19 Knott's Berry Farm Rides That You Absolutely Can't Miss | Ranked & Reviewed
Knott's Berry Farm is loaded with some of the best roller coasters in the world, making it nearly impossible to experience everything in one day.
In this guide, we will explain everything there is to know about the best rides at Knott's Berry Farm including what type of rides there are, what to expect from each ride, and which rides are the fastest and longest.
#1: HangTime
It was definitely a tight race, but topping out the list of best rides at Knott's Berry Farm is HangTime!
HangTime certainly isn't for the faint of heart, starting with a 90-degree angle straight up, then just as the ride vehicle reaches the top, a brief hanging pause leaves you staring straight down into the park below you!
You'll then plummet straight down reaching speeds over 50 miles per hour, into 5 different inversions including a "negative g-stall loop" that no other coaster in the country has!
HangTime is one of the most intense rides at Knott's Berry Farm, but also one of the most innovative and fun roller coasters in the entire country making it our pick for best ride at Knott's Berry Farm!
#2: GhostRider
GhostRider is a fan-favorite attraction and one of the only wooden rollercoasters in Southern California.
GhostRider has the longest ride track of any rollercoaster at Knott's Berry Farm you'll speed through at over 50 miles per hour!
We find GhostRider to be the perfect balance of thrills, a unique ride experience as well as an attraction the whole family can enjoy.
#3: Xcelerator The Ride
Xcelerator is one of the most thrilling rides at Knott's Berry Farm with a top speed of over 80 miles per hour!
It's easily the fastest ride at Knott's Berry Farm and a can't miss attraction for thrill seekers and coaster enthusiasts.
Xcelerator is another attraction you need to put at the top of your to-do list when visiting Knott's Berry Farm.
#4: Silver Bullet
Coming in at #4 is Silver Bullet, another thrill-seeker favorite. If you haven't noticed by now, Knott's knows how to build some great roller coasters!
Silver Bullet is an inverted roller coaster, meaning the track is actually above you while you dangle below.
With 6 inversions, top speeds over 50 miles per hour, and the uniqueness of being an inverted coaster, Silver Bullet is just as fun as it is intense!
#5: Knott's Bear-y Tales
The first ride that isn't a rollercoaster on our list of best rides is Bear-y Tales.
Bear-y Tales is one of the newest rides at Knott's Berry Farm and the only simulator experience.
Beary-Tales is a great interactive ride that can be enjoyed by the whole family and spark some friendly competition with its goal of scoring the most points of anyone in the ride vehicle!
#6: Calico Mine Ride
Calico Mine Ride is another family-friendly ride that we love to hop on for a little relaxation.
Calico Mine Ride takes you through the "Calico Mine" where you'll see animatronics and scenes of what the mining process was like back in the 1900s.
While it's the most tame ride we've shared on our list so far, it's one of the only rides at Knott's Berry Farm with animatronics and creative set pieces!
#7: Calico River Rapids
Calico River Rapids is, in our opinion, the best of the two water rides at Knott's Berry Farm and one of the best rides in the entire park!
You'll float along at high speeds through white water rapids while seeing animatronic animals, show scenes, and lots of opportunities to get wet!
While Calico River Rapids is one of our favorite rides in the park, it's a little bit further back on the list because you have to be prepared to get wet on this ride, and walking around Knott's in wet clothes isn't something we always want to do!
#8: Sierra Sidewinder
Sierra Sidewinder is actually in the Camp Snoopy section of the park meaning it's largely for kids but we think this ride is perfect for families, first-time roller coaster riders, and still quite fun for adults!
If you're afraid of the more intense roller coasters then Sierra Sidewinder is a great opportunity to experience some thrills without having to worry about being flipped upside down or plummeting down any steep drops.
Sierra Sidewinder is especially unique because the ride vehicles are actually on a pivot, allowing it to "spin around" on the track - but don't worry it's not too intense of a spinning motion.
#9: Timber Mountain Log Ride
Putting the Timber Mountain Log Ride this low on our list will definitely be controversial given how popular the ride is.
While Timber Mountain Log Ride is certainly a great ride filled with animatronics and a fun, steep drop, we think there are quite a few more exciting and innovative rides at Knott's including Calico River Rapids.
If you're fine with getting wet then we'd recommend putting the Timber Mountain Log Ride even higher on your to-do list right after Calico River Rapids.
#10: Montezooma's Revenge
Montezooma's Revenge is a very short but unique ride coming in at #10!
You'll launch from 0 to 50 MPH in a matter of seconds before going through a loop and then straight up to a dead-end portion of the track!
From there your ride car "falls" back down and through the loop with gravity doing all of the work for you!
Montezooma's Revenge is a lot of fun but just way too short (~30 seconds) to be any higher on our list!
#11: Supreme Scream
The concept of Supreme Scream is simple - what goes up, must come down!
After being lifted over 250 feet into the air, Supreme Scream drops you down at high speed before lifting you again for more drops!
It's another fun, yet simple ride at Knott's Berry Farm that isn't a must-ride in our books but a good way to change things up from the roller coasters!
#12: Jaguar
Jaguar is a pretty basic rollercoaster and safe ride for anyone who only likes more mild thrills, but not too much more.
Jaguar is another great coaster for a beginner rollercoaster rider with a moderate top speed of 35 miles per hour, a few small drops, and banking turns.
#13: Butterfield Stagecoach
Many people may consider the Butterfield Stagecoach too boring or slow but we think it's a great little attraction especially when you're traveling with a family.
Hop on a horse-drawn carriage for a short stroll around a dirt track and a bit of relaxation!
#14: Pony Express
Pony Express is another standard roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm that we typically skip when visiting.
Unless you're looking for a more tame roller coaster then there are much better options than Pony Express - the only thing that really makes this ride unique is the motorbike-style seating.
#15: Calico Railroad
Some will argue Calico Railroad should be much higher on this list given its unique experience of a massive steam train in the middle of a theme park with show elements combined.
However, there are so many more exciting and fun rides at Knott's Berry Farm you should experience first.
If you're looking for something very leisurely then go ahead and ride Calico Railroad but if you're looking for some thrills then definitely skip this one.
#16: Coast Rider
Coast Rider is a ton of fun if you love hairpin turns and the sensation of nearly falling off a ride track!
Coast ride provides thrills in a different way than most coasters as the focus here is more on extremely sharp turns as opposed to drops and high speeds.
We actually find Coast Rider to be a lot of fun but there are so many other roller coasters at Knott's that we'd prioritize over it if we're visiting for a limited time!
#17: Los Voladores
A simple, but sometimes terrifying ride, Los Voladores is basically a swing set on steroids!
You'll be raised and spun around on a swing akin to what you'd find on an old playground!
While this ride doesn't sound very scary, we often hear about people who are freaked out when they're dangling high in the air being supported by nothing except a plastic seat and two steel ropes!
#18: La Revolucion
La Revolucion definitely has its audience, but it certainly isn't us here at Theme Park Center!
This ride spins you around at high speeds while being attached to a mechanical arm that changes the angles and height at which you're spun around.
La Revolucion just makes us sick and we don't find it very thrilling!
#19: Dragon Swing
Dragon Swing is very similar to rides you'll find at everyday amusement parks and even county fairs.
You'll board a ride vehicle designed to look like a boat and will swing back and forth to various heights.
We find Dragon Swing to be very underwhelming and a ride we'd nearly always skip.
Honorary Mentions
#20: Sol Spin
The concept of Supreme Scream is simple - what goes up, must come down!
After being lifted over 250 feet into the air, Supreme Scream drops you down at high speed before lifting you again for more drops!
It's another fun, yet simple ride at Knott's Berry Farm that isn't a must-ride in our books but a good way to change things up from the roller coasters!
How Many Rides Are At Knott's Berry Farm?
Knott's Berry Farm has a total of 40 different rides available to guests!
Knott's Berry Farm classifies its rides into three different categories:
- Thrill: These are your more intense, typically high-speed rides.
- Kids: These are rides designed specifically for kids, not intended to be scary or intense, with minimal height requirements.
- Family: These rides have something for everyone and can be enjoyed by the entire family with varying levels of thrill!
Of these 40 rides, 13 are thrill rides, 12 are kid's rides and 27 are considered family rides (about half of the family rides are also considered kid's rides).
We'll go into the different ride types you'll see at Knott's Berry Farm in the next section!
What Types Of Rides Are At Knott's Berry Farm?
Knott's Berry Farm has 7 different types of rides!
We've detailed all of the ride types and all of the categories below:
- Roller coaster: 10 different roller coasters are at Knott's Berry Farm ranging from wooden frame to steel, under 20 MPH to 80+ MPH! There's a roller coaster for every level of intensity at Knott's.
- Spinner: Spinners are quite straightforward - they spin riders around at various speeds with some being incredibly intense and fast! Spinners also include the much more tame carousels!
- Train: Knott's has two different rides which are trains traveling across a track through the park.
- Flume/Water: These rides take place on a floating ride vehicle through water. Prepare to get wet!
- Drop: Another fairly straightforward ride category - you literally get on board, slowly ride up to the top of the tower, and then the ride vehicle drops down at an insane speed
- Simulator: Simulators project images onto a screen while the vehicle mimics the motions on the screen to make you feel like you're traveling through what you're watching!
- Bumper Car: An amusement park classic - bumper cars allow you to hop into a car-like ride vehicle to smash into the other cars in the area!
What Is The Fastest Ride At Knott's Berry Farm?
The fastest ride at Knott's Berry Farm is by far Xcelerator with speeds reaching 82 miles per hour.
The next closest ride in terms of speed is HangTime at 57 miles per hour, followed by GhostRider at 56 miles per hour.
82 miles per hour is certainly fast and ranks among one of the fastest rides in the country but it pales in comparison to the fastest ride in the United States, Kingda Ka, which reaches 128 miles per hour!
What Is The Longest Ride At Knott's Berry Farm?
Knott's Bear-Y Tales is the longest ride at Knott's Berry Farm at approximately 4 minutes and 30 seconds long.
However, if you include the rides that also double as methods of transportation around the park, the Butterfield Stagecoach is just over 8 minutes long! This ride duration can change depending on how fast the horses want to move!
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