11 Best Cedar Point Roller Coasters (Ranked)
Cedar Point is the US’s second oldest (currently operational) amusement park. So, it makes sense that it houses some of the most thrilling rollercoasters in the world. Some of these are rollercoaster royalty that have been operational since the 70s. Others are fresh and packed with thrills that ancient coasters could never compete with.
The table below shows the best Cedar Point roller coasters alongside their speed, height, and drop specs:
Rollercoaster | Drop | Speed | Inversions |
---|---|---|---|
Maverick | 100 ft | 70 mph | 2 |
Millennium Force | 300 ft | 93 mph | 0 |
Top Thrill 2 | 400 ft | 120 mph | 0 |
Steel Vengeance | 200 ft | 74 mph | 4 |
Valravn | 214 ft | 75 mph | 3 |
Gatekeeper | 164 ft | 67 mph | 6 |
Raptor | 119 ft | 57 mph | 6 |
Magnum XL-200 | 194.7 ft | 72 mph | 0 |
Rougarou | 137 ft | 60 mph | 4 |
Gemini | 118 ft | 60 mph | 0 |
Corkscrew | 65 ft | 48 mph | 3 |
You have to prioritize your rides because there’s so much to do at the park and so little time (thanks to long queues). This resource will help you select the most exciting rides on your Cedar Point bucket list.
Since Cedar Point is a coasterhead favorite, you will find all kinds of rollercoasters there. Cedar Point has something for you, whether you like steep drops or inversions, high speeds, or racing coasters.
And depending on what you like, your favorites might be different. The rankings here are based on what works for most coaster heads: specs like height, drop, speed, inversions, and maximum angle. Below are the broad specs to set your baseline.
- Height: The tallest rollercoaster at Cedar Point is Top Thrill 2 (420 feet tall)
- Length: The longest rollercoaster at Cedar Point is Steel Vengeance (5,740 feet long)
- Seating Capacity: The most common seating capacity for Cedar Point rollercoasters is 24 riders per train.
- Drop: Top Thrill 2 has the greatest drop for a Cedar Point coaster (400 feet)
- Top Speed: The fastest rollercoaster at Cedar Point is Top Thrill 2. It has a top speed of 120 mph.
- Ride duration: Most rollercoaster rides at Cedar Point last 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
- Maximum Angle (vertical): The steepest vertical angle for a Cedar Point rollercoaster is 90°.
Without further ado, here are the top Cedar Point roller coasters ranked (with reviews):
1. Maverick
- Date Opened: May 26, 2007
- Height: 105 ft
- Length: 4,450 ft
- Seating Capacity: 12 passengers per train
- Drop: 100 ft
- Top Speed: 70 mph
- Ride duration: 2:30
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 95°
This rollercoaster has one of the steepest drops at Cedar Point, and its 70 mph speed only heightens its impact. Right after the nosedive off its first hill, the train zips across a tilted track and takes two turns. Before you can catch your breath, you’re on top of the second airtime hill.
The drop right after is reminiscent of the first one, but it is meant to trick you into a sense of familiarity. But the rest of the track is different. It doesn’t just lean to the left or right. It features two inversions and a dark scaffolding-laden tunnel.
The tilting and turning stops as the train moves through the first half of the tunnel. But just as it is about to exit, the track tilts twice (once in each direction).
Almost all Cedar Point visitors rank Maverick among the top three rollercoaster rides at the park. Most often, it holds the first place purely because it offers everything a coasterhead wants: speed, steep climbs, nose dives, great air time, multiple tilts, and surprising inversions.
- Maverick is an old-west-themed coaster with a steel train motif.
- One of the ride’s drops is beyond vertical (over 90 degrees)
2. Millennium Force
- Date Opened: May 13, 2000
- Height: 310 ft
- Length: 6,595 ft
- Seating Capacity: 36 passengers per train
- Drop: 300 ft
- Top Speed: 93 mph
- Ride duration: 2:20
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 80°
Where Maverick is hailed for its surprising twists and inversions, Millennium Force is loved for its air time. The rollercoaster has two super-steep drops, with one reaching 300 feet. There are no surprising inversions or steep tilts, so most of the ride’s momentum goes into diving off air time hills.
It compounds speed at one point, crossing 90 mph, and zips across over 6,500 feet of sky-blue steel tracks within 2.5 minutes. Some visitors describe being so stunned by the experience that they forgot to scream. Others don’t stop screaming even after the train docks back at the station.
- The rollercoaster is the world’s first Giga coaster (300 ft+ in height).
- At one point, Millennium Force was the tallest and the fastest rollercoaster in the world.
- During the night, this ride is lit with multiple LED lights.
- The ride slows down to roughly 65 mph before using magnetic brakes to reach a standstill (in under 7 seconds).
3. Top Thrill 2
- Date Opened: May 4, 2003
- Height: 420 ft
- Length: 2,800 ft
- Seating Capacity: 18 passengers per train
- Drop: 400 ft
- Top Speed: 120 mph
- Ride duration: 00:17
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 90°
Top Thrill 2 is yet another Gigacoaster that a diehard coasterhead cannot miss. But if you visit the park too soon, you might miss it. Top Thrill Dragster is set to reopen as Top Thrill 2 in 2024 after being shut down in 2021.
Dragster was a 17-second ride that reached 120 mph top speed and featured a 400-foot drop. Whether these specs will be upgraded or maintained remains unclear. But given that the track hasn’t been dismantled yet, it is safe to say that the ride isn’t getting any shorter.
Top Thrill is one of the park’s greatest draws, but it is definitely not for everyone. It can be overwhelming even for seasoned coasterheads. So before you get in line, make sure that you can stomach its specs.
- Top Thrill 2 is an accelerator rollercoaster that doesn’t depend on a chain release for its speed.
- Top Thrill 2 is being launched after two years of maintenance and repairs.
- The ride was once the fastest rollercoaster in the world.
- For a while, Top Thrill was the tallest rollercoaster in the world.
4. Steel Vengeance
- Date Opened: May 5, 2018
- Height: 205 ft
- Length: 5,740 ft
- Seating Capacity: 24 passengers per train
- Drop: 200 ft
- Top Speed: 74 mph
- Ride duration: 2:30
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 90°
You might have to wait over an hour to ride Steel Vengeance, but the ride is every bit worth it. It is one of the wildest rides at Cedar Point, with a series of airtime hills that give you no time to catch a breath.
Steel Vengeance doesn’t have the biggest drop or the highest speed, but it has the most ups and downs in the shortest period. In other words, it gives you a wild experience despite not having the wildest drop (or speed). That’s why the queue for this ride is often longer than that of Maverick and Millennium Force.
Many visitors also like it because it isn’t as extreme as Top Thrill and Maverick, yet it still packs quite a punch. Once you ride it, you can see why this rollercoaster held ten world records at one point.
- Steel Vengeance was previously known as Mean Streak.
- The ride was once the fastest Hybrid rollercoaster in the world.
- Steel Vengeance features a steep 90-degree drop.
- The rollercoaster has four inversions.
5. Valravn
- Date Opened: May 7, 2016
- Height: 223 ft
- Length: 3,415 ft
- Seating Capacity: 24 passengers per train
- Drop: 214 ft
- Top Speed: 75 mph
- Ride duration: 2:23
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 90°
Valravn has a slow start that only serves to set up the thrill on the other side of the ride’s lift hill. After a long climb up, the train moves along a plateau with a nice view. This, too, serves to trick viewers into a sense of security.
That sense is disrupted immediately as the train pauses at the edge of its first drop. The riders can take a moment to fathom the height and the steepness of the plunge they’re about to take. And then it happens.
The train nosedives and loops vertically at 75 mph, inverting along the way and reaching another plateau before the riders can catch their breaths. The next drop is followed by another inversion and two airtime hills.
- Valravn is a dive coaster, the type of rollercoaster that maximizes its downward momentum with steep drops.
- The rollercoaster is located in the main Midway section of the park.
6. Gatekeeper
- Date Opened: May 11, 2013
- Height: 170 ft
- Length: 4,164 ft
- Seating Capacity: 32 passengers per train
- Drop: 164 ft
- Top Speed: 67 mph
- Ride duration: 2:40
- Maximum Angle: 180°
The Gatekeeper ride at Cedar Point starts off with a smooth upward glide. Its wide tracks make you feel secure, but not for long. Right before the first drop, the train switches to slimmer tracks that allow acrobatic motion.
Aside from the 180-degree maximum vertical angle, the Gatekeeper has 6 inversions and a vertical loop right off the first dive. For the most part, the rollercoaster maintains a speed of over 50 mph, reaching 67 mph at its peak.
The ride can also be genuinely scary because, at 4 different points, it seems like the train is about to collapse into one of the track’s support structures. But that is a part of its thrill.
- The ride owes its name to its location near Cedar Point’s gate.
- At the time of its opening, Gatekeeper was one of five winged rollercoasters in the world.
7. Raptor
- Date Opened: May 7, 1994
- Height: 137 ft
- Length: 3,790 ft
- Seating Capacity: 32 passengers per train
- Drop: 119 ft
- Top Speed: 57 mph
- Ride duration: 2:15
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 45°
This ride is an inverter rollercoaster, so the track is over your head, and you dangle beneath it. The ride has a “raw” feel where riders feel more exposed and out of control. Despite never breaking 60 mph, the ride is as thrilling as some Cedar Point coasters with 70 mph+ speed.
But those are just the advantages of the inverted coaster design. What sets Raptor apart from other inverted rollercoasters, though, is its pre-drop and six inversions. The pre-drop sets a baseline expectation, which the ride’s gigantic drop decimates.
Riders loop and invert immediately after the drop and experience a minute of non-stop thrills. Then, there’s a small plateau that might make you think that the ride is over. It lasts no more than two seconds as you drop once again for the second half of the ride.
- Raptor is located in the Main Midway section of Cedar Point (near Blue Streak)
- Four riders are arranged per row
- Raptor is the first inverted rollercoaster to feature a Cobra Roll
- Upon opening, Raptor was the tallest and the fastest inverted rollercoaster in the world.
8. Magnum Xl-200
- Date Opened: May 6, 1989
- Height: 205 ft
- Length: 5,106 ft
- Seating Capacity: 36 passengers per train
- Drop: 194.7 ft
- Top Speed: 72 mph
- Ride duration: 2:00
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 60°
Magnum XL-200 has a dramatic name that fits its specs. With a nearly 200-foot drop and a 70 mph+ top speed, it is ‘magnum’ in all the right places. That said, the rollercoaster’s drops are not nearly as steep as the top-ranked coasters at Cedar Point. The Magnum drops are more like slopes, but the ride has excellent air time.
Where you place Magnum in your personal ranking will depend on what part of the ride you value most. If you’re like most coasterheads, then you want a steep drop that takes your breath away. And in that case, Magnum will be lower on your list than if you like speed and longevity.
- At the park, the ride is called “Magnum.”
- The ride was the first modern rollercoaster to be over 200 feet high.
- Magnum remains one of the most popular rollercoasters at Cedar Point (40 million+ riders to date).
- The rollercoaster is considered a Landmark Ride by American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) because of its historical significance.
9. Rougarou
- Date Opened: May 9, 2015
- Height: 145 ft
- Length: 137 ft
- Seating Capacity: 32 passengers per train
- Drop: 137 ft
- Top Speed: 60 mph
- Ride duration: 2:40
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 52°
Rougarou has an acrobatic track and a floorless train design, so its riders’ feet hang free a few inches above the track. Its first drop is followed by a large loop and a track tilt. This rollercoaster gets 10/10 on track design, but unfortunately, it doesn’t have the right speed or drop height to be a top Cedar Point rollercoaster.
What Rougarou leaves to be desired in speed, though, it makes up for in ride duration. The ride lasts 50 seconds longer than most high-speed rollercoasters at the park. It’s also worth mentioning that “high speed” is relative.
Rougarou has a top speed of 60 mph, which it maintains for most of the ride. Sure, it doesn’t break 70 mph like Cedar Point’s top favorites, but it is still a thrilling ride.
- Rougarou is located at the Millenium Midway section of Cedar Point.
- The ride features four inversions and a large post-drop loop.
- Rougarou has a much shorter queue than Maverick and Millenium Force.
10. Gemini
- Date Opened: June 17, 1978
- Height: 125 ft
- Length: 3,935 ft
- Seating Capacity: 30 passengers per train
- Drop: 118 ft
- Top Speed: 60 mph
- Ride duration: 2:40
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 55°
Gemini is a hybrid racing coaster with noticeably more wood than steel. It is not as exciting as Cedar Point’s top draws, but it is still fun to ride (mainly because of the racing element). The ride has a 118-foot drop but feels more like a 70-foot one because it isn’t too steep.
The ride lasts just over two and a half minutes and features zero inversions. Still, many visitors queue up for it because of its social element. Whenever the red and blue trains are next to each other, riders high-five across trains. Both trains are within arm’s reach, but holding hands across carts is not recommended.
- Gemini is located at the Gemini Midway section of Cedar Point.
- The ride cost $3.4 million dollars to make.
- Gemini can seat 60 riders across its two trains.
- It is one of the oldest operational rollercoasters at Cedar Point.
11. Corkscrew
- Date Opened: May 15, 1976
- Height: 85 ft
- Length: 2,050 ft
- Seating Capacity: 24 riders per train
- Drop: 65 ft
- Top Speed: 48 mph
- Ride duration: 2:00
- Maximum Angle (vertical): 45°
Corkscrew is a historic rollercoaster with a cork-screw-style pair of vertical loops. It is the world’s first rollercoaster with three inversions and is among one of the first vertical looping rollercoasters in the modern world. But that doesn’t change the fact that there are more thrilling rides at Cedar Point.
Corkscrew’s historic significance might be charming, but the rollercoaster has been outdone by time. It is easier to create inversions and vertical loops today than it was when Ron Toomer designed the Corkscrew. So, there are rollercoasters with more inversions and vertical loops and greater speed and drop specs at Cedar Point.
- Corkscrew is located at the Top Thrill 2 midway.
- It is one of the most beginner-friendly rollercoasters at Cedar Point.
- The ride is nostalgic for those who grew up in the 80s.
- Corkscrew is among the slowest rollercoasters at Cedar Point.