Pennsylvania is one of the deepest roller coaster states in the country: a free-admission, family-owned park built around wooden coasters, a century-old Pittsburgh park now owned by the same company behind Dollywood, a Six Flags park near Allentown built around modern steel thrills, an independent chocolate-themed resort in Hershey, and a small lakeside park in Erie with a coaster that crosses a highway. The best ride in the state is Phoenix, a 1947 wooden coaster relocated to Knoebels Amusement Resort in 1985.
This ranking is judged on what the ride actually feels like in the seat — airtime, pacing, intensity, and how it holds up against other rides of its type — not on height or speed alone. Below the list is a comparison table with the exact numbers, honest advice on which park fits which kind of rider, and a road-trip plan for hitting more than one park on the same trip.
Stats at a Glance
- Top Pick: Phoenix — Knoebels Amusement Resort
- Tallest: Steel Curtain, 220 ft (67.1 m)
- Fastest: Phantom’s Revenge, 85 mph (136.8 km/h)
- Best Park for Coasters: Hersheypark
- Best Time to Go: Late May–early June or September
The Ranking: Best Roller Coasters in Pennsylvania
These are ranked by overall ride experience, best first, across the state’s major coaster parks.
1. Phoenix — Knoebels Amusement Resort
Phoenix is a wooden coaster built in 1947 and relocated to Knoebels in 1985, where it reopened under its current name. It stands 78 ft (23.8 m) tall, tops out at 45 mph (72.4 km/h), and runs a double out-and-back layout built around four bunny-hop airtime hills in a row.
The ride is a sequence of weightless pops of air, hill after hill, with almost no dead space between them — riders get the next hill before gravity has let go of the last one. It suits anyone who likes airtime over speed or height, and it ranks first here because that stretch of four hills in a row is as good as wooden coaster design gets anywhere in the country.
2. Steel Curtain — Kennywood
Steel Curtain is a steel looping coaster built by S&S, opened in 2019. A chain lift hill carries riders up 220 ft (67.1 m) at a 50-degree angle before the first drop, which sends the train to a top speed of 75 mph (120.7 km/h) and into a run of 9 inversions — the most of any coaster in North America — including one that peaks at 197 ft (60.0 m).
The ride is relentless once it leaves the lift: drop, inversion, inversion, with almost no coasting in between, and the restraints are snug enough that the forces land as disorientation rather than pain. It’s built for riders who want nonstop intensity and don’t need airtime to be satisfied, which is why it sits near the top of this list but behind Phoenix, a completely different kind of ride.
3. Skyrush — Hersheypark
Skyrush is a steel wing coaster built by Intamin, opened in 2012. It climbs a 200 ft (61.0 m) cable lift hill, plunges down an 85-degree first drop at a top speed of 75 mph (120.7 km/h), and seats riders on wings that extend beyond the track with no floor beneath the outer seats.
The outer wing seats deliver airtime with nothing visibly supporting the rider, which is the main draw, but the individual lap-bar restraints pin hard against the thighs in those seats through the sharper turns. It’s a ride for people chasing intensity who are willing to trade some comfort for it; the middle seats are noticeably gentler if that trade doesn’t appeal.
4. Phantom’s Revenge — Kennywood
Phantom’s Revenge is a steel hyper/terrain coaster originally built by Arrow Dynamics in 1991 as Steel Phantom and substantially reprofiled by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing in 2001. It stands 160 ft (48.8 m) at its lift hill, reaches 85 mph (136.8 km/h), and its second drop — 232 ft (70.7 m) — is longer than the first, a layout quirk made possible by the ravine the park is built into.
That second drop is the whole point: riders expect the ride to be winding down after the lift, and instead it accelerates harder into the valley below. The pacing stays fast afterward through a series of hills and a tight helix, leaving little recovery time. It’s a good match for riders who want raw speed without the inversions of Steel Curtain, and the terrain-driven drop is unique enough in Pennsylvania to earn a top-five spot.
5. Candymonium — Hersheypark
Candymonium is a steel hyper coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, opened in 2020. It is Hersheypark’s tallest and fastest ride at 210 ft (64.0 m) and 76 mph (122.3 km/h), with a signature airtime hill that crosses Spring Creek partway through its out-and-back layout.
The ride is smoother than Skyrush and more forgiving on the body, trading some of that ride’s rawness for sustained, consistent airtime across several hills in a row. It works for a wider range of riders, including people who find Skyrush too rough, and it ranks just behind the more intense rides above it because its smoothness, while comfortable, is slightly less memorable.
6. Wildcat’s Revenge — Hersheypark
Wildcat’s Revenge is a wood-structure, steel-track hybrid coaster built by Rocky Mountain Construction, opened in 2023. It stands 140 ft (42.7 m) tall, reaches 62 mph (99.8 km/h), drops at 82 degrees off the first hill, and includes four inversions, among them a move RMC calls the ‘World’s Largest Underflip.’
The layout keeps changing direction and orientation without much warning, which is the appeal for riders who like disorientation more than straight speed. It replaced the old wooden Wildcat on the same footprint, and the steel track over a wood structure gives it a rattle that softer modern steel coasters don’t have. It lands mid-list because it’s distinctive but shorter and less sustained than the rides ranked above it.
7. Ravine Flyer II — Waldameer Park
Ravine Flyer II is a wooden coaster designed by The Gravity Group, opened in 2008 at Waldameer Park in Erie. It stands 85 ft (25.9 m) at its lift hill, reaches 60 mph (96.5 km/h), drops 120 ft (36.6 m) off a cliff edge into a ravine, and crosses Peninsula Drive — a four-lane highway — twice on an enclosed arch bridge.
Because the ride is built into a ravine, its drops follow natural terrain rather than just lift height, so the pacing feels like it’s following the land instead of a predictable up-and-down. The highway crossing is a genuine novelty most riders only fully register the first time through. It’s worth the drive to Erie on its own, which is the only reason it ranks below rides at parks most people visit more easily.
8. Iron Menace — Dorney Park
Iron Menace is a steel dive coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, opened in 2024 at Dorney Park. It climbs 160 ft (48.8 m), drops at 95 degrees — past vertical — on a 152 ft (46.3 m) first drop, reaches 64 mph (103.0 km/h), and includes four inversions: an Immelmann, a zero-g roll, an inclined loop, and a corkscrew.
The dive coaster’s trademark is the pause at the top of the lift before the drop, giving riders a few seconds to look straight down before the beyond-vertical plunge. Past that first drop, the ride is comparatively mellow — B&M’s dive coasters are built for one big moment rather than sustained intensity. It’s Dorney Park’s best coaster and its first new one in almost two decades, but it ranks mid-list because the pacing after the drop is gentler than the wood and hybrid coasters above it.
9. Twister — Knoebels Amusement Resort
Twister is a wooden coaster built in-house at Knoebels in 1999, based on a vintage Mister Twister design. It stands 101.5 ft (30.9 m) tall, reaches 51 mph (82.1 km/h), and uses a split lift hill — the train climbs halfway, turns 180 degrees, and finishes the climb on a second lift stacked above the first — to fit a long layout onto a tight footprint.
The compact site packs the drops and turns close together with almost no straight track, so the ride feels more chaotic than its modest height and speed suggest. It’s rougher than Phoenix in the way most tightly packed wooden coasters are, which some riders prefer and others don’t. It’s a strong second stop at Knoebels for anyone who’s already ridden Phoenix and wants something with a sharper edge.
10. Steel Force — Dorney Park
Steel Force is a steel hyper coaster built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing, opened in 1997 at Dorney Park. It stands 200 ft (61.0 m) tall, reaches 75 mph (120.7 km/h) off a 205 ft (62.5 m) first drop, and runs 5,600 ft of track through tunnels, banked turns, and a series of airtime hills back to the station.
This is a straightforward out-and-back hyper coaster: one big first drop followed by hills that get progressively smaller, each still delivering a pop of airtime. It has picked up some roughness in the final turns that smoother modern hypers like Candymonium don’t have, but the airtime on the early hills still holds up. It suits riders who want a classic hyper coaster without anything unusual layered on top.
11. Hydra the Revenge — Dorney Park
Hydra the Revenge is a steel floorless coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, opened in 2005 at Dorney Park on the site of the former wooden coaster Hercules. It stands 95 ft (29.0 m) tall, reaches 53 mph (85.3 km/h), and includes seven inversions.
With riders’ legs hanging free below the seat, the inversions read as more exposed than a standard sit-down coaster producing the same forces, which is the main thing Hydra has going for it. The pacing is steady rather than aggressive, making it a reasonable middle step between the mellow family coasters and the harder-hitting rides higher on this list.
12. Storm Runner — Hersheypark
Storm Runner is a steel launched coaster built by Intamin, opened in 2004 at Hersheypark. It reaches 150 ft (45.7 m) at the top of a twisting first element, launches to a top speed of 72 mph (115.8 km/h) in about two seconds, and includes a vertical loop along with other inversions on the way back to the station.
The launch itself is still the ride’s strongest moment — the acceleration is immediate, with no climbing lift hill to build anticipation first. Everything after the launch is shorter and feels dated next to Hersheypark’s newer coasters. It’s worth riding for the launch alone, but it’s no longer the park’s standout.
13. Lightning Racer — Hersheypark
Lightning Racer is a wooden dueling coaster built by Great Coasters International, opened in 2000 at Hersheypark. Its two tracks, Thunder and Lightning, each run 92 ft (28.0 m) tall and top out at 51 mph (82.1 km/h), racing side by side and passing each other at combined speeds near 70 mph (112.6 km/h) where the tracks sit just 5 ft apart.
Riding it twice, once on each side, is part of the experience, since the two tracks have different airtime moments timed to pass each other at different points. On its own, either track is a pleasant, moderately paced wooden coaster rather than an intense one. It’s a good choice for families and first-time wooden-coaster riders, which is also why it ranks below the more intense rides on this list.
14. Great Bear — Hersheypark
Great Bear is a steel inverted coaster built by Bolliger & Mabillard, opened in 1998 at Hersheypark. It stands 90 ft (27.4 m) tall, reaches 58 mph (93.3 km/h), and sends riders through four inversions with their feet hanging free beneath the track, weaving around Spring Creek and several other park attractions.
The layout is tight and twisty rather than fast, so the sensation is more about the suspended seating and close-to-the-ground turns than raw g-force. It’s one of the older steel coasters in the state and feels gentler than most inverted coasters built since, which makes it approachable for riders easing into inversions rather than a thrill-seeker’s priority.
15. Jack Rabbit — Kennywood
Jack Rabbit is a wooden coaster designed by John A. Miller, opened in 1920 at Kennywood. Its lift hill stands about 40 ft (12.2 m), but the ride’s signature double-dip drop follows the natural slope of a ravine down to roughly 70 ft (21.3 m), reaching a top speed of 45 mph (72.4 km/h).
That double dip is why the ride has lasted over a century: the track drops, rises just enough to lift riders out of their seats, then drops again immediately, producing a distinct one-two moment of airtime well before most engineers were designing for it on purpose. Outside that one moment, the ride is short and mild by modern standards, which is why it closes out this list rather than ranking higher.
Quick Comparison
Same ranking, same numbers, side by side.
| Rank | Coaster | Park | Type | Height | Top Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix | Knoebels Amusement Resort | Wooden | 78 ft (23.8 m) | 45 mph (72.4 km/h) |
| 2 | Steel Curtain | Kennywood | Steel looping coaster | 220 ft (67.1 m) | 75 mph (120.7 km/h) |
| 3 | Skyrush | Hersheypark | Steel wing coaster | 200 ft (61.0 m) | 75 mph (120.7 km/h) |
| 4 | Phantom’s Revenge | Kennywood | Steel hyper/terrain | 160 ft (48.8 m) | 85 mph (136.8 km/h) |
| 5 | Candymonium | Hersheypark | Steel hyper | 210 ft (64.0 m) | 76 mph (122.3 km/h) |
| 6 | Wildcat’s Revenge | Hersheypark | Wood/steel hybrid | 140 ft (42.7 m) | 62 mph (99.8 km/h) |
| 7 | Ravine Flyer II | Waldameer Park | Wooden | 85 ft (25.9 m) | 60 mph (96.5 km/h) |
| 8 | Iron Menace | Dorney Park | Steel dive coaster | 160 ft (48.8 m) | 64 mph (103.0 km/h) |
| 9 | Twister | Knoebels Amusement Resort | Wooden | 101.5 ft (30.9 m) | 51 mph (82.1 km/h) |
| 10 | Steel Force | Dorney Park | Steel hyper | 200 ft (61.0 m) | 75 mph (120.7 km/h) |
| 11 | Hydra the Revenge | Dorney Park | Steel floorless | 95 ft (29.0 m) | 53 mph (85.3 km/h) |
| 12 | Storm Runner | Hersheypark | Steel launch | 150 ft (45.7 m) | 72 mph (115.8 km/h) |
| 13 | Lightning Racer | Hersheypark | Wooden dueling | 92 ft (28.0 m) | 51 mph (82.1 km/h) |
| 14 | Great Bear | Hersheypark | Steel inverted | 90 ft (27.4 m) | 58 mph (93.3 km/h) |
| 15 | Jack Rabbit | Kennywood | Wooden | 40 ft (12.2 m) | 45 mph (72.4 km/h) |
Which Pennsylvania Park Should You Pick?
Serious riders should lean toward Kennywood or Hersheypark. Kennywood packs Steel Curtain and Phantom’s Revenge into a small, walkable, century-old footprint with almost no downtime between rides, while Hersheypark spreads similar intensity (Skyrush, Wildcat’s Revenge, Candymonium) across a much bigger park with more to do between coasters.
Families with younger kids do best at Knoebels. Admission and parking are free, rides are pay-per-ride or wristband, Phoenix and Twister are intense but not aggressive, and the surrounding kiddie-ride selection is one of the largest of any park in the state, so nobody has to ride anything they don’t want to.
For a mixed group with a range of nerve levels, Hersheypark is the easiest single choice: it has the broadest spread from kiddie rides up to Skyrush and Wildcat’s Revenge, plus a water park and chocolate-themed attractions for anyone sitting out the coasters entirely.
Planning a Pennsylvania Coaster Road Trip
Hersheypark, Dorney Park, and Knoebels sit close together in the eastern and central part of the state and work well as one trip: Hersheypark to Dorney Park is about 1 hour, Dorney Park to Knoebels is about 1.5 hours, and Hersheypark to Knoebels direct is about 1.25 hours. Kennywood and Waldameer Park, in the western and northwestern part of the state, are better treated as a separate trip — they’re about 2 hours apart from each other, and either one is roughly 3.5 to 5 hours from the eastern cluster.
Visit in late May through early June or in September: the parks are fully running but crowds and lines are far shorter than in July and August, especially on weekends near the Fourth of July and Labor Day. For the money, check each park’s own pass before buying single-day tickets: Kennywood’s Platinum Season Pass (sold by its owner, Herschend) also covers Idlewild & SoakZone, Sandcastle, and Dutch Wonderland for the season, while Dorney Park’s Gold Pass, under Six Flags ownership, now extends to other nearby Six Flags parks in the region for 2026 — but the two passes are separate, since Kennywood and Dorney Park are no longer under the same corporate owner.
Explore more: Roller Coasters guide.
Best Roller Coasters in Pennsylvania FAQs
What is the best roller coaster in Pennsylvania?
Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort. It’s a wooden coaster that packs four airtime hills in a row into a double out-and-back layout, and it has a long track record as one of the best-reviewed wooden coasters in the country. Steel Curtain at Kennywood and Skyrush at Hersheypark are the strongest steel alternatives if inversions or speed matter more to you than airtime.
What is the tallest roller coaster in Pennsylvania?
Steel Curtain at Kennywood, at 220 ft (67.1 m). It also runs 9 inversions, the most of any coaster in North America, including one that peaks at 197 ft (60.0 m).
Which park in Pennsylvania has the most roller coasters?
Hersheypark has the largest and most varied coaster lineup in the state, spanning wooden racers, an inverted coaster, a launch coaster, a wing coaster, a hyper coaster, and a wood-steel hybrid. Kennywood and Dorney Park both run smaller, more intensity-focused lineups.
When is the best time to visit Pennsylvania theme parks?
Late May through early June and September are the best windows: the parks are fully open with shorter lines than summer, and the weather is still warm enough for water rides at parks that have them. Avoid the stretch from July 4th through mid-August, especially weekends, when lines for Steel Curtain, Skyrush, and Candymonium can run well over an hour.
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Photo: Joshua Wilmot / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.