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Best Roller Coaster Rides

Six Flags Magic Mountain Theme Park, Los Angeles, California

© Karen Lotter

Magic Mountain Sunset, Bridgeport Mike on Flickr
Six Flags Magic Mountain is one of Southern California's best-known theme parks, with a vast selection of roller coasters and rides.

Consensus is that as theme parks go, Magic Mountain is totally “awesome.” Like most Six Flags properties, Magic Mountain is really more an of an "iron park," than a theme park. It is jam-packed with thrill-a minute- hard-core coasters. This thrill ride mecca can be found just north of Los Angeles, at the Magic Mountain Parkway exit off Interstate 5 in Valencia.

Theme Park with 15 World Class Roller Coasters

Known worldwide as a thrill ride haven, the 260-acre theme park that bills itself as an Xtreme Park features 15 world-class roller coasters and over 100 rides, games and attractions for the entire family. Some of the theme park's most popular roller coasters are X2, Tatsu, Superman’s Revenge, The Riddler's Revenge and the old favorite, Goldrusher.

Adjacent to Six Flags Magic Mountain is a separate admission water park, Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.

Top Five Thrill Rides at Magic Mountain Theme Park

While it is hard to choose the top five thrill rides, some of the roller coasters stand out for their unique features

Tatsu– the Newest Rollercoaster

3,602 feet of blazing of blazing red, orange and yellow twisted steel track track. 62 miles per hour through four separate areas of the theme park. 263 feet in plunges huge spirals, stomach turning loops, sharp dives and high-speed banked curves. All this, suspended beneath the track.

Magic Mountains’ X2 – Enter the Fourth Dimension

The X2 is the world's first "fourth-dimension" coaster with cars that sit alongside the track and independently spin 360 degrees forwards and backwards on Magic Mountain’s X2 roller coaster riders are propelled forward in vehicles that can spin independently 360-degree forwards or backwards on a separate axis. This means a head-over-heels, upside down rush at 76 mph through the massive 3,610-foot twisted steel maze

The Riddler’s Revenge – Stand Up Rollercoaster Ride

If the scream factor is not high enough, do a few 360 loops at 65 mph standing up on The Riddle’s Revenge. It is billed as the world's tallest and fastest stand-up roller coasters. Feel up to six inversions on almost a mile of twisting, looping inverted steel track for three beyond-control minutes?

Goldrusher – Oldest Ride in the Park

Goldrusher may be tamer than the others, but it is not for anyone with a weak heart. Themed like a runaway train, this roller coaster was the first one built at Six Flags Magic Mountain for its opening season, 1971. Goldrusher has two lift hills and riders experience the thrill of being on an out of control runaway train.

Superman - Fastest and Highest Rollercoaster Ride

Superman, the Escape is the tallest ride in the theme park towering 415 feet above the ground. The escape starts in Superman's Fortress of Solitude, where rides are propelled through a special-effects tunnel. The carriage then accelerates to 100 mph in seven seconds before shooting straight up a 41-story tower. 6.5 seconds of weightlessness is experienced. Then the terrifying backward descent begins. Trains free-fall straight down from the skyscraper on this dual track coaster.

Roller Coaster Info for Fanatics

The Rollercoaster database has plenty of information for rollercoaster fanatics including lists of all the present and past roller coasters at specific locations, with detailed data; address instructions and Google Earth Maps of the locations.


The copyright of the article Best Roller Coaster Rides in Family Adventures is owned by Karen Lotter. Permission to republish Best Roller Coaster Rides in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.





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