Even looking beyond Canada’s Wonderland, there are a good handful of coasters scattered across Canada that are worth a trip for enthusiasts.
As a longtime roller coaster enthusiast who typically tries to integreate amusement parks into my yearly travel, it does feel like I’m missing at least a little bit of something with all 102 of my coaster credits being inside the United States.
Sure, the U.S. is of course the best place to be in the world when it comes to roller coasters, but that doesn’t mean that some of the world’s finest attractions can’t be found well outside of America’s borders – including some that belong to the neighbors to the north.
While Canada isn’t exactly a hotbed for theme parks and roller coasters, the country does have one of the most stacked theme parks in the world in Canada’s Wonderland, which is actually the most-visited seasonal theme park in the entire Six Flags chain – even beating out Cedar Point.
Outside of the flagship Ontario park, Montreal residents also have La Ronde, a park formerly owned by Six Flags that provides picturesque views of the city’s skyline, while other coasters can be found scattered across the country.
After previously taking a look at the overseas coasters highest on my bucket list, I wanted to narrow the focus to look at coasters in Canada I’d love to get a chance to ride – especially considering it’s a bit more likely that I eventually make my way there to experience these coasters.
While this list will be laser-focused on Canada, I will be omitting Yukon Striker at Canada’s Wonderland, as I previously included the coaster on a separate bucket list ranking.
Here’s a look at the Canadian coasters I’m hoping to get a ride on one day:
1. AlpenFury – Canada’s Wonderland (Vaughan, Ontario)
Premier Rides, 164 ft tall, 154.2 ft drop, 71.5 mph, 3,280.8 ft length, 9 inversions
Having opened last summer as the new headline coaster at the park, AlpenFury served as the major post-merger investment from Six Flags after merging with Cedar Fair in July 2024 – giving their top seasonal park a new must-ride attraction.
Boasting nine inversions and a top speed of over 71 mph, AlpenFury is given an alpine mountain theme that seems to be much more immersive than what you’re usually subject to at a Six Flags park.
From POV videos, this in many ways feels like a much more complete, version of Full Throttle at Six Flags Magic Mountain, an earlier Premier launch coaster that centers around a massive vertical loop as its signature element.
AlpenFury offers plenty for riders to sink their teeth into, with unconventional inversions such as a banana roll and reverse sidewinder that contort guests in ways they probably weren’t familiar with before a ride.
While Canada’s Wonderland already had a solid top of the lineup with three large B&M coasters, AlpenFury closes out what is a very solid Mt. Rushmore of thrill coasters at the park.
2. Goliath – La Ronde (Montreal, Quebec)
Bolliger & Mabillard, 174.8 ft tall, 170.6 ft drop, 68.3 mph, 4,038.8 ft length
Having opened in 2006 at the Montreal park, Goliath stands alone as the only B&M mini-hyper – a hypercoaster model that doesn’t technically qualify as a hypercoaster, as it does not reach a height or drop length of 200 feet.
Even still, the coaster remains the headline attraction at the park 20 years after its opening, leading the way for a mid-size amusement park that takes a clear back seat to Canada’s Wonderland when it comes to Canadian theme parks.
As for the ride itself, it checks all of the boxes of what thoosies are looking for in a B&M hyper – filled with camelback hills throughout its out-and-back layout that also gives great views of the St. Lawrence River and Montreal skyline, thanks to the park’s location on St. Helen’s Island.
While I certainly wouldn’t expect to like Goliath more than most of the B&M hypers I’ve gotten a chance to ride, its picturesque surroundings and novelty as the only mini-hyper have long made it an intriguing coaster to me.
With that said, it’s tough to see myself traveling to Montreal during the summer without the presence of a baseball team – but if the opportunity arises, I’ll make sure to make my way to La Ronde.
3. Leviathan – Canada’s Wonderland (Vaughan, Ontario)
Bolliger & Mabillard, 306 ft tall, 306 ft drop, 92 mph, 5,486 ft length
The prototype of the B&M gigacoaster, this massive ride opened at Canada’s Wonderland in 2012 as the first ride from B&M to eclipse 300 feet, instantly becoming the headline attraction at the park.
My curiosity regarding this ride is more so due to the simple process of elimination more than anything else, having rode the other two B&M gigacoasters in existence in Fury 325 at Carowinds and Orion at Kings Island.
While Fury 325 is an unreal complete package that stands alone as my current top roller coaster, Orion feels like a streamlined version of the gigacoaster in many ways – packing in speed-filled elements in a more compact layout, with the ride’s relatively short length typically being its main criticism.
Leviathan appears to strike a delicate balance between the two – featuring a bit more runway than Orion while not quite appearing to be the fleshed out complete edition of the gigacoaster that Fury 325 is. Still, all of the hallmarks of the B&M giga are present on this ride, featuring an endless drop and plenty of low-to-the-ground turns taken at blistering speed – serving as the primary differentiation between hypers and gigas from B&M.
Despite experiencing multiple rides similar to Leviathan, it remains a prominent bucket list coaster as I know it is packed with elements I am sure to love.
4. Coaster – Playland (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Carl E. Phare, 68 ft tall, 67 ft drop, 47 mph, 2,840 ft length
Seen as the premier roller coaster of British Columbia and perhaps all of the Pacific Northwest, Coaster has been operating at Playland since 1958 – standing out as a beloved rendition of the classic wooden roller coaster from yesteryear.
Akin to Phoenix at Knoebels in the U.S., Coaster is routinely singled out by enthusiasts for its true no-frills experience – offering a relatively shorter wooden coaster with single-position lap bars (or buzz bars, as they’re affectionately referred to by many) and plenty of ejector airtime hills – which are known to be particularly violent towards the back of the train.
This ride isn’t going to blow anyone away with its relatively modest numbers, but there’s no doubt that Coaster provides an out-of-control experience that isn’t offered in the vast majority of rides built over the course of the last 50-60 years.
After riding classic staples such as the Coney Island Cyclone and Giant Dipper at Belmont Park, my interest in the old wooden coaster has only increased in recent months – and with incredible sightlines of the forested mountains of Mount Seymour Park in the distance, it’s hard to think of an experience that would be like this one.
Since I’m located in Northern California now, this feels like the coaster I’m most likely to get to – as my wife and I still haven’t been to Vancouver together while the city is just a short flight away. If we go, we’ll be sure not to miss out on a blast from the past like this.
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