Copperhead Strike is a steel launched roller coaster at Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina, built by Mack Rides and opened to the public on March 23, 2019. It replaced the park’s former Whitewater Falls shoot-the-chute water ride and Sand Dune Lagoon area, bringing a modern launch coaster to the Blue Ridge Junction section of the park.
The ride is themed around a snake-in-the-grass encounter and is known for its dual LSM launch system, which fires riders forward shortly after they leave the station and later sends them through a second forward acceleration mid-course. Trains are styled after a 1939 Ford DeLuxe Convertible Coupe, adding a vintage touring-car look to the high-speed layout.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Manufacturer: Mack Rides
- Opened: March 23, 2019
- Height: 82 feet
- Top speed: 50 mph
- Length: 3,255 feet
- Inversions: 5
The Ride Experience
Riders board one of three trains, each seating 16 people, and start with a slow heartline roll out of the station before turning into a themed shed scene. From there, the first LSM launch rockets the train from 0 to 42 mph in about 2.5 seconds, sending it straight into the first of two vertical loops, an airtime hill, and a fast corkscrew before a turnaround.
The train then hits a second LSM launch, which boosts speed from 35 to 50 mph while continuing forward over an airtime hill into an elevated cutback. The layout wraps up with a second vertical loop and several low-to-the-ground turns before a final airtime hill and the brake run, packing the whole sequence into about two minutes and twenty-four seconds across roughly 3,255 feet of track.
History and Theming
Copperhead Strike opened as the centerpiece of Carowinds’ new Blue Ridge Junction area, taking the place of the long-running Whitewater Falls shoot-the-chute ride that had operated from 1988 through the 2016 season. The investment marked one of the park’s more significant coaster additions in recent years.
The ride’s snake-themed name and 1930s-style convertible trains create a nostalgic boardwalk aesthetic, blending vintage car styling with the modern launch technology supplied by German manufacturer Mack Rides.
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Copperhead Strike Photo Archive: October 2024
These are original ThrillZing photos of Copperhead Strike taken at Carowinds on October 12, 2024, during the SCarowinds season, shot on an iPhone and published as taken. They show the Mack double-launch coaster’s snake sign, the barn station, trains going vertical through the loops and the copper arch by the midway. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.
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Copperhead Strike FAQs
Who manufactured Copperhead Strike?
Copperhead Strike was built by Mack Rides GmbH & Co KG, a German roller coaster manufacturer, and uses a custom launch coaster model.
How fast does Copperhead Strike go?
The coaster reaches a top speed of about 50 mph during its second launch segment, which accelerates riders forward from 35 to 50 mph.
How many inversions does Copperhead Strike have?
Copperhead Strike features 5 inversions, including two vertical loops, a corkscrew, and a heartline roll.
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