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 |
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.
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.
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.
Photo: Ryan Painter via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
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