The 9 Longest Wooden Roller Coasters In The World Are All Worth A Ride

Steel coasters may be sleek and offer a smooth ride, but for fans of wooden roller coasters — or "woodies" as they are called — part of the appeal is in the bumps and jostles. A wooden roller coaster features a wooden track and structure, which move and sway slightly as the trains rattle over them. This can give riders the feeling of the track being almost alive beneath them, as though the coaster is thrillingly out of control. The world's longest wooden roller coasters showcase that classic experience on an even grander scale, pairing old-school thrills with extended rides.

Wooden roller coasters are also loud. The competing sounds of squealing wheels, thumping timber, and rhythmic clacking from the lift chain can add to the sense that you're on a ride that at any second may splinter and break. This, however, is an illusion, because for all their creaking and chain rattling, wooden roller coasters, even older ones, are built to be safe and durable. 

Some of the most beloved wooden coasters are also some of the longest, providing riders with several minutes of thrilling, high-G-force turns and stomach-plummeting drops. Many of the record-breaking coasters stretch on for more than a mile, weaving through forests and hugging hillsides in a way that makes them seem entirely at home in their natural settings. Take a nostalgic tour of some of the most sprawling wooden roller coasters in this guide to the nine longest wooden roller coasters in the world.

Located at the Kings Island amusement park in Mason, Ohio, the 7,361-foot-long ride called The Beast holds the Guinness World Record as the world's longest wooden roller coaster. When it opened in 1979, it was heralded as "America's ultimate coaster," reaching speeds of 65 miles per hour during the more than four-minute ride. Living up to its spooky name, The Beast zooms riders through an underground tunnel and a wooded area, providing an added layer of chilling thrills, especially for those daring enough to ride the coaster at night.

Situated in America's oldest amusement park, Lake Compounce Amusement & Water Park in Bristol, Connecticut, Boulder Dash is the longest wooden coaster on the East Coast. At 4,725 feet long and with a 115-foot drop, Boulder Dash has won the Golden Ticket Award for the best wooden roller coaster five times since it opened in 2000. The park's forested, lakeside location allows the coaster to zip past trees at about 60 miles per hour before plummeting down hillsides along the shoreline. Ride the coaster during fall, and you'll rocket through vibrant foliage.

Jupiter is in Kijima Kogen Park in Beppu City, Japan. When the coaster opened in 1992, it was Japan's first wooden coaster. At 5,249 feet long, it remains one of the world's longest wooden roller coasters. You might recognize Jupiter from the 1994 film "Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla," where Godzilla wreaks havoc on its wooden structure. Riders note the stunning mountain views from the top of the coaster as one of its standout features. The traditional Shinto shrine near the ride is also a unique addition, a nod to the park's ties to Japanese culture.

Opening in 2006, The Voyage is located at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, an underrated theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana. With a 6,442-foot track, The Voyage is the second-longest wooden coaster ever built. It has some impressive features that include three sections of 90-degree banking, a record-breaking five underground tunnels, and a drop that allows for 24 seconds of weightlessness. Clocking a top speed of 67 miles per hour, The Voyage has won several Golden Ticket Awards and, in 2013, was named the country's top wooden roller coaster by TIME Magazine.

When Monimo RUSH (formerly known as T Express) opened in 2008 in Everland amusement park in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea, it was the country's first wooden roller coaster. It's currently tied for first place in the Guinness World Records for the world's tallest wooden coaster. Monimo's 5,383-foot track is unique because it was built using prefabricated wood molded together, making for a smoother ride. One of its most thrilling features is the first drop, which plunges riders down a 77-degree angle from a height of 184 feet, reaching speeds of 64.6 miles per hour.

Shivering Timbers, located in Michigan's Adventure amusement park in Muskegon is the state's longest and fastest wooden roller coaster and the fourth longest in the world. Opened in 1998, Shivering Timbers has a classic out-and-back layout, stands at 122 feet tall, and covers 5,383 feet of track. The ride hits a top speed of 65 miles per hour and has a 55-degree drop. Fans of the ride love the series of several airtime hills that suddenly thrust riders into the air for an intense sense of weightlessness.

The Python in Bamboo Forest is located in China's Nanchang Sunac Land amusement park. Since it opened in 2016, it's held the title of the longest, tallest, and fastest wooden roller coaster in the country. The Python in Bamboo Forest is 0.9 miles long, 157 feet tall, and reaches speeds of 62 miles per hour. True to its name, it has a python-shaped train car that speeds through a manufactured bamboo forest.  One coaster enthusiast calls the ride "the best wooden roller coaster [ever]," praising its continual speed and "aggressive" ride experience.

Wildfire, located in Kolmården Wildlife Park in Sweden, landed in 12th place on Amusement Today's 2025 list of the top 50 wooden roller coasters in the world. Officially opening in 2016, Wildfire is currently the tallest wooden coaster in Europe and the second tallest in the world, reaching heights of 184 feet above the ground and a speed of 71 miles per hour. Hailed as "intense," with riders experiencing the feeling of weightlessness 12 times throughout the ride, the 4,150-foot-long coaster is also uniquely located inside Sweden's largest zoo and wildlife park.

Le Monstre, which is French for "the monster," is located at La Ronde amusement park in Montréal, Canada. At 131 feet tall and 3,996 feet long, Le Monstre is Canada's largest wooden roller coaster and the world's tallest twin-track wooden coaster. It opened in 1985, and the following year, a second track was added, making it possible for two trains to operate simultaneously at speeds up to 60 miles per hour. In celebration of its 40th birthday in 2025, the La Ronde amusement park let 40 visitors ride the coaster for 40 minutes straight.