The Lake Erie Shoreline Run links four coaster parks along the lake’s southern and western shores, starting at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, and finishing at Canada’s Wonderland outside Toronto, Ontario. Planned as a 5-day trip for the 2027 season, it covers about 9 hours and 418 miles of driving between stops, with Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien Center, New York, in between.
It suits coaster-focused travelers willing to cross into Canada partway through — the final stop requires a WHTI-compliant travel document, such as a passport, passport card, NEXUS card, or (for residents of a handful of states) an enhanced driver’s license. This guide covers each park’s must-ride coasters with verified stats, drive times between stops, a day-by-day plan, and practical notes on timing and passes.
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Stats at a Glance
- Parks: 4
- Days: 5
- Total Driving: about 9 hr / 418 mi
- Best Season: June to August
- Start → Finish: Cedar Point → Canada’s Wonderland
The Route at a Glance
Each stop below lists the drive from the previous park and the coasters worth prioritizing once you’re through the gate.
| Stop | Park | Location | Drive from Previous Stop | Must-Ride Coasters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cedar Point | Sandusky, OH | Start | Steel Vengeance, Top Thrill 2, Millennium Force |
| 2 | Waldameer Park | Erie, PA | about 3 hr 15 min / 160 mi | Ravine Flyer II, Steel Dragon, Eagle’s Pursuit (new for 2027) |
| 3 | Six Flags Darien Lake | Darien Center, NY | about 2 hr 45 min / 120 mi | Ride of Steel, The Predator, Tantrum |
| 4 | Canada’s Wonderland | Vaughan, ON | about 3 hr / 138 mi | Yukon Striker, Leviathan, Behemoth |
Stop by Stop
Here’s what makes each park worth the stop, and how to spend your time there.
1. Cedar Point — Sandusky, OH
Cedar Point opens the trip with three coasters that anchor the whole route. Steel Vengeance, an RMC hybrid wood-and-steel coaster, stands 205 ft (62.5 m) tall and hits 74 mph (119 km/h). Top Thrill 2, a triple-launch strata coaster rebuilt from the former Top Thrill Dragster, launches to 120 mph (193 km/h) and climbs 420 ft (128 m) — the tallest coaster on this route. Millennium Force, a steel giga coaster that opened in 2000, reaches 310 ft (94.5 m) and 93 mph (150 km/h).
Plan on a full day here and get to Steel Vengeance and Top Thrill 2 early before lines build. Stay in Sandusky or across the bay in Port Clinton.
🏨 Find hotels near Cedar Point (Sandusky, OH)
2. Waldameer Park — Erie, PA
Waldameer is a smaller, old-style park with real standout coasters. Ravine Flyer II, a hybrid wooden coaster built by the Gravity Group, reaches 85 ft (26 m) and 60 mph (97 km/h) and is known for crossing over a public road into a ravine. Steel Dragon, a Maurer spinning coaster that opened in 2004, runs a gentler 37 mph (60 km/h). New for 2027: Eagle’s Pursuit, a Vekoma family dual-launch terrain coaster, is scheduled to arrive in summer 2027 with an announced top speed of 46 mph (74 km/h) over 1,885 ft (575 m) of track and a 60 ft (18 m) drop — it will be Waldameer’s sixth coaster.
Half a day is enough; the park is compact and walkable. Stay in Erie.
🏨 Find hotels near Waldameer Park (Erie, PA)
3. Six Flags Darien Lake — Darien Center, NY
Darien Lake, now rebranded Six Flags Darien Lake, pairs two long-standing coasters with a sharper, newer thrill ride. Ride of Steel, an Intamin hyper coaster that opened in 1999, reaches 208 ft (63.4 m) and 73 mph (117.5 km/h). The Predator, a wooden coaster dating to 1990, runs 95 ft (29 m) tall at 50 mph (80.5 km/h) and has had sections of its track replaced with composite Titan Track in recent seasons for a smoother ride. Tantrum, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter that opened in 2018, stands 98 ft (30 m) tall with a 97-degree drop — the first beyond-vertical drop on a coaster in New York State — and reaches 53 mph (85 km/h).
A half day to a full day works depending on crowds. The park sits in a rural area; stay in Batavia, the closest town with lodging, or continue toward Buffalo.
🏨 Find hotels near Six Flags Darien Lake (Darien Center, NY)
4. Canada’s Wonderland — Vaughan, ON
Canada’s Wonderland closes out the trip across the border in Ontario. Yukon Striker, a B&M dive coaster that opened in 2019, reaches 223 ft (68 m) and 81 mph (130 km/h). Leviathan, B&M’s first giga coaster, opened in 2012 and climbs 306 ft (93 m) at 92 mph (148 km/h). Behemoth, a B&M hyper coaster from 2008, reaches 230 ft (70 m) and 77 mph (124 km/h).
Give this park a full day, maybe two — it’s the largest stop on the route. Bring a WHTI-compliant document for the border crossing — a passport, passport card, NEXUS card, or enhanced driver’s license. Stay in Vaughan or head into Toronto.
🏨 Find hotels near Canada's Wonderland (Vaughan, ON)
Day-by-Day Itinerary
One park per day, with the longer drives handled in the morning before each afternoon’s riding.
Day 1: Cedar Point
Full day at the park riding Steel Vengeance, Top Thrill 2, and Millennium Force along with the rest of the lineup. Overnight in Sandusky or Port Clinton.
Day 2: Drive to Erie, then Waldameer Park
Morning drive to Erie, PA (about 3 hr 15 min / 160 mi), with the afternoon and evening at Waldameer. Overnight in Erie.
Day 3: Drive to Darien Center, then Six Flags Darien Lake
Morning drive to Darien Center, NY (about 2 hr 45 min / 120 mi), with the afternoon and evening at the park. Overnight near Batavia or Buffalo.
Day 4: Drive to Vaughan, then Canada’s Wonderland
Morning drive to Vaughan, ON (about 3 hr / 138 mi), crossing the border with a passport, passport card, NEXUS card, or enhanced driver’s license, followed by an afternoon and evening at the park. Overnight in Vaughan or Toronto.
Day 5: Canada’s Wonderland, second day
A fuller second day at the largest park on the route before heading home or continuing your trip.
New for 2027 on This Route
Waldameer’s Eagle’s Pursuit is the one confirmed new coaster on this route for 2027. It’s a Vekoma family dual-launch terrain coaster, with Waldameer’s own site stating it is ‘arriving summer 2027,’ with an announced top speed of 46 mph (74 km/h), 1,885 ft (575 m) of track, a 60 ft (18 m) drop, and a 38-inch minimum height requirement — it is not yet open, and no narrower date than ‘summer’ has been published, so treat its debut as scheduled rather than guaranteed when you book. As of this writing, Cedar Point, Six Flags Darien Lake, and Canada’s Wonderland have no new coasters announced for 2027; the newest coaster on the route remains Cedar Point’s Top Thrill 2, which reopened in its current triple-launch form in 2025 after a modified 2024 debut.
When to Go
In 2026, Cedar Point ran daily from its May opening into fall, Waldameer shifted from weekends-only in May to daily operation through summer, Six Flags Darien Lake moved to daily operation in late June after a May opening, and Canada’s Wonderland opened in early May and expanded to a daily summer schedule. June through August is the window when all four parks are most likely to be running daily. Waldameer has only said Eagle’s Pursuit arrives ‘summer 2027’ without a firmer date, so a trip early in that window risks the coaster not being open yet — booking for late July or August improves the odds it has debuted.
Confirm each park’s actual 2027 calendar once published — all four set their dates independently — and check directly with Waldameer closer to your trip for a firmer Eagle’s Pursuit opening date.
Road Trip Tips
In 2026, Six Flags’ Gold Pass added regional access grouping parks by geography, and its Midwest tier listed Cedar Point, Six Flags Darien Lake, and Canada’s Wonderland together — meaning a single 2026 Gold Pass bought at any one of those three could get you into all three. If that grouping carries into 2027, it covers three of this trip’s four stops; Waldameer is independently owned and isn’t part of the Six Flags pass system, so it’s always a separate admission regardless. Confirm the 2027 regional access list and pass terms before buying, since the groupings could change.
All four stops sit in the Eastern time zone, so there’s no clock change along the route. For the Ontario crossing, a standard driver’s license alone isn’t enough — bring a passport, passport card, NEXUS card, or (if you hold one) an enhanced driver’s license, and if you’re using a rental car, confirm the rental agreement permits a one-way crossing into Canada.
Explore more: Roller Coasters guide.
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.
Stops phones and fries from vanishing between the seats on long road trips.
The Lake Erie Shoreline Run FAQs
How many days do you need for The Lake Erie Shoreline Run?
Plan on 5 days: one day each at Cedar Point, Waldameer, and Six Flags Darien Lake, and two at Canada’s Wonderland, with the drives folded into the mornings between park days.
Should you start the Lake Erie Shoreline Run at Cedar Point or Canada’s Wonderland?
Starting at Cedar Point and finishing at Canada’s Wonderland, as laid out here, keeps the shorter drives early and saves the single border crossing for near the end of the trip; running it in reverse works just as well if it fits your flights better.
When is the best time to do this trip?
June through August gives all four parks their fullest daily operating schedules. Waldameer’s new Eagle’s Pursuit is slated only for a ‘summer 2027’ debut with no exact date yet, so going later in the summer improves the odds it’s actually running; confirm each park’s 2027 calendar closer to your trip since every operator publishes its own dates.
What’s the one coaster not to miss on this trip?
Top Thrill 2 at Cedar Point is the tallest coaster on the route at 420 ft (128 m) and the fastest at 120 mph (193 km/h), making it the single ride most worth planning your day around.
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Photo: Craig Lloyd from Fort Wayne, United States / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.