Ride of Steel at Six Flags Darien Lake, between Buffalo and Rochester, is the coaster that brought the hypercoaster arms race to New York. Opened on May 15, 1999 as Superman — Ride of Steel, the 208-foot Intamin mega coaster was the first of its breed in the Northeast and remains the tallest coaster in New York State.
Designed by legendary engineer Werner Stengel and built by Swiss manufacturer Intamin, it trades the classic camelback formula for something more varied: giant airtime hills mixed with enormous, forceful helixes along the shore of Darien Lake itself.
Key Stats
| Height | 208 ft (63 m) |
| Drop | 205 ft (62 m) |
| Length | 5,400 ft (1,600 m) |
| Speed | 73 mph (117 km/h) |
| Duration | 2:02 |
| Max vertical angle | 68° |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Manufacturer / Model | Intamin — Mega Coaster |
| Opened | May 15, 1999 |
| Capacity | 1,100 riders per hour |
New York’s Tallest Coaster
At 208 feet with a 205-foot first drop pitched at a steep 68 degrees, Ride of Steel out-drops many taller rides — see how it stacks up against the biggest roller coaster drops in the world and the tallest coasters on the planet. The drop runs down toward the lake and slings the train to 73 mph.
The layout packs five airtime hills — including one with a twist in it — plus a 540-degree and a 500-degree helix into 5,400 feet of track, wrapping up in a brisk 2 minutes and 2 seconds.
From Superman to Ride of Steel
The ride opened as Superman — Ride of Steel, and a near-identical sister opened a year later at Six Flags America in Maryland (that installation closed with the park in November 2025, leaving the Darien Lake original to carry the legacy). When Six Flags sold Darien Lake to PARC Management in 2007, the park lost the DC Comics license and the coaster was renamed simply Ride of Steel — the name it has kept ever since, even after the park rejoined the Six Flags family.
Ride Experience
Intamin’s mega coaster trains are famously open — low sides, simple lap bars, riders seated two across — which makes the 205-foot plunge feel even bigger than the numbers suggest. The first helix piles on sustained positive Gs, the mid-course hills deliver genuine out-of-seat floats, and the twisted airtime hill near the end has become the ride’s signature moment. Two 32-passenger trains give it a capacity of about 1,100 riders per hour.
FAQ
How tall is Ride of Steel at Six Flags Darien Lake?
Ride of Steel is 208 feet (63 m) tall with a 205-foot (62 m), 68-degree first drop — the tallest roller coaster in New York State.
How fast does Ride of Steel go?
The coaster hits a top speed of 73 mph (117 km/h) at the base of its first drop.
Why isn’t it called Superman anymore?
The ride opened in 1999 as Superman — Ride of Steel, but when Six Flags sold Darien Lake in 2007 the park lost the DC Comics theming rights, and the coaster became simply Ride of Steel.
Photo: Joekid via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)