The Heartland Six is a six-park Midwest coaster road trip that starts at Michigan’s Adventure in Muskegon, Michigan, runs south through Indiana Beach, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, and Kentucky Kingdom, then finishes with back-to-back visits to Kings Island and Cedar Point in Ohio. Spread over 9 days, the route covers about 18 hours and 827 miles of driving, built around a handful of long travel days between stops.
It suits coaster-focused travelers who’d rather spend a trip working through smaller lakeside and family parks before a payoff at two of the region’s biggest gates. ThrillZing’s founder has driven this exact route. Below is a stop-by-stop breakdown of the must-ride coasters at each park, a day-by-day itinerary, what’s new for 2027, and notes on timing and passes.
🗺️ Open the full route in Google Maps · ✅ Track this trip in the ThrillZing app
Stats at a Glance
- Parks: 6
- Days: 9
- Total Driving: about 18 hr / 827 mi
- Best Season: June to mid-August
- Start → Finish: Michigan’s Adventure → Cedar Point
The Route at a Glance
The route runs south from Michigan through Indiana and Kentucky before finishing in Ohio.
| Stop | Park | Location | Drive from Previous Stop | Must-Ride Coasters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan’s Adventure | Muskegon, MI | Start | Shivering Timbers, Thunderhawk, Wolverine Wildcat |
| 2 | Indiana Beach | Monticello, IN | about 4 hr 30 min / 205 mi | Cornball Express, All American Triple Loop, Steel Hawg |
| 3 | Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari | Santa Claus, IN | about 4 hr 45 min / 232 mi | The Voyage, Thunderbird, Cannonball! (new 2027) |
| 4 | Kentucky Kingdom | Louisville, KY | about 1 hr 45 min / 78 mi | Wind Chaser, Lightning Run, Flying Fox |
| 5 | Kings Island | Mason, OH | about 2 hr 30 min / 126 mi | The Beast, Orion, Diamondback |
| 6 | Cedar Point | Sandusky, OH | about 4 hr 30 min / 186 mi | Steel Vengeance, Maverick, Top Thrill 2 |
Stop by Stop
Each stop below lists the must-ride coasters, one verified detail on each, and where to stay.
1. Michigan’s Adventure — Muskegon, MI
Michigan’s Adventure is the trip’s northern anchor, built around Shivering Timbers, a Custom Coasters International wooden coaster running 5,383 feet of track, among the longest wooden coasters in the country. Wolverine Wildcat, a wooden coaster dating to 1988, keeps the park’s classic-woodie pedigree, and Thunderhawk, a Vekoma suspended looping coaster with five inversions, adds an inverted ride to the lineup.
A single day covers the park’s coasters without a multi-day stay. One practical tip: pair your visit with the adjoining WildWater Adventure water park if the weather is hot, since admission typically covers both. Stay in Muskegon, a few minutes from the park gates.
🏨 Find hotels near Michigan's Adventure (Muskegon, MI)
2. Indiana Beach — Monticello, IN
Indiana Beach is a small lakefront park on Lake Shafer that nearly closed for good before reopening and celebrating its 100th season in 2026. Cornball Express, a wooden coaster that opened in 2001, is the park’s long-running signature ride. All American Triple Loop, a Schwarzkopf steel looping coaster that arrived at the park in 2024 after stints at other parks, runs a classic triple-loop layout, and Steel Hawg, a 95-foot steel coaster with two inversions, rounds out the must-rides.
A half day is enough to ride the park’s coasters more than once; it’s smaller than the other stops on this trip. Check the park’s calendar before visiting, since it runs a shorter season than the Ohio parks on this route. Stay in Monticello itself, or in Lafayette if you want more lodging choices.
🏨 Find hotels near Indiana Beach (Monticello, IN)
3. Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari — Santa Claus, IN
Holiday World is known for wooden coasters and for including soft drinks, parking, and sunscreen with admission. The Voyage, a 159-foot Gravity Group wood coaster, is known for about 24.3 seconds of total airtime spread across the ride. Thunderbird, a Bolliger & Mabillard wing coaster that launches riders from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, opened in 2015. Cannonball!, a Mack Rides water coaster announced for the park’s Fourth of July section, is scheduled to open in May 2027 — see the New for 2027 section below.
Budget a full day, since the park and its Splashin’ Safari water park share one admission. Bring swimsuits even if you came for the coasters. Stay in the Santa Claus area, or in Jasper to the north, which has more lodging options.
🏨 Find hotels near Holiday World & Splashin' Safari (Santa Claus, IN)
4. Kentucky Kingdom — Louisville, KY
Kentucky Kingdom sits at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, near the intersection of I-65 and I-264. Wind Chaser, a Rocky Mountain Construction steel coaster rebuilt from the former Twisted Twins wooden dueling coaster and renamed in 2025 when the surrounding area became the park’s Discovery Meadow section, is the park’s most reworked ride. Lightning Run, the first Chance Rides Hyper GT-X coaster built, opened in 2014, and Flying Fox, a Vekoma suspended family coaster that opened in May 2026 running up to 37 mph along 1,380 feet of track, adds a gentler newer option.
Half a day covers the park’s coasters comfortably. One tip: this stop tends to draw smaller crowds than the rest of the trip, so lines move fast even in peak summer. Stay in Louisville, which has far more lodging than the other stops on this route.
🏨 Find hotels near Kentucky Kingdom (Louisville, KY)
5. Kings Island — Mason, OH
Kings Island opens the trip’s Ohio finale. The Beast, a wooden coaster that opened in 1979, is recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest wooden roller coaster in the world at 7,361 feet of track. Orion, a Bolliger & Mabillard giga coaster standing 287 feet tall, opened in 2020, and Diamondback, a 230-foot B&M hyper coaster, opened in 2009.
Give the park a full day; its layout is spread out and The Beast alone runs about four minutes per ride. Ride it near dusk if you can, since its wooded course gives it a different feel after dark. Stay in Mason, or across in Cincinnati for more dining and lodging choices.
🏨 Find hotels near Kings Island (Mason, OH)
6. Cedar Point — Sandusky, OH
Cedar Point closes out the trip. Steel Vengeance, a Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid coaster that opened in 2018, reaches 205 feet and 74 mph with four inversions. Maverick, an Intamin coaster with two linear-motor launches, opened in 2007. Top Thrill 2, rebuilt and reopened in 2024 at 420 feet with a top speed of 120 mph, is the tallest and fastest operating coaster in North America.
Plan on a full day, or two if you want to ride everything more than once — this is the trip’s biggest park. Arrive at opening; the headline coasters draw long lines by mid-morning in summer. Stay in Sandusky, or across the bay in Port Clinton.
🏨 Find hotels near Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Long drives get their own half-day or evening rather than competing with park time.
Day 1: Michigan’s Adventure
Spend the day riding Shivering Timbers, Thunderhawk, and Wolverine Wildcat. Overnight in Muskegon.
Day 2: Drive to Indiana Beach
Travel day covering about 4 hr 30 min / 205 mi to Monticello, IN. Arrive by early evening with time for a few rides if the park is still open.
Day 3: Indiana Beach
Full day at the park, covering Cornball Express, All American Triple Loop, and Steel Hawg.
Day 4: Drive to Holiday World
Travel day covering about 4 hr 45 min / 232 mi to Santa Claus, IN, crossing from Eastern into Central time along the way. Arrive by evening.
Day 5: Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari
Full day split between the coaster side and the water park, riding The Voyage and Thunderbird.
Day 6: Drive to Kentucky Kingdom and ride
Short morning drive of about 1 hr 45 min / 78 mi to Louisville, KY, crossing back into Eastern time, followed by an afternoon and evening at the park riding Wind Chaser, Lightning Run, and Flying Fox.
Day 7: Drive to Kings Island and ride
Morning drive of about 2 hr 30 min / 126 mi to Mason, OH, then the rest of the day at the park covering The Beast, Orion, and Diamondback.
Day 8: Drive to Cedar Point
Travel day covering about 4 hr 30 min / 186 mi to Sandusky, OH. Arrive by evening and settle in for the trip’s final stop.
Day 9: Cedar Point
Full day at the park, closing the trip with Steel Vengeance, Maverick, and Top Thrill 2.
New for 2027 on This Route
Holiday World has announced Cannonball!, a Mack Rides water coaster scheduled to open in May 2027 as the centerpiece of the park’s Fourth of July section. It’s announced at 90 feet tall with a top speed of 45 mph, running riders through five drops aboard boats, and is described by the park as its largest single-attraction investment to date. It’s scheduled, not open, so treat it as a bonus rather than a sure thing when planning this trip, and confirm its status closer to your visit since it’s a brand-new attraction type for the park. No other coaster openings are announced for 2027 at the other five parks on this route as of this writing; the newest coaster elsewhere on the route is Flying Fox, the Vekoma suspended family coaster that opened at Kentucky Kingdom in May 2026.
When to Go
June through mid-August is the window when all six parks tend to run close to daily schedules. In 2026, Indiana Beach and Holiday World both ran on reduced or weekend-only schedules outside the summer core, and Michigan’s Adventure similarly scaled back to weekends in spring and after Labor Day — so visiting in the shoulder months risks a day at one of the smaller parks with limited hours or a day off entirely.
2027 calendars weren’t published as of this writing. Before booking, confirm each park’s specific operating days for your travel dates, especially for Indiana Beach and Holiday World, which have the shortest seasons on this route.
Road Trip Tips
A Six Flags Gold or Prestige season pass has covered unlimited admission to both Kings Island and Cedar Point under a regional-access benefit verified for 2026 extending into 2027; confirm the exact 2027 pass benefits and any home-park scan-in requirement before relying on it, since it doesn’t extend to the other four parks on this route.
You’ll cross from Eastern into Central time at Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN, then back into Eastern at Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville — factor that into same-day arrival or opening-time planning. Pack swimsuits, since Michigan’s Adventure, Holiday World, and Cedar Point all pair their coasters with an adjoining water park.
Explore more: Roller Coasters guide.
Quart-size and airport-ready — keeps sunscreen from leaking into your bag.
Weigh your bag before the airport does — avoid overweight fees on the way home.
80 pieces for blisters, scrapes and long park days, in a compact case.
The Heartland Six FAQs
How many days do you need for The Heartland Six?
Plan on 9 days to cover all six parks and the roughly 18 hours and 827 miles of driving between them, with one park per day and long drives given their own half-day or evening.
Can you start The Heartland Six from Cedar Point instead of Michigan’s Adventure?
Yes — the drive times are the same in either direction. This itinerary runs north to south so it ends at Cedar Point, but reversing it works just as well if you’d rather finish near Michigan.
What’s the best month to drive The Heartland Six route?
June through mid-August, when all six parks tend to be open on a near-daily schedule. Indiana Beach and Holiday World run shorter seasons with reduced hours in spring and fall, so confirm each park’s 2027 calendar before booking outside summer.
What’s the one must-ride coaster on this trip?
Steel Vengeance at Cedar Point, a Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid coaster reaching 205 feet and 74 mph with four inversions — it’s the trip’s finishing stop and its most-discussed ride.
Get More from The Heartland Six
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate The Heartland Six, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.
Photo: Cards84664 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.