as they plummet upside down toward the ground, fly through a zero G roll and flip 360 degrees.
Outlaw Run, Silver Dollar City
Branson, Missouri
Forget what you think you know about wooden roller coasters, because Outlaw Run isn’t your run-of-the-mill wooden coaster. This $10 million ride is the only wooden roller coaster to include a 720-degree double barrel roll and three upside-down twists – but the thrills don’t stop there. A 162-foot, near-vertical drop at 81 degrees is the world’s steepest for a wood coaster, and with a top speed of 68 degrees, Outlaw Run is the second fastest wood coaster in the world.
Iron Rattler, Six Flags Fiesta Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Take the classic wooden coaster foundation, add steel rails and tracks, and you have the hybrid coaster. Add a 180-foot lift hill, an 81-degree drop, a zero G barrel roll and top speeds of 70 mph and you have Iron Rattler, the world’s tallest, steepest and fastest hybrid coaster. Plus, Iron Rattler includes four over-banked turns, the most of any hybrid coaster in the world.
Full Throttle, Six Flags Magic Mountain
Los Angeles, California
Six Flags is introducing another record-breaker this summer at its Magic Mountain location. With a 160-foot loop that reaches speeds of 70 mph, Full Throttle is the world’s tallest and fastest looping roller coaster. Think you can handle it? Well, then get ready to conquer those loops three times, because Full Throttle features three launches: two forward and one backward.
Which roller coaster tops your must-try list? Let us know in the comments!
(Main image: Six Flags Fiesta Texas)
