Pennsylvania is one of the best states for coasters.
You have such a diverse mix of coasters.
You have 16 different wood coasters.
This ranges from some of the oldest coasters in the world to modern marvels.
Then you have multiple hyper coasters, launch coasters, and looping coasters to appease
all tastes.
I have ridden every single coaster in the state except for a few kiddie coasters.
So in this video, I will rank the top 35 coasters in the Keystone State.
Before starting the list, I have two things to note.
One, I will include a few defunct coasters I experienced over the years.
Two, you can find separate reviews for many of these rides on my channel, including everything
in the top 12.
35) Rollo Coaster at Idlewild- This is a miniature version of Boulder Dash.
This PTC wood coaster takes place on a wooded hillside.
It’s a very scenic location.
The ride is understandably tame given the park it is located in, so don’t expect much
in terms of airtime.
But there are some laterals when you change direction, including some pretty strong ones
on the far turnaround.
34) Steel Dragon at Waldameer- This Maurer SC2000 spinner may be a clone, but it’s
a solid ride.
I love that initial drop if you experience it going backwards.
Then you get some good spinning if you have an off-balance car.
The brakes on this one can slow you down at points, which hampers the pacing.
33) Laff Trakk at Hersheypark- This is the same layout as Steel Dragon, just placed inside
a themed box.
You have these giant, multi-colored cutouts that add some fun visuals during the ride.
Then if you ride during Halloween, the entire ride takes place in total darkness.
The brakes do hit harder on this one, but the added visuals more than compensate.
32) Exterminator at Kennywood- This is yet another spinning coaster, except this is a
Reverchon model.
This one has a dark and eerie sewer theme.
You have some hairpin turns with laterals at the start, some zippy drops midway through
the ride, and a second half loaded with spinning.
While the layout is more straightforward than the prior two Maurer spinners, this one spins
far more and that’s extra disorienting in the dark.
31) Kingdom Coaster at Dutch Wonderland- The original CCI wood coaster has a unique blue
paint scheme and it’s a solid ride.
You get a few weak bits of airtime and a helix finale with some fun laterals.
This would be a perfect first wood coaster for kids…yet it somehow has a higher height
limit than a lot of the state’s other woodies.
But I digress.
Wildcat at Hersheypark- GCI’s first coaster is now being transformed into an RMC hybrid.
This ride was far from perfect, mainly because of how rough it rode, but I always found the
front row tolerable.
That made it possible to appreciate the twisted layout that threw in some underrated pops
of airtime.
While the ride was more comfortable with the Millennium Flyers, I thought it ran much faster
with the PTCs and the airtime was particularly potent in its early years.
30) Sooperdooperlooper at Hersheypark- This historic Schwarzkopf was one of the first
rides in the world to feature a vertical loop.
And it’s still the signature element.
It induces some strong Gs.
The rest of the ride does a lot of meandering, but it does have a neat setting rumbling over
pathways, along a hill, and over a creek.
The ride does finish strong with a fairly forceful helix and tracks very well for a
ride of its age.
29) Merlin’s Mayhem at Dutch Wonderland- This looks like one of those Vekoma suspended
coasters, but this is S&S’s take on the genre.
I love how minimalistic and freeing the restraints are, granting the sensation of flight.
The layout isn’t too crazy, but the helix has good Gs and there are some nice visuals
as you dive into a misty tunnel, pass over the Sky Ride, and go past fountains.
There’s some nice theming in the station plus on-board audio, but the latter is a bit
tricky to hear.
Stinger at Dorney Park- This Vekoma inverted boomerang wasn’t here very long, and it
was often closed.
But if you want to know what it felt like, you can still go out and experience Invertigo
at Kings Island.
The initial drop has a bit of a freefall sensation.
Then you have 3 very forceful inversions you experience going both forwards and backwards.
The positive Gs try to rip your leg off.
There’s some headbanging, but it’s not as bad as an SLC or older boomerang.
28) Skyliner at Lakemont Park- This wood coaster is famously located next to a minor league
baseball stadium.
It’s a really cool backdrop.
The ride itself has seen better days.
The first valley is brutal, but the others aren’t too bad.
Skyliner looks unassuming, but it starts strong.
The first drop and ascent into the first turnaround throw you right into the buzz bar.
The rest of the ride has just weaker pops by comparison, but you ride this coaster for
those first two elements.
27) Thunderhawk at Dorney Park- This old wood coaster is a decent ride.
The turnaround is the biggest strength.
You get some strong pops of airtime plus wonderful laterals.
The ride isn’t too strong around that.
It’s smooth, but the outward leg’s hills are profiled gradually.
Then the return leg is neutered by a trim brake, but you may still get some light airtime
up front.
26) Flying Turns at Knoebels- This wooden bobsled took many years to build, but it offers
a one-of-a-kind experience.
It’s smooth as glass and the turns in the second half have some wild swinging.
It’s not the most forceful ride, but it’s all about the visuals and novelty.
25) Comet at Hersheypark- This Herb Schmeck classic is pretty tame up front, but the first
half has some good drops in back.
The second drop in particular will try and throw you into the buzz bars!
The ride does fizzle out in the second half due to a trim brake, but it is neat how this
coaster was wedged into the park and it’s still very smooth despite decades of operation.
24) Wild Mouse at Idlewild- This Vekoma wild mouse is weird, but it’s one of the best
rides of its kind.
You have a tilted lift hill followed by a larger and more involved layout.
It’s not a cookie-cutter ride by any means and the forces get stronger as it goes.
You get decent airtime on the dips and the tight turns offer crushing laterals.
Just beware the final brake.
It’s a doozy!
23) Possessed at Dorney Park- This is an enjoyable Intamin impulse coaster.
The layout is simple, but effective.
The initial launch has some yank to it.
But the spikes are the highlight.
You get weightlessness at the apex and blasts of positive Gs at the apex.
Unfortunately, the holding brake is no longer used though.
That used to be the best part.
22) Impulse at Knoebels- This Zierer Tower coaster looks like a Gerstlauer Eurofighter.
You have a vertical lift and vertical drop.
The latter gives some strong ejector airtime.
The rest of the layout has a mix of inversions and positive Gs.
Most valleys will pin you to your seat.
Then you also have 4 inversions.
You get a pinch of hangtime on the vertical loop and some incredible hangtime on the barrel
roll since you’re restrained by just a lap bar.
The helixes aren’t too exciting, but the ride is running quite smoothly, especially
with the new trains.
21) Hydra the Revenge at Dorney Park- This is a peculiar B&M floorless.
It’s surprisingly deficient on positive Gs and whip.
But it does other things well.
The first drop has some great floater airtime in the back.
Then I like how floaty some of the inversions are.
The zero-G roll and corkscrew gracefully levitate you from your seat.
Then the ride starts with a jojo roll that hangs you into the restraint for seconds at
a time.
20) Appalachian Express Mountain Coaster at Camelback Mountain Resort- This Aquatic Development
alpine coaster is above average for the genre.
It’s a nice long layout.
You can get some good speed on this one and there are some little bumps giving bits of
airtime. 19) Jack Rabbit at Kennywood- This wood coaster
is all about one moment- the double down.
You get a freefall sensation as the track drops out from beneath you and it’s accompanied
by some incredible airtime, especially since you have just a seatbelt and a single position
lap bar way above you.
There isn’t much else to the unconventional layout, but it does take place on a ravine
and its quite smooth for its age.
18) Leap the Dips at Lakemont Park- The world’s oldest operating coaster has modest stats.
It’s biggest drop is just 9 feet or 3 meters tall.
And it’s posted top speed is just 10 mph or 16 kph.
But this ride has a serious mean streak to it.
The dips offer some of the most unique airtime in the world.
You have absolutely no restraints, so you are repeatedly paddleboarded into the air.
This sensation is more intense in the back row, but it’s very rough back there.
But it’s worth it for that airtime!
Blue Streak at Conneaut Lake Park- This was one of the jankiest coasters I ever experienced.
It looked like it was about to fall apart.
And subsequently, some of those valleys were downright violent.
But the back car had some spectacular ejector airtime on the outward leg.
You were thrown against a buzz bar and the seat itself would come up and spank you.
While the return leg was far tamer, it was tucked among the trees.
17) Lightning Racer at Hersheypark- This GCI wood coaster has a solid layout on its own.
You have some decent airtime pops peppered about the twisted track.
But what makes this ride special is the racing element.
It’s so picturesque and exciting how the two tracks twist in unison and there are countless
fly-bys along the way.
The ride has developed a bit of a shake, but it’s still pretty smooth all things considered.
16) Racer at Kennywood- This racing wood coaster needs to be experienced in the back car.
There is some great airtime back there.
The third and final drops in particular have some really strong airtime since you have
buzz bars.
Then you have a few smaller pops along the way as well.
Then you have the racing element.
It’s neat being able to slap hands with the other train and you won’t know until
the final turn who wins the race.
Laser at Dorney Park- This Schwarzkopf now runs on the German fair circuit as Teststrecke.
This double looper has a near identical layout to Colossus at Lagoon, excelling in both the
lateral and positive G department.
The first drop has some good whip and laterals.
The back-to-back vertical loops were very forceful and I typically start to greyout.
Then the transition after those loops had some shocking laterals.
The coaster then finished with some decently forceful helixes at the end.
And all this took place with just a lap bar.
15) Talon at Dorney Park- This B&M invert has the usual start with solid a first drop,
a moderately forceful vertical loop, a graceful zero-G roll and an ok Immelmann.
But then Talon does its own thing.
You have a decent helix and a sneaky drop with some floater airtime.
Then it finishes strong with a snappy corkscrew and a leg-numbing, 90 degree turn.
While it doesn’t have the power of the older inverts, it is a smooth and creative layout.
14) Thunderbolt at Kennywood- This classic wood coaster has an unconventional layout.
Built on a ravine, the ride has a few sizable drops before the lift hill and then the ride
saves its two largest drops for the end, both of which offer some nice airtime in the back
car.
Then the middle section has some of the best sustained laterals of any coaster.
You have this minimally banked helix that dips up and down.
The laterals are so strong that single riders are not allowed.
13) Sky Rocket at Kennywood- This Premier Rides launch coaster has a strong first 2/3.
The initial launch is decent and I love the ejector airtime over the top hat.
That’s followed by a forceful overbank and a zero-G roll with some intense hangtime.
The second half starts with a great drop in the back and a corkscrew with some more hangtime,
but the finale fizzles out.
You have some boring s-bends and rather weak bunny hills.
While the trains are a bit cramped, the ride does at least track flawlessly.
12) Fahrenheit at Hersheypark- This feels like Intamin’s attempt to build a Gerstlauer
Eurofighter.
You have a beyond vertical drop with some thigh-crushing airtime.
Then you have 6 inversions.
I’m not a big fan of the cobra roll, but I love the two high-speed corkscrews and the
unique Norwegian loop.
Then towards the end, the ride throws in an ejector airtime hill that seems fit for a
hyper coaster.
11) Great Bear at Hersheypark- This B&M invert has a quirky layout and I like it.
You start with a forceful helix high above the ground.
Then you have an enjoyable drop and four forceful inversions, all of which are snappy.
The first three are large and run along the midway.
The final one occurs on the return run when you’re whizzing over the creek.
It’s a really neat visual.
It’s not the longest invert, but it certainly packs a punch.
And even after 2.5 decades of operation, this coaster is running super smoothly.
10) Oscar’s Wacky Taxi at Sesame Place- This Gravity Group wood coaster is a great
little ride.
It is frenetically paced and just keeps throwing one airtime moment after another at riders.
Some of the other small-scale Gravity Groups have more forceful airtime, but I love how
there’s no downtime on this coaster.
It just keeps popping you into the air.
Just know this ride is notorious for being closed or having delayed openings.
9) Steel Force at Dorney Park- This Morgan hyper gets more flack than it deserves.
You have some giant hills at the start with some nice floater airtime, particularly in
the back.
Then you have a speedy turnaround with some decent laterals and impressive headchoppers.
But the return run is what differentiates it from the other Cedar Fair Morgan hypers.
The mid-course trim isn’t too harsh, so you get floater and fl-jector on the return
run.
That’s especially true since the lap bars give a lot of room even on the lowest setting.
8) Twister at Knoebels- The spiritual successor to Elitch Gardens’s Mister Twister has a
cool layout.
It’s a twisted mess with great pacing.
The ride is heavy on the turns and chalk full of laterals.
And they’re weirdly at their best between the two lift hills.
The ride also has some sneaky airtime.
The large two drops at the start give nice floater airtime in the back and the entry
into the first turnaround launches those up front out of their seat.
Then the final few hills pop you out of your seat too.
And the ride is running smoother than ever now.
7) Steel Curtain at Kennywood- This S&S creation has the record for the most inversions of
any coaster in the United States.
Some offer hangtime like the initial Drachen Fire dive drop.
Others offer inverted airtime like the zero-G stall.
Then many have good positive Gs entering and exiting them.
But this ride has some variety too.
You have fluid and decently forceful transitions plus a few spots of airtime.
6) Storm Runner at Hersheypark- This is the country’s best Intamin accelerator coaster.
You have a powerful hydraulic launch with one of the fastest accelerations in the world.
It’ll leave your stomach behind.
Then the rest of the layout is far more diverse than the other accelerators.
You have a top hat with some great ejector airtime.
Then you rocket through Pioneer Frontier.
You have 3 inversions, most notably the flying snake dive that starts with a hangtime filled
barrel roll and ends with a disorienting twisting dive loop.
Then you also have some additional airtime pops as well for variety.
5) Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer- This Gravity Group wood coaster is wonderful.
It starts with the setting.
The ride is located atop a hill and plunges down a ravine.
Then you cross a highway not once, but twice.
The elements are fantastic too.
The first half is particularly strong.
You have one of my favorite drops out there between the view and powerful airtime.
Then the bunny hills each have sustained floater airtime.
The second half loses quite a bit of speed when you climb back up the hill, but you’ll
still get some airtime pops and lateral jolts.
And Waldameer has the ride running smoother than ever with all the recent trackwork.
4) Candymonium at Hersheypark- America’s newest B&M hyper is one of the company’s
best.
Because you don’t have a brake run until the very end, this ride has great pacing.
Every hill in the first half offers very sustained floater airtime.
The second half’s airtime isn’t as sustained, but it’s still decent and you also have
some fun visuals as you traverse an outward banked hill and wrap around the beautiful
Kisses’ fountain.
And as you’d expect, the ride is glossy smooth.
3) Phoenix at Knoebels- The reigning Golden Ticket Award winner for the world’s best
wood coaster benefits by some unreal restraints.
You have just a buzz bar and no seatbelts.
So every airtime moment will launch you a foot into the air.
It’s incredible.
You get airtime on every hill and Phoenix gets stronger as it goes.
The final 4 bunny hills in particular are one of the best sequences on any coaster,
as you are slammed into the lap bar.
I always come off this ride laughing.
And the park takes pristine care of this ride.
It’s so easy to marathon.
While the coaster can’t match the raw intensity of the coasters above it, Phoenix is a special
ride.
2) Skyrush at Hersheypark- This Intamin hyper is one of the most intense coasters out there.
I know a lot of people hate the lap bars.
Yes they are tight, but I love how exposed they leave you.
They accentuate the ride’s already ridiculous forces.
The first drop is one-of-a-kind.
It starts with a powerful burst of ejector and a kink midway down springboards you even
higher.
Then the camelbacks all offer more sustained ejector.
Then the turns and s-hills offer wicked laterals that effortlessly fling your torso sideways.
And the pullouts and low turns pile on the positive Gs as well.
This ride is relentless.
1) Phantom’s Revenge at Kennywood- This hyper coaster is a true terrain coaster that
goes down a ravine.
That second drop is legendary between it’s airtime, length, and views.
Then the coaster rips through the rest of the layout.
You have great positive Gs on the subsequent pullout and turnaround.
Then the second half has some aggressive ejector airtime.
That would be the case with any restraint, but it’s extra special with those roomy
lap bars.
It’s shocking to have a restraint this minimal with airtime this intense, but that’s why
Phantom is a top 10 coaster for me.
So those are the top 35 roller coasters in all of Pennsylvania as of the end of 2022.
And with Hersheypark opening a new RMC in Wildcat’s Revenge later this year, this
already loaded state is getting another standout coaster.
What are your favorite coasters in the Keystone State?
Let me know down in the comments.
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