Steel Force at Dorney Park: Height, Speed & Stats

Steel Force towers over Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania — a wall of coral-pink track that announced the hypercoaster era’s arrival on the East Coast. When it opened on May 30, 1997, it was the tallest and longest coaster on the East Coast, and nearly three decades later it is still the signature silhouette of the park.

Built by D. H. Morgan Manufacturing and designed by Steve Okamoto, Steel Force is a classic out-and-back speed machine: one giant drop, a towering turnaround, and a return trip stuffed with airtime hills.

Key Stats

Height	200 ft (61 m)
Drop	205 ft (62 m)
Length	5,600 ft (1,700 m)
Speed	75 mph (121 km/h)
Duration	3:00
Max vertical angle	61°
Inversions	0
Manufacturer / Model	D. H. Morgan Manufacturing — Hyper Coaster
Opened	May 30, 1997
Capacity	1,700 riders per hour

Steel Force's 205-foot first drop at Dorney Park with Thunderhawk alongside — A train descends the 205-foot first drop, with the wooden Thunderhawk in the foreground — Photo: Coasterman1234 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

A Drop Bigger Than the Lift

Steel Force’s lift hill stands exactly 200 feet tall, but its first drop measures 205 feet — the track dives below grade into a 120-foot tunnel, one of two on the course. That below-ground trench pushes the train to 75 mph and made the drop one of the biggest roller coaster drops in the world when it debuted. The 61-degree plunge remains one of the most intense moments in Pennsylvania.

The ride’s 5,600 feet of track keep it in elite company, too: as of 2026 it is tied with its sister ride Mamba at Worlds of Fun as the ninth-longest steel coaster in the world. See where that puts it among the longest roller coasters in the world.

History

Steel Force cost $10 million and was the first coaster of its scale in the eastern United States, following Morgan’s very first hypercoaster, Wild Thing at Valleyfair, by a single year. The Morgan hyper formula — huge out-and-back layout, three 36-passenger trains, no inversions, relentless camelback hills — proved so popular that near-identical siblings went up at parks across the country.

The ride was a critics’ favorite from the start, ranking in the top ten of Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards for steel coasters for years, peaking at #4 from 1999 to 2001.

Steel Force train cresting the first airtime hill at Dorney Park — A train floats over Steel Force’s first camelback airtime hill — Photo: Coasterman1234 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Ride Experience

After the tunnel-diving first drop, Steel Force climbs a second giant hill and swings through an elevated helix turnaround before beginning the run home: a string of low, fast bunny hills — including a double-up — that deliver repeated pops of airtime, punching through a second tunnel on the way back to the station. Peak forces reach about 3.4 G, but the ride’s character is speed and float rather than raw intensity, which is why it works for first-time big-coaster riders and enthusiasts alike.

The tunnels at the base of Steel Force's first drop at Dorney Park — The first drop and return run dive through these tunnels at the bottom of the ride — Photo: DD Lover via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Steel Force Photo Archive: July 2001

These are original ThrillZing photos of Steel Force taken on July 17, 2001, restored and upscaled from the original camera files. They show the Morgan hyper coaster in its fifth season: the entrance sign, the 200-foot lift hill and first drop, trains on the return run of camelback hills, and the layout alongside Thunderhawk. All photos are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license with credit to ThrillZing and a link to this page.

The Steel Force entrance sign at Dorney Park, July 2001 — The Steel Force entrance sign, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

The Steel Force sign on the station roof, July 2001 — The sign on the station roof, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Steel Force train cresting a camelback hill, July 2001 — A train crests a camelback hill, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's lift hill and first drop seen from below, July 2001 — The lift hill and first drop from below, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's 200-foot lift hill and first drop, July 2001 — The 200-foot lift hill and first drop, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's camelback hills on the return run, July 2001 — The camelback hills on the return run, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Steel Force train on the return hills beside Thunderhawk, July 2001 — On the return hills beside Thunderhawk, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

A Steel Force train riding the airtime hills, July 2001 — Riding the airtime hills, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's hills running along the park path, July 2001 — The hills along the path, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's lift hill structure, July 2001 — The lift hill structure, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's track winding through its supports, July 2001 — Track winding through the supports, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's lift hill with the Thunderhawk entrance below, July 2001 — The lift hill above the Thunderhawk entrance, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's lift hill rising over the park buildings, July 2001 — The lift hill over the park buildings, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's lift hill with Hercules and Laser behind it, seen from the road, July 2001 — Steel Force with Hercules and Laser behind it, from the road, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Steel Force's lift hill above the midway crowd, July 2001 — The lift hill above the midway, July 17, 2001. *Photo: ThrillZing (CC BY 4.0)*

Did you know? The Banshee name that bounced around Cedar Fair

Steel Force’s logo, with its swooping, screaming figure, wasn’t designed for Steel Force at all. Cedar Point announced its 1996 stand-up coaster as Banshee in September 1995, then dropped the name within weeks after complaints about the banshee’s meaning as a wailing omen of death, trademarked Mantis that November and recalled the Banshee pins and stickers. The finished Banshee artwork went to sister park Dorney, where it became the Steel Force logo when the hypercoaster opened in 1997. Cedar Fair finally used the name for real with Banshee at Kings Island in 2014, and the Cedar Point ride itself is now Rougarou.

FAQ

How tall is Steel Force at Dorney Park?

Steel Force is 200 feet (61 m) tall, with a 205-foot (62 m) first drop that dives into an underground tunnel.

How fast does Steel Force go?

Steel Force reaches 75 mph (121 km/h) at the bottom of its first drop, making it the fastest coaster at Dorney Park.

Does Steel Force go upside down?

No. Steel Force has zero inversions — it is a traditional Morgan hypercoaster focused on height, speed and airtime, with a 48-inch minimum rider height.