6. The GhostRider

Knott's Berry Farm , Buena Park, California Combining the traditional charm of a wooden coaster with the sensibility of a modern-day thrill machine, GhostRider offers a rootin'-tootin' airtime-filled ride. The highlight is its initial, note-perfect, 108-foot drop. To appease neighbors and reduce noise, Knott's covered the drop with a metal canopy. While it limits riders' views a bit, the canopy adds to GhostRider's Old West mystique and actually seems to amplify the intensity of the clanking train and the passengers' screams. The banked portions of its track generate lateral (side-to-side) G-forces that offer plenty of oomph, but make relatively smooth transitions (unlike other coasters where intense lateral Gs can border on sadism). This is what great woodies are all about. Read Levine's review of GhostRider . <!-- // define variables var date = new Date(); var current_time = date.getTime(); // write SCRIPT tag to browser document.writeln(' '); // -->
Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California

Combining the traditional charm of a wooden coaster with the sensibility of a modern-day thrill machine, GhostRider offers a rootin'-tootin' airtime-filled ride. The highlight is its initial, note-perfect, 108-foot drop. To appease neighbors and reduce noise, Knott's covered the drop with a metal canopy. While it limits riders' views a bit, the canopy adds to GhostRider's Old West mystique and actually seems to amplify the intensity of the clanking train and the passengers' screams. The banked portions of its track generate lateral (side-to-side) G-forces that offer plenty of oomph, but make relatively smooth transitions (unlike other coasters where intense lateral Gs can border on sadism). This is what great woodies are all about.

Read Levine's review of GhostRider.

(Text by Arthur Levine / Photo courtesy of Knott's Berry Farm )