The Mid-Atlantic Mega Run links five coaster-heavy parks between New Jersey and Virginia: Six Flags Great Adventure, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Hersheypark, Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Run start to finish, the route covers about 9 hr 30 min and 446 miles of driving over a realistic 6-day trip.
This plan suits riders who want big steel hypers, a dive coaster or two, and a European-themed park in the same week, without guessing at drive times or park pairings. Below is the stop order, a must-ride list for each park with one verified detail per coaster, a day-by-day schedule, and what’s new for the 2027 season on this route.
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Stats at a Glance
- Parks: 5
- Days: 6
- Total Driving: about 9 hr 30 min / 446 mi
- Best Season: May to October
- Start → Finish: Six Flags Great Adventure → Busch Gardens Williamsburg
The Route at a Glance
The trip runs south from the Jersey Shore area to coastal Virginia, with no single drive longer than about 4 hr 30 min.
| Stop | Park | Location | Drive from Previous Stop | Must-Ride Coasters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Six Flags Great Adventure | Jackson, NJ | Start | El Toro, Jersey Devil Coaster, Bakunawa (2027) |
| 2 | Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom | Allentown, PA | about 2 hr / 93 mi | Iron Menace, Steel Force |
| 3 | Hersheypark | Hershey, PA | about 1 hr 30 min / 71 mi | Candymonium, Skyrush, Wildcat’s Revenge |
| 4 | Kings Dominion | Doswell, VA | about 4 hr 30 min / 209 mi | Pantherian, Rapterra, Twisted Timbers |
| 5 | Busch Gardens Williamsburg | Williamsburg, VA | about 1 hr 30 min / 73 mi | Griffon, Pantheon, Alpengeist |
Stop by Stop
Each park below includes two or three must-rides pulled only from coasters currently operating there, with one verified fact per ride.
1. Six Flags Great Adventure — Jackson, NJ
This is the trip’s opener, mixing a wood coaster, a single-rail layout and a launch coaster under construction. El Toro is a wooden coaster standing 181 ft (55 m) tall, built by Intamin with Rocky Mountain Construction. Jersey Devil Coaster is a single-rail coaster that opened in 2021. The park has also announced Bakunawa for 2027, a Mack Rides floorless spinning multi-launch coaster scheduled to open with an announced height of 382 ft (116 m) and a top speed of 100 mph (161 km/h); it is not yet open and construction stats can change before debut.
Plan a full day, arrive at opening since this park has the most ground to cover on foot, and stay in the Jackson/Toms River area or in Freehold to the north.
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2. Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom — Allentown, PA
A shorter, denser stop. Iron Menace is a Bolliger & Mabillard dive coaster that opened in 2024. Steel Force is a hyper coaster standing 200 ft (61 m) tall with a tunnel dive on its first drop.
Half a day covers the coasters; add the water park side in summer if the weather is hot. Stay in Allentown.
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3. Hersheypark — Hershey, PA
The midpoint of the trip, pairing two steel hypers with a wood-steel hybrid. Candymonium is a B&M hyper coaster that reaches 76 mph (122 km/h). Skyrush is an Intamin wing coaster standing 200 ft (61 m) tall. Wildcat’s Revenge is a Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid coaster built on the original Wildcat’s wooden structure, featuring what the park and manufacturer have billed as the world’s largest underflip inversion.
Give this park a full day, ideally on a weekday to cut lines on Candymonium and Skyrush. Stay in Hershey or in Harrisburg, a short drive west.
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4. Kings Dominion — Doswell, VA
Reached after the trip’s longest drive, this stop centers on a giga coaster alongside a launched wing coaster and an RMC hybrid. Pantherian is an Intamin giga coaster standing 305 ft (93 m) tall and reaching 90 mph (145 km/h); it opened in 2010 as Intimidator 305 and was rethemed and renamed for the 2025 season. Rapterra is a launched wing coaster that opened in 2025. Twisted Timbers is a Rocky Mountain Construction I-Box coaster with three inversions.
A full day works; ride Pantherian early before afternoon crowds build. Stay in the Doswell area or in Richmond, about 25 minutes south.
🏨 Find hotels near Kings Dominion (Doswell, VA)
5. Busch Gardens Williamsburg — Williamsburg, VA
The trip’s finale, set across a park themed around several European villages. Griffon is a Bolliger & Mabillard dive coaster standing 205 ft (62 m) tall. Pantheon is an Intamin multi-launch coaster that reaches 73 mph (117 km/h) across four launches. Alpengeist is a B&M inverted coaster with six inversions.
Plan a full day and stay late if Howl-O-Scream or another seasonal event is running. Stay in Williamsburg.
🏨 Find hotels near Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, VA)
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Six days keeps park days to one park each and gives the longest drive its own slot.
Day 1: Six Flags Great Adventure
Full day at the park; ride El Toro and Jersey Devil Coaster early, and check on Bakunawa’s construction progress toward its 2027 opening.
Day 2: Drive to Allentown + Dorney Park
Drive about 2 hr / 93 mi in the morning, then spend the afternoon and evening at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom.
Day 3: Drive to Hershey + Hersheypark
Drive about 1 hr 30 min / 71 mi, then spend a full day at Hersheypark.
Day 4: Long drive to Doswell, VA
Dedicate the day to the about 4 hr 30 min / 209 mi drive south, with a lunch stop around the DC/Fredericksburg area; arrive in the Richmond/Doswell area by evening.
Day 5: Kings Dominion
Full day at Kings Dominion, riding Pantherian first thing.
Day 6: Drive to Williamsburg + Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Drive about 1 hr 30 min / 73 mi in the morning, then spend a full day at Busch Gardens Williamsburg to close the trip.
New for 2027 on This Route
The one confirmed 2027 addition on this route is Bakunawa at Six Flags Great Adventure. Mack Rides and the park have announced it as a floorless spinning multi-launch coaster with three LSM launches, including a launch while riders are inverted, built to an announced height of 382 ft (116 m) and a top speed of 100 mph (161 km/h) — taller than any other coaster on this route, including Kings Dominion’s 305 ft (93 m) Pantherian. The park and manufacturer have said it is expected to set several world records for spinning coasters, including tallest and fastest. It is under construction and scheduled to open in 2027, not yet running, and no other park on this route has announced a new coaster for 2027 as of this writing.
When to Go
Aim for June through August. In 2026, Six Flags Great Adventure and Kings Dominion both moved to daily operation only after Memorial Day weekend, Dorney Park ran weekends-only through much of May, and Hersheypark’s daily summer schedule ran from late May to early September before shifting to fall weekends. That overlap window gives every park in this guide full daily hours at the same time.
Before booking, confirm each park’s 2027 calendar once it’s published — spring and fall dates in particular shift from year to year, and some parks open only on weekends outside the main summer window.
Road Trip Tips
Six Flags’ East Coast Gold Pass covered Six Flags Great Adventure, Dorney Park and Kings Dominion under one pass for the 2026 season, which is three of the five stops on this trip. Confirm 2027 pass benefits and pricing before buying, since benefits and included parks can change season to season.
The whole route stays in the Eastern time zone, so there’s no time-zone adjustment to plan around. Pack layers regardless of month — May and October mornings in Pennsylvania and Virginia run noticeably cooler than midday, and several of these parks keep water rides running into early fall.
Explore more: Roller Coasters guide.
For red-eye flights to Orlando and long drives to Cedar Point. Arrive ready to ride.
One adapter for 150+ countries, with USB-C and USB-A built in. Useful for European park trips.
Locking zippers and slash-resistant fabric for crowded midways, transit and city days.
The Mid-Atlantic Mega Run FAQs
How many days do you need for The Mid-Atlantic Mega Run?
Six days works well: one day per park plus a dedicated day for the longest drive, between Hersheypark and Kings Dominion. Travelers short on time could compress the two short-drive legs (Great Adventure to Dorney Park, and Dorney Park to Hersheypark) into single long days, but that leaves less time at each park.
Does it matter whether you start at Six Flags Great Adventure or reverse the route?
The route works in either direction since all the drives are point-to-point with no loop. Starting at Six Flags Great Adventure puts the longest drive in the middle of the trip rather than at the very end, which tends to feel less draining than finishing with a 4-plus-hour drive.
When is the best time to run this road trip?
June through August gives every park on the route its full daily operating schedule at the same time. Confirm each park’s 2027 calendar before booking, since spring and fall hours vary by park and by year.
What’s the single must-ride coaster on this trip?
El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure stands out as the trip’s signature ride: a 181 ft (55 m) wooden coaster built by Intamin with Rocky Mountain Construction. Riders who want something newer should watch for Bakunawa, the floorless spinning multi-launch coaster scheduled to debut at the same park in 2027 at an announced 382 ft (116 m) — taller than Kings Dominion’s 305 ft (93 m) Pantherian, the next-tallest coaster on the route.
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Photo: Novanut35 at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.