USA TODAY 10Best
Get your coaster fix this year with the 10 best roller coasters across the US
Best Roller Coaster (2024)
While theme park rides come in all shapes and sizes these days, nothing beats the adrenaline rush of a well-designed roller coaster. A panel of theme park experts chose 20 coasters, then our readers voted for their favorites. Here are the 10 best roller coasters in the United States.
- Pantheon at Busch Gardens Williamsburg - Williamsburg, Virginia
- Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - Tampa, Florida
- Fury 325 at Carowinds - Charlotte, North Carolina
- The Voyage at Holiday World - Santa Claus, Indiana
- Giant Dipper at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - Santa Cruz, California
- Lightning Rod at Dollywood - Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- Wildcat's Revenge at Hersheypark - Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Phantom's Revenge at Kennywood - West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
- Mako at SeaWorld Orlando - Orlando, Florida
- Phoenix at Knoebels - Elysburg, Pennsylvania
Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens Williamsburg
No. 10:
Pantheon is said to be powered by the strength and speed of five Roman gods. And the gods are surely smiling on this thrill ride, which is the world’s fastest multi-launch coaster. Coming in at 180 feet tall, this roller coaster has a thrilling 95-degree drop and reaches a top speed of 73 miles per hour. If that's not enough, it also has four launches, five air-time hills, and two inversions.
Photo courtesy of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
No. 9:
Combining the best elements of steel and wooden roller coasters, the hybrid Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is named for a mythical half-lion, half-tiger beast. Taking the place of the park's Gwazi dual-track wooden coaster, Iron Gwazi packs in a lot more adrenaline-pumping thrills than its predecessor, leading off with a 91-degree drop from its 206-foot-tall peak, followed by corkscrews, inversions, and top speeds of 76 miles per hour.
Photo courtesy of Carowinds
No. 8:
Fury 325 is billed as the longest, fastest, and tallest giga coaster in North America. It features a jaw-dropping 190-foot-tall barrel turn and a high-speed S-curve, which pushes it to thrilling speeds of up to 95 miles per hour. At over 1.25 miles long, an average ride time is 3.25 minutes. In fact, this roller coaster is so big that it can't be confined to one state, crossing North and South Carolina state lines.
Photo courtesy of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari
No. 7:
The Voyage isn't a typical wooden roller coaster. Riders who embark on this journey experience a feeling of weightlessness for a total of 24.3 seconds and encounter one of the steepest drops of any wooden coaster in the world. The Voyage also holds a world record for including five underground tunnels, which are scattered across 6,442 feet of track on this ride that reaches speeds of 67 miles per hour.
Photo courtesy of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
No. 6:
The Giant Dipper is 100 years old and has been featured on the big screen in hits including "The Lost Boys," "Us," and "Dangerous Minds." It's also one of the few coasters that the U.S. National Park Service has declared a National Historic Landmark. Some riders hop aboard for the spectacular views of Monterey Bay from the top. Others ride the Giant Dipper to experience its successive dips and fan curves. Either way, the Giant Dipper has a magical draw that has attracted over 66 million riders and counting.
No. 5:
Lightning Rod sends thrill-seekers more 20 stories up its lift hill before racing down its 165-foot-drop — an electrifying start to one of Dollywood's most adrenaline-pumping attractions. Themed after a 1950s hot rod, the roller coaster tops out at 73 miles per hour.
No. 4:
The past meets the present on Wildcat's Revenge. Hersheypark added steel to an existing wooden track to come up with an entirely new hybrid ride. This coaster climbs to the dizzying height of 140 feet, hits 62 miles per hour, takes riders through four inversions, and drops at 82 degrees. The coaster also boasts the world's largest underflip for even more thrills.
Photo courtesy of Kennywood
No. 3:
The 3,365-foot-long track of Phantom’s Revenge at Kennywood brings visitors frighteningly close to another of the park's coasters, Thunderbolt. A hair-raising highlight is the ride's second drop — a 232-foot thriller at 85 miles per hour.
Photo courtesy of SeaWorld Orlando
No. 2:
Guests looking for thrills at SeaWorld Orlando will find them aboard one of the park's most popular roller coasters, Mako. Orlando's tallest and fastest coaster gets its name from one of the world's fastest sharks — appropriate for a thrill ride reaching speeds of 73 miles per hour.
Photo courtesy of Knoebels Amusement Resort
No. 1:
This classic wooden roller coaster at Knoebels proves that newer, taller, and faster aren't always better. Phoenix offers panoramic views of the surrounding hills, as well as thrills in the form of a double out-and-back layout and speeds of 45 miles per hour.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Derek Perry
Derek Perry is the Communications Director for the... Read More
Derek Perry is the Communications Director for the world's largest ride enthusiast group, American Coaster Enthusiasts. Derek first joined ACE as a kid with his parents and twin brother on a roller coaster-riding road trip after unexpectedly being at a park the same day as an ACE event. In addition to his love of travel, he is one half of The Perry Twins, a DJ and music production duo with his brother, Doug. They have written, produced and remixed many songs, including their original songs that topped Billboard Magazine’s dance chart. He has been lucky to combine his love of amusement parks with traveling for DJ gigs and has ridden over 1,200 unique roller coasters around the world and share their adventures on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Derek Perry
Derek Perry is the Communications Director for the world's largest ride enthusiast group, American Coaster Enthusiasts. Derek first joined ACE as a kid with his parents and twin brother on a roller coaster-riding road trip after unexpectedly being at a park the same day as an ACE event. In addition to his love of travel, he is one half of The Perry Twins, a DJ and music production duo with his brother, Doug. They have written, produced and remixed many songs, including their original songs that topped Billboard Magazine’s dance chart. He has been lucky to combine his love of amusement parks with traveling for DJ gigs and has ridden over 1,200 unique roller coasters around the world and share their adventures on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Francis Dominic
I sleep more in planes than I do my own bed.... Read More
I sleep more in planes than I do my own bed. Probably visiting your local theme park! I am an emotional Aries, with a big love of fantasy-romance books, and continually immersing myself in film and television. I love to live life in color because the world can use a lot of it. And I live it unapologetically! It's okay to continually choose yourself! Connect with Francis on Instagram. TikTok and Twitter.
Francis Dominic
I sleep more in planes than I do my own bed. Probably visiting your local theme park! I am an emotional Aries, with a big love of fantasy-romance books, and continually immersing myself in film and television. I love to live life in color because the world can use a lot of it. And I live it unapologetically! It's okay to continually choose yourself! Connect with Francis on Instagram. TikTok and Twitter.
Jamie Davis Smith
Jamie is an attorney, writer and photographer. She... Read More
Jamie is an attorney, writer and photographer. She was born with deeply ingrained wanderlust and has visited 45 countries and counting. She often brings her children along for the adventure and is passing her love of travel on to the next generation. Jamie has written for Insider, Fodor's Travel, Yahoo, the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, Viator and Reviewed among many other publications. Jamie is from Philadelphia and now lives in Washington, DC, where she takes advantage of everything the region has to offer. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com and can be found on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Jamie Davis Smith
Jamie is an attorney, writer and photographer. She was born with deeply ingrained wanderlust and has visited 45 countries and counting. She often brings her children along for the adventure and is passing her love of travel on to the next generation. Jamie has written for Insider, Fodor's Travel, Yahoo, the Huffington Post, the Washington Post, Viator and Reviewed among many other publications. Jamie is from Philadelphia and now lives in Washington, DC, where she takes advantage of everything the region has to offer. Jamie can be reached at jamiesmithwrites@gmail.com and can be found on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
Jessica Gardner
Jessica Gardner, aka Jessica The Theme... Read More
Jessica Gardner, aka Jessica The Theme Parkette, is a Los Angeles-based theme park aficionado who shares her tried-and-true travel tips, fun facts, and coaster appreciation as @themeparkette on TikTok and Instagram. She is the co-host of the American Coaster Enthusiasts’ official podcast, “Ride With Us” and “The Theme Parkettes” podcast. Jessica is also a working actor whose credits include the hit shows NCIS, Grey's Anatomy, Grace and Frankie, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, and many more.
Jessica Gardner
Jessica Gardner, aka Jessica The Theme Parkette, is a Los Angeles-based theme park aficionado who shares her tried-and-true travel tips, fun facts, and coaster appreciation as @themeparkette on TikTok and Instagram. She is the co-host of the American Coaster Enthusiasts’ official podcast, “Ride With Us” and “The Theme Parkettes” podcast. Jessica is also a working actor whose credits include the hit shows NCIS, Grey's Anatomy, Grace and Frankie, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, and many more.
Nikky J
NikkyJ is a theme park super fan, Author of The... Read More
NikkyJ is a theme park super fan, Author of The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide, the founder and owner of ThemeParkHipster.com, a wishful Food Critic, coffee enthusiast, and a lover of life! She currently resides in Orlando, Florida where she enjoys spending time with her husband and two little girls while discovering the beautiful attractions of Florida. You can watch her on YouTube or listen to her podcast.
Nikky J
NikkyJ is a theme park super fan, Author of The Solo Theme Park Traveler’s Guide, the founder and owner of ThemeParkHipster.com, a wishful Food Critic, coffee enthusiast, and a lover of life! She currently resides in Orlando, Florida where she enjoys spending time with her husband and two little girls while discovering the beautiful attractions of Florida. You can watch her on YouTube or listen to her podcast.
Robb Alvey
Robb Alvey is the owner of ThemeParkReview.com,... Read More
Robb Alvey is the owner of ThemeParkReview.com, started in 1996 and one of the longest running and largest theme park fan sites with over 3 million followers. Robb travels to theme parks all over the world each year including Europe, Asia, Australia, and all around the Americas, has visited hundreds of different parks and ridden about 2,000 different roller coasters. His background in theme parks started as a cast member for Disneyland when he was 17 years old and has continued more than 30 years later.
Robb Alvey
Robb Alvey is the owner of ThemeParkReview.com, started in 1996 and one of the longest running and largest theme park fan sites with over 3 million followers. Robb travels to theme parks all over the world each year including Europe, Asia, Australia, and all around the Americas, has visited hundreds of different parks and ridden about 2,000 different roller coasters. His background in theme parks started as a cast member for Disneyland when he was 17 years old and has continued more than 30 years later.
Robert Niles
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of Read More
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, an online consumers' guide to the world's leading theme and amusement parks, read by more than 400,000 people each month. It has been named the top theme park site on the Internet by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines and was a Webby Award finalist and winner of the Online Journalism Award, presented by the Online News Association and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Robert is a former Walt Disney World cast member and has worked as a reporter, editorial writer, columnist and website editor for several newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register.
Robert Niles
Robert Niles is the founder and editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, an online consumers' guide to the world's leading theme and amusement parks, read by more than 400,000 people each month. It has been named the top theme park site on the Internet by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines and was a Webby Award finalist and winner of the Online Journalism Award, presented by the Online News Association and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Robert is a former Walt Disney World cast member and has worked as a reporter, editorial writer, columnist and website editor for several newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register.
Taylor Bybee
Taylor Bybee is the founder of Coaster Studios, a... Read More
Taylor Bybee is the founder of Coaster Studios, a roller coaster and theme park youtube channel with over 200,000 subscribers. Taylor has ridden over 1,000 roller coasters now across all 6 habitable continents, constantly scouting the latest and greatest thrill rides. Coaster Studios has been around for over 10 years now, providing a wide variety of high quality videos within the amusement industry, including reviews, analyses, vlogs, documentaries, and more. Taylor can be followed on Twitter @coasterstudios and on Instagram via @coaster_studios.
Taylor Bybee
Taylor Bybee is the founder of Coaster Studios, a roller coaster and theme park youtube channel with over 200,000 subscribers. Taylor has ridden over 1,000 roller coasters now across all 6 habitable continents, constantly scouting the latest and greatest thrill rides. Coaster Studios has been around for over 10 years now, providing a wide variety of high quality videos within the amusement industry, including reviews, analyses, vlogs, documentaries, and more. Taylor can be followed on Twitter @coasterstudios and on Instagram via @coaster_studios.
Victoria Wade
Victoria is a writer for the esteemed theme park... Read More
Victoria is a writer for the esteemed theme park hipster and has been visiting theme parks for over 20 years. Sharing updates on all the thrills is her one true love. You can find her opinions of all things theme park related on her Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
