Back in June 1884, America’s thrill seekers were introduced to the first roller coaster. It was called the “Switchback Railroad.” Fittingly enough, it debuted at America’s first amusement park, the Sea Lion Park at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. At the time, the roller coaster’s top speed was 6 miles per hour. Considering that nowadays there are roller coasters that reach speeds well in excess of 100 miles per hour, I think that it is safe to say that thrill rides have come a long way. With that said, I think that some amusement parks offer more thrill rides than others. Here are my picks for five of the best ones:
Cedar Point Amusement Park
In my opinion, Sandusky, Ohio’s Cedar Point Amusement Park is one of the best parks for thrill seekers. It features a whopping 16 different roller coasters including the famed “Top Thrill Dragster.” In addition, it has other thrill rides as well. Some of my favorites are the “Ocean Motion”, the “Monster”, the “Matterhorn” and the “Super Himalaya”. Adult admission fees start at $45 and parking is generally an additional $12 per car.
Virginia’s Kings Dominion is another amusement park that has a lot to offer thrill seekers. It has 11 different roller coasters and other thrill ride favorites like the “Berserker” and the “Drop Tower.” Personally, I adore the “Grizzly” and the “Intimidator 305” roller coasters as well as the “Berserker.” The “Intimidator 305” reaches speeds well in excess of 85 miles per hour. Adult admission fees start at $50 and parking is typically an additional $15 per car.
Six Flags Great Adventure
New Jersey’s Six Flags Great Adventure is one of my favorite amusement parks. It has 10 roller coasters including the famed “El Toro” and “Kingda Ka.” Other thrill rides onsite include the “Sling Shot”, the “Twister” and the “SkyScreamer.” Adult admission fees start at $37 and parking fees tend to cost an additional $22 or more per car.
If you ask me, California’s Six Flags Magic Mountain serves up a slice of nirvana for thrill seekers. It has 14 coasters including the formidable, “Superman: Escape from Krypton” and the flying coaster known as “Tatsu.” Other thrill rides onsite include the “Dive Devil.” Admission fees tend to start at $37 and parking is traditionally an additional $15 or more per car.
Carowinds
The Carowinds Amusement Park sits on the border of North and South Carolina. It features 10 roller coasters as well as such thrill rides as the “Extreme Skyflyer” and the “Scream Weaver.” One of the park’s wooden roller coasters, the “Thunder Road”, traverses through both states. Thrill seekers that prefer a steel roller coaster with multiple inversions should try the “Afterburn.” Admission fees start at $37 per person and generally include entrance to the water park too.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys summer sports and recreation. She has also traveled extensively.
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