The Lil’ Devil Coaster is a small steel coaster in the Jr. Thrill Seekers section of Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey. Built by Italian manufacturer Zamperla, it’s a classic ‘Family Gravity Coaster’ designed to give young riders their first taste of a lift hill, a drop, and a helix without any of the speed or height that comes with the park’s bigger steel giants.
The ride has a longer history than its current name suggests. It first opened in 1999 as Road Runner Railway, themed around the Looney Tunes’ Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, inside the former Looney Tunes Seaport area. When that area was dismantled in 2019 to make room for the record-breaking Jersey Devil Coaster, the little coaster came down too — only to return in July 2021 with a new devil-themed paint job and name that ties it to its towering neighbor.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson Township, New Jersey
- Manufacturer: Zamperla (Family Gravity Coaster 80STD)
- Opened: 1999 as Road Runner Railway; reopened as Lil’ Devil Coaster in July 2021
- Height: about 13 feet
- Length: about 262.5 feet
- Ride duration: about 40 seconds
- Inversions: 0
The Ride Experience
Riders board one of six two-across cars on the coaster’s single train, climbing a short chain lift before dropping into a single downward helix. At roughly 13 feet tall and 262.5 feet of track, it’s built entirely for younger riders and first-time coaster fans rather than thrill-seekers, with the whole circuit wrapping up in about 40 seconds.
The current orange-and-red color scheme and Jersey Devil branding connect the kiddie ride visually to Jersey Devil Coaster nearby, giving families a matching pair of attractions sized for different courage levels within the same corner of the park.
From Road Runner Railway to Lil’ Devil
Before it wore devil horns, this coaster spent two decades as Road Runner Railway, the centerpiece kiddie ride of the Looney Tunes Seaport area that opened in 1999. It was reportedly the park’s first new kiddie coaster since Lil’ Thunder was removed in the early 1980s.
When Six Flags Great Adventure cleared the Looney Tunes Seaport area after the 2019 season to build Jersey Devil Coaster, the small ride was taken apart rather than scrapped. The park announced its return on July 8, 2021, repainted and rebranded as Lil’ Devil Coaster in time for that year’s Fright Fest.
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Lil’ Devil Coaster FAQs
Is Lil’ Devil Coaster a good ride for young kids?
Yes. At about 13 feet tall with a short, gentle layout and no inversions, it’s designed specifically for younger riders and coaster beginners in the park’s Jr. Thrill Seekers section.
Is Lil’ Devil Coaster a new ride?
The structure dates back to 1999, when it opened as Road Runner Railway. It was dismantled in 2019 and brought back in 2021 under its current devil-themed name and paint scheme.
Who manufactured Lil’ Devil Coaster?
It was built by Zamperla, the Italian ride manufacturer, as a Family Gravity Coaster 80STD model — a compact kiddie coaster design used at parks worldwide.
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Photo: Jeremy Thompson / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.