ElloCoaster

 #25 - Timber! - Walibi Rhône-Alpes, Les Avenières, France

With a first drop of just 55ft (16.7m) and a top speed of 40mph (64km/h), Timber! is easily the smallest coaster in the wooden Top 25. If you’re surprised that a coaster this size made the list, then you’ve probably never ridden a small coaster by The Gravity Group. Nobody - seriously, nobody - packs full-sized thrills into a small wood coaster the way they do.

#24 Prowler - Worlds of Fun, Missouri, USA

Prowler is one of those coasters that sneaks up on you. It doesn’t grab headlines the way some others do and you’d be forgiven for not knowing much about it before you ride. But once you do ride, you’ll never forget it. Packed with speed, sudden changes in direction, a secluded setting, and one of the best nighttime ride experiences anywhere in the world, Prowler is absolutely world-class coastering.

#23 Renegade - Valleyfair!, Minnesota, USA

Renegade is classic GCI goodness: crazy pacing, lots of wild turns, and relentless action all navigated by comfortable, single-bench Millennium Flyer rolling stock. What’s not to love?

#22 Mine Blower - Fun Spot America, Florida, USA

While its size -just 82ft (25.3m) tall- might not grab your attention right away, the ride certainly will. Airtime galore, a buzz past the loading station, and a zero-G roll all create a must-do experience for any Florida vacation.

#21 Wodan Timbur Coaster - EuropaPark, Germany

One of the best queues for any wood coaster in the world (no, really… that wasn’t sarcastic) leads you to a thrilling-but-not-too-scary masterpiece in one of the best parks anywhere in the world. Smooth, fast, fun, and incredibly re-rideable action make Wodan Timburcoaster worthy of any bucket list. The voters think so, too. It moved up three spots this year.

#20 木质过山车 (Wood Coaster)- Knight Valley, China

Knight Valley’s Wood Coaster is a new entry in the Top 25 - in the previous years’ polls, it didn’t have quite enough voters to make the minimum rider cutoff. It’s another GCI coaster full of twists, speed, and craziness.

#19 Troy - Toverland, Netherlands

For the third year in a row, Toverland’s Troy easily makes the Top 25. Have a seat and take a ride courtesy of our friends at Theme Park Videos to see why.

#18 Balder - Liseberg, Sweden

Balder is one of just four wood coasters using Intamin’s “Plug and Play” fabricated track system, which gives it a smooth, fast, airtime-filled ride. Minimal lighting on the structure combined with tunnels and deep shadows make night rides seem even faster and more out-of-control.

#17 Boardwalk Bullet - Kemah Boardwalk, Texas, USA

Even though it sits on less than an acre of land, Boardwalk Bullet is one of the most intense wood coaster experiences in the world. Get the whole story in the ElloCoaster article, then have a ride courtesy of our friends at CoasterForce.

#16 谷木游龙 (Wooden Coaster Fireball) - Happy Valley Shanghai, China

The first wood coaster in China created an instant sensation when it debuted and kicked off a frenzy of wood coaster construction there. Between 2011 and 2018, fourteen more wood coasters opened in China as a result of Fireball’s popularity.

#15 Cú Chulainn - Tayto Park, Ireland

If you find it difficult to pronounce Cú Chulainn (try “coo-cullen” as a starting point), don’t let that stop you from riding one of the best wood coasters on earth. Named for an Irish demigod of legend, Ireland’s only full-sized coaster is reason enough to visit the Emerald Isle.

Have a ride, courtesy of our friends at CoasterForce

#14 Boulder Dash - Lake Compounce, Connecticut, USA

The photo shows pretty much all you can see of Boulder Dash from anywhere in the park. The rest is shrouded in trees along the side of a mountain, hidden from view and hiding its secrets… but the sound of rumbling trains and screaming riders give it away. A perennial favourite with voters, this is the coaster’s third year in a row in the Top 25.

#13 Mystic Timbers - Kings Island, Ohio, USA

Kings Island’s teaser campaign had everyone speculating about #WhatsInTheShed - but honestly, it’s what’s before the shed that kept everyone talking about this ride after it opened. In a park full of iconic rides, Mystic Timbers is often considered the best of the bunch.

#12 木翼双龙 (Dauling Dragon) red side - Happy Valley Wuhan, China

The Gravity Group calls it Dueling Dragons. Happy Valley Wuhan calls it Dauling Dragon. ElloCoaster voters call it fantastic. Dauling Dragon is the first coaster ever to include a “high five” element, two tracks banked at 90 degrees toward each other, as seen in the photo below:

#11 Phoenix - Knoebels, Pennsylvania, USA

Knoebels wanted a wood coaster. There was a good one called Rocket down in San Antonio at the defunct Playland, just sitting there waiting for the wrecking ball. People said it couldn’t be done, but Knoebels bought the Rocket, took it apart, trucked it to Pennsylvania, and re-assembled it with the new name Phoenix. The significance of this can’t be understated, as their proof that woodies can be saved led to the salvation of many more classic woodies in the years that followed. But what needs to be remembered is that even though the ride is historically important, it’s still a really, really, really good ride. Some say that it ran better in 2019 than in any previous year.

#10 Goliath - Six Flags Great America, Illinois, USA

Jumping up four notches from last year, Goliath finds itself in the Top Ten in 2019. If you love very intense coasters, Goliath might seem a bit too short, but if you are terrified by steep drops, zero-G inversions, and wicked turns, Goliath might be the longest 90 seconds of your life.

#9 Ravine Flyer II - Waldameer, Pennsylvania, USA

Perched on the shore of Lake Erie and straddling both sides of a highway, Ravine Flyer II is a coaster full of surprises. And since the ride tends to get faster as the day wears on, making this coaster your last ride of the day before heading home is a must.

Have a ride, courtesy of our friends at CoasterForce

#8 木翼双龙 (Dauling Dragon) blue side - Happy Valley Wuhan, China

According to The Gravity Group, the blue side of Dauling Dragon contains two more airtime moments than the red side, perhaps explaining the difference in rankings between the two. Regardless of which side you’re on, you are guaranteed a world-class, thrilling trip.
Have a ride, courtesy of The Gravity Group.

#7 Coaster - Playland at the PNE, British Columbia, Canada

As technology improves, coasters have gotten bigger, faster, more intense… and that’s great. But just as a car enthusiast will likely drool over a mint-condition classic, many coaster enthusiasts really love a well-preserved classic ride. But nostalgia isn’t the only thing Playland’s Coaster has going for it. The sharp drops, lateral-filled turns, and genuinely terrifying airtime moments give Coaster riders legit thrills. See the whole story here.

#6 T Express - Everland, South Korea

Another of the four Intamin “Plug and Play” designs, T Express is South Korea’s only wood coaster. Legendary for its airtime and impossibly steep drops, T Express is on nearly every enthusiast’s bucket list.

#5 Wildfire - Kolmården, Sweden

You would expect a top-five wooden coaster to be in a major theme park, probably somewhere in the USA. You might not expect to find one at a zoo in Sweden. And yet that’s exactly what we have here. Huge, fast, intense, insane, and absolutely fantastic - and don’t forget to check out the spectacular view from the top of the lift, just before all hell breaks loose.

#4 Outlaw Run - Silver Dollar City, Missouri, USA

Oulaw Run was RMC's first wooden coaster and it changed everything we thought we knew about what wood coasters can do. Nestled snugly in the trees on hilly Ozark terrain, it’s impossible to see what lies in store from the queue and that’s just as well. Some folks might turn tail and run if they knew what was in store! Get the whole story in the ElloCoaster article.

Have a ride, courtesy of our friends at CoasterForce

#3 Voyage - Holiday World, Indiana, USA

Huge drops, five tunnels, three turns banked at 90-degrees, an underground triple-drop, ridiculous amounts of airtime, and one of the longest wood coaster tracks in the world all combine to a life-changing coaster experience. Get the full story here.

Hop on board, courtesy of our friends at CoasterForce

#2 El Toro - Six Flags Great Adventure, New Jersey, USA

Outrageous, action-packed, airtime-filled, radical coaster maneuvers await those who dare tackle this New Jersey devil. A top-ranked coaster in nearly every list since its 2006 debut, this is El Toro’s third straight Top Ten ranking on our poll.

Have a ride, courtesy of CoasterForce

#1 Lightning Rod - Dollywood, Tennessee, USA

Dollywood is legendary for its beautiful Smoky Mountain setting, live musical shows, and rides that cater to everyone from the grandparents to the kiddos. Oh, and they also have the fastest wood coaster on earth. Ditching a traditional chain lift in favour of launching the train up the hill with magnetic boosters, Lightning Rod starts out with a blast of intensity and never lets up. The world’s only quadruple-drop makes the end of the ride even better than the beginning. Get the whole story here.
UPDATE: This will be Lightning Rod’s last year on the wood poll, as Dollywood replaced most of its wood track with steel I-box track in the 2020 off-season. Where will it rank amongst the coasters on the steel poll? We’ll have to wait and see.

Have a ride, courtesy of our friends at CoasterForce

You can see ALL the rankings here, along with some observations about the voters and other stuff.

You can see the 2019 Top 25 Steel Coasters here.

Want to vote in the next poll? Download a ballot and get started. When the voting goes live again November 1st, an updated ballot will be released along with instructions on how to use your current ballot as the starting point.