Nitro is a steel hyper coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, designed and built by Bolliger & Mabillard. It opened on April 7, 2001, and immediately set records as the tallest roller coaster on the East Coast and the fastest in New Jersey at the time of its debut.
Standing 230 feet tall with a 215-foot first drop and a top speed of 80 mph, Nitro carries riders through 5,394 feet of swooping camelback hills and a finale helix on an out-and-back layout. Despite zero inversions, its sustained negative G-force airtime and 4.3 peak G-force have earned it consistent top-three rankings in Amusement Today’s annual Golden Ticket Awards for steel coasters.
Stats at a Glance
- Park: Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, New Jersey
- Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M)
- Model: Hyper Coaster
- Opened: April 7, 2001
- Height: 230 ft (70 m)
- Drop: 215 ft (66 m)
- Top Speed: 80 mph (130 km/h)
- Length: 5,394 ft (1,644 m)
- Inversions: 0
- Duration: 2 min 20 sec
The Ride Experience
Nitro’s chain lift climbs to 230 feet before releasing riders into a 68-degree first drop that accelerates the train to 80 mph. The out-and-back layout then delivers a relentless string of camelback hills, each one generating sustained floater airtime that lifts riders clear of their seats. A sweeping return helix bleeds speed before the final brake run, keeping intensity high across the full 2-minute-20-second run.
Three 36-passenger trains cycle continuously, giving the ride a capacity of roughly 1,800 riders per hour — impressive for a coaster spanning more than a mile of track. B&M’s signature smooth ride quality means the forces feel powerful rather than punishing, making Nitro equally accessible to first-time thrill-seekers and seasoned enthusiasts.
Records and Legacy
When Nitro opened in spring 2001 it was the tallest coaster on the East Coast and New Jersey’s fastest. While taller rivals have since arrived at other parks, Nitro has remained one of the most celebrated examples of B&M’s hyper coaster formula, peaking at third place among all steel coasters worldwide in the Golden Ticket Awards.
The coaster’s opening ceremony on April 11, 2001 featured former WWE superstar Mick Foley, who triggered a fireworks display above the queue — an early sign of the pop-culture cachet Six Flags attached to the ride. More than two decades on, Nitro is still considered a flagship attraction at Great Adventure and a benchmark against which newer hyper coasters are measured.
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Nitro FAQs
How tall is Nitro at Six Flags Great Adventure?
Nitro stands 230 feet (70 m) tall, with a first drop of 215 feet at a 68-degree angle.
Does Nitro have any inversions?
No. Nitro has zero inversions. As a hyper coaster it focuses entirely on high-speed airtime hills and sweeping banked turns rather than loops or corkscrews.
Who built Nitro and when did it open?
Nitro was designed and built by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) and opened to the public on April 7, 2001.
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Photo: Dusso Janladde / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.