Every coaster empire starts somewhere, and for Six Flags Magic Mountain — the self-styled “Thrill Capital of the World” — it started with Gold Rusher. This Arrow mine train opened with the park on May 29, 1971, making it Magic Mountain’s very first roller coaster. More than five decades later it’s still running, weaving 2,590 feet of track along the Valencia hillside at a breezy 35 mph.
See where Gold Rusher fits among every coaster Six Flags Magic Mountain has ever run on our Six Flags Magic Mountain roller coaster history timeline.
Key Stats
| Height | 70 ft (21 m) |
| Speed | 35 mph (56 km/h) |
| Length | 2,590 ft (790 m) |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Duration | 2:30 |
| Type / Model | Steel – Mine Train |
| Manufacturer | Arrow Development |
| Designer | Ron Toomer |
| Opened | May 29, 1971 |
| Cost | $1,200,000 |
| Trains | Trains of 5 cars × 30 riders |
| Capacity | 1,750 riders per hour |
| Park | Six Flags Magic Mountain, Valencia, California |
The Coaster That Started Magic Mountain
When Magic Mountain opened its gates in May 1971, Gold Rusher was the park’s only roller coaster — a $1.2 million investment in a genre Arrow Development had pioneered a few years earlier. It was designed by the legendary Ron Toomer, the Arrow engineer whose résumé would go on to include record-breaking loopers and hypercoasters. Today the park is world-famous for its enormous coaster lineup, but Gold Rusher remains the ride that started it all, and alongside the park’s vintage Magic Flyer it is the oldest coaster on the property.
A Terrain-Hugging Mine Train
Gold Rusher is a textbook Arrow mine train: runaway ore carts, tight swooping turns, and a layout that uses the natural hillside instead of towering above it. Though the structure tops out at 70 feet, the track spends its 2 minutes 30 seconds diving in and out of the terrain and ducking beneath the surrounding trees, which makes it feel faster than its modest 35 mph top speed. There are no inversions, and the low-slung mine cars give the ride a rustic, old-school charm that modern steel simply doesn’t replicate.
Why It Still Matters
In a park stacked with giants, Gold Rusher fills an essential role: it’s the family-friendly bridge between kiddie rides and monsters like the 35 mph mine train’s towering neighbors. It also moves crowds efficiently — trains of five cars seat 30 riders each, good for about 1,750 riders per hour. And for coaster historians, it’s a living piece of 1971, one of the dwindling number of original Arrow mine trains still operating in North America. It will never challenge the fastest coasters in the world, but that was never the point.
Over 3,700 pieces, a real vertical loop and a working chain lift. Display it on a shelf in the coaster room.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Folds into its own pocket. Pop it on when the storm rolls in and the rides reopen to short lines.
FAQ
Was Gold Rusher really Six Flags Magic Mountain’s first roller coaster?
Yes. Gold Rusher opened with the park on May 29, 1971, as Magic Mountain’s first coaster, built by Arrow Development for $1.2 million.
How fast and tall is Gold Rusher?
Gold Rusher stands 70 feet (21 m) tall and reaches 35 mph (56 km/h) across 2,590 feet (790 m) of terrain-hugging track, with no inversions.
Is Gold Rusher good for kids?
It’s one of the best family coasters at Magic Mountain — a smooth, moderately paced mine train with a 2½-minute ride time and classic runaway-train theming.
Photo: Jeremy Thompson via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)