Southern California Theme Parks With Great Roller Coasters

12 Apr 2009 @ 6:00 PM

Southern California Theme Parks With Great Roller Coasters

I’ve come to realize that, if you are a roller coaster lover, Southern California is the place to visit. In particular, Orange County and Los Angeles County are home to two of the best theme parks for thrill rides. No, Disneyland is not one of them, although it (and its adjacent sister park Disney’s California Adventure) does offer some exciting action rides worthy of a visit.

I’m talking about Knott’s Berry Farm and Six Flags Magic Mountain (aka Magic Mountain to the locals). According to the SoCal Vacation Guru website, these parks have made roller coasters a strong priority in competing against The Mouse.

Magic Mountain is crazy with wild coasters; the place is lousy with thrill rides. Check out the SoCal Vacation Guru for more information about the park, as there’s lots more to do there besides roller coasters (for the rest of your group who may not be coaster fanatics).

Knott’s Berry Farm also has really focused on thrill rides, although they offer Camp Snoopy, Ghost Town and many other fun attractions and themed areas within the park. My daughter worked on the new Silver Bullet ride and she says that is one of several coasters that will really help you lose your dinner.

Speaking of dinner, if you go to Knott’s, don’t forget to allow time to eat at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant. It is a landmark, serving thousands of dinners weekly since the Great Depression years. There is also good information at the SoCal Vacation Guru on Knott’s Berry Farm. You can find out about nearby hotels, and also about the many other vacation opportunities in Southern California.

In addition you can learn about the other Los Angeles-area theme parks, namely the Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. Those parks offer many great attractions and some good thrill rides, but not as many as at Knott’s and Magic Mountain. I hope this is helpful if you love coasters!