"Top USA Steel Coaster Bucket List"
 

The "USA Steel List" (broken out by manufacturer category in order of how I rank them)
Click each link for the RCDB stats, then back to return here.   

Rocky Mountain Construction
Steel Vengeance (CP)
Iron Gwazi (BGT)
New Texas Giant (SFoT)
Wildcat's Revenge (Hershey)
Twisted Colossus (SFMM)
Goliath (SFGAm)
Iron Rattler (SFFT)
Outlaw Run (SDC)
Lightning Rod (DW)
Storm Chaser (KK)
The Joker (SFDK)
Twisted Timbers (KD)
Twisted Cyclone (SFoG)
Wicked Cyclone (SFNE)

Intamin (USA Steel)
Millennium Force (CP)
Superman The Ride (SFNE)
Intimidator 305 (KD)
Sky Rush (Hershey)
Maverick (CP)
El Toro (SFNJ) (W)
ROS (Darien Lake)
Top Thrill Dragster (CP)
Kingda KA (SFNJ)
Pantheon (BGW)
Fahrenheit (Hershey)
Storm Runner (Hershey)
S:ROS (SFA)
Xcelerator (KBF)
California Screamin’ (DCA)
Cheetah Hunt (BGT)
Wave Breaker (SWSA)

B&M Giga/Hyper

Fury325 (Carowinds)
Orion (KI)
Diamond Back (KI)
Apollo’s Chariot (BGE)
Mako (SWO)
Candymonium (Hershey)
Goliath (SFOG)
Intimidator (Carowinds)
Nitro (SFNJ)
Raging Bull (SFGAm)

B&M Inverted

Alpengeist (BGE)
Montu (BGT)
Raptor (CP)
Talon (Dorney Park)
Patriot (WOF)
Afterburn (Carowinds)
Great Bear (Hershey Park)
Silver Bullet (KBF)
Flight Deck (CGA)
Banshee (KI)

B&M Dive
Sheikra (BGT)
Griffon (BGE)
Valravn (CP)
Emperor (SWSD)

B&M Floorless

Dominator (KD)
Medusa (SFDK)
Superman Krypton (SFFT)
Kracken (SWO)
Batman Dark Knight (SFNE)
Rougarou (CP)
Bizarro (SFNJ)
Scream (SFMM)
Hydra The Revenge (DP)

B&M Sit Down

Kumba (BGT)
Wild Fire (SDC)

B&M Flyer

Tatsu (SFMM)
Manta (SWO)
Superman (SFoG)
Superman (SFNJ)
Superman (SFGAm)

B&M Wing Rider

Thunderbird (HW)
Gate Keeper (CP)
X-Flight (SFGAm)
Wild Eagle (DW)

Arrow Dynamics
X2 (SFMM)
Magnum XL-200 (CP)
Desperado (Buffalo Bills)

Giovanoli

Titan (SFoT)
Goliath (SFMM)

Morgan
Steel Force (Dorney Park)
Phantom's Revenge (KW)
Mamba (WOF)
Wild Thing (VF)

Vekoma
Expedition Everest (AK)

Zierer
Verbolten (BGW)

Premier
Powder Keg (SDC)
Full Throttle (SFMM)
Ice Breaker (SWO)

Schwarzkoph
Mind Bender (SFoG)
Shock Wave (SFoT)
Wizzer (SFGAm)

Chance Rides
Lightning Run (KK)

Lagoon (Dale Freeman)
Cannibal (Lagoon)

Mack Rides
Time Traveler (SDC)

S&S Sansei Technologies
The Steel Curtain (KW)

* = Yet to ride these coasters.

My USA Steel List = 96 USA Steel Coasters, I have been on 96.       
GTA "The List"      = 35 USA Steel Coasters, I have been on 35.  
List was Completed or "Current" as of 09/28/23 with 96 coasters.

The GTA asks everyone to rank their top 10 coasters, but honestly, there's too many good coasters to do this.     That's why it's best to rank them by category.    For a while I had a top 10, but I've since decided to make it a "List" like the GTAs.   Mine is always changing as new rides come out.    That's the great thing about this page, it's always current as I don't have a set publication date.    Consideration is given to ranking coasters of all categories, verses being a "fan boy" of a particular ride manufacturer.    It's tough to do this, because my favorite rides at this time are by Intamin and RMC.       Below is a top 96.      

USA Robert's List Steel
Millennium Force (CP)
Steel Vengeance (CP)
Iron Gwazi (BGT)
Superman The Ride (SFNE)
Fury325 (Carowinds)
New Texas Giant (SFoT)
Intimidator 305 (KD)
Wildcat's Revenge (Hershey)
Twisted Colossus (SFMM)
Orion (KI)
The Steel Curtain (KW)
Alpengeist (BGE)
Sky Rush (Hershey)
Dominator (KD)
Maverick (CP)
Tatsu (SFMM)
Time Traveler (SDC)
El Toro (SFNJ) (W)
Goliath (SFGAm)
Titan (SFoT)
X2 (SFMM)
ROS (Darien Lake)
Iron Rattler (SFFT)
Sheikra (BGT)
Lightning Run (KK)
Thunderbird (HW)
Kumba (BGT)
Outlaw Run (SDC)
Powder Keg (SDC)
Expedition Everest (AK)
Verbolten (BGE)
Lightning Rod (DW)
Top Thrill Dragster (CP)
Mind Bender (SFoG)
Steel Force (Dorney Park)
Montu (BGT)
Medusa (SFDK)
Diamond Back (KI)
Kingda KA (SFNJ)
Raptor (CP)
Pantheon (BGW)
Storm Chaser (KK)
Apollo’s Chariot (BGE)
Phantom's Revenge (KW)
Talon (Dorney Park)
Fahrenheit (Hershey)
Griffon (BGW)
Superman Krypton (SFFT)
Manta (SWO)
The Joker (SFDK)
Mako (SWO)
Storm Runner (Hershey)
Candymonium (Hershey)
Twisted Timbers (KD)
Patriot (WOF)
Twisted Cyclone (SFoG)
Magnum XL-200 (CP)
Shock Wave (SFoT)
Kracken (SWO)
Wicked Cyclone (SFNE)
Gate Keeper (CP)
Wild Fire (SDC)
Superman (SFoG)
Goliath (SFOG)
Goliath (SFMM)
Mamba (WOF)
S:ROS (SFA)
Afterburn (Carowinds)
Full Throttle (SFMM)
Valravn (CP)
Batman Dark Knight (SFNE)
Desperado (Buffalo Bills)
X-Flight (SFGAm)
Superman (SFNJ)
Wizzer (SFGAm)
Intimidator (Carowinds)
Xcelerator (KBF)
Great Bear (Hershey Park)
Rougarou (CP)
Silver Bullet (KBF)
Emperor (SWSD)
Wild Thing (VF)
Nitro (SFNJ)
Superman (SFGAm)
Wild Eagle (DW)
California Screamin’ (DCA)
Bizarro (SFNJ)
Flight Deck (CGA)
Raging Bull (SFGAm)
Scream (SFMM)
Cheetah Hunt (BGT)
Banshee (KI)
Wave Breaker (SWSA)
Ice Breaker (SWO)
Hydra The Revenge (DP)
Cannibal (Lagoon)

I travel the country riding roller coasters.   My favorites are steel.    They are the highest, fastest, launched, and offer the most thrill.    Don't get me wrong, I like a good woodie if it doesn't shake my head like a basketball.      But if you look at the census page on RCDB, you'll find the number of wooden coasters is falling.   The days of wooden coasters are numbered.     

There are basically two roller coaster polls out there at this time.   The Golden Ticket Awards, and Mitch Hawker's poll.   

The Golden Ticket Awards is a major publication, with a complete staff, and an awards ceremony each year.   The awards are posted in the parks on posters and logos at ride entrances, it means something.  The parks brag about their results and rankings.    Most fans (the general public) don't know what this means, but the coaster fans do.      
http://www.goldenticketawards.com/

Mitch Hawker's poll has been around for a while, it's thought of as "the other poll" if you don't like the GTAs.    It uses a complicated form to send in the results.   Hasn't been updated since 2013.  
http://www.ushsho.com/bestrollercoasterpoll.htm

So what if you don't agree with either poll?    The answer, make your own.   When the GTAs come out, their steel ranking is referred to as "The List" which is a top 50.    Many fans grumble at the results.      I look it over and check off all the coasters I've been on.    Not only does the order of "The List" matter, but checking off all the coasters one has been on, which I call a "Bucket List." 

Many fans list how many coasters they've been on, which is called a "coaster count" where fans travel the country getting "credits."   I think this is stupid, because fans go on kiddie rides.     Does it really matter how many coasters you've ridden?     Yet I look at trip reports of coaster events, and see grown men going on kiddie rides for credits (and looking very foolish).     The other problem with a coaster count, is you may not enjoy the park when you're going on kiddie rides, versus what you actually like.    A coaster count means nothing to me, and I don't have one.   

On Saturday September 5th 2015, I completed my bucket list, or made it "current" by checking off Twisted Colossus and Full Throttle when visiting Six Flags Magic Mounttain.   That meant I had been on 75 of the best steel coasters in the USA, with more on the way.    It was quite an acheivement for me, to read the GTA "The List" publication year after year, and wanting to ride all the coasters on it in the USA, plus others I added to make my own list.     That day finally came true, but just like an athlete winning a championship, it all starts over again next year with more new coasters that are added to my list, noted with an * next to the name.     On Friday September 16th 2016, I again completed my list or made it "current" by riding Lightning Rod at Dollywood.   For 2016 I had been on 82 of the best steel coasters in the USA.      On 04/02/17, I visited Lagoon, rode Cannibal, making my list "current" bringing the count to 83.    On 09/28/23 I visited Silver Dollar City and rode Time Traveler bringing the count to 96.        

What if you don't understand the abbreviations up above, or are new to this?    A good site to visit is RCDB.  
http://rcdb.com/

What is the bottom line in all of this?    Checking off your "Bucket List" of rides, and to the parks, it's Attendance Results, which can be found here.
http://www.aecom.com/content/theme-index/

My attendance page with the top USA parks showing history back to 2006 can be found here.   
USA Park Coaster Attendance Results

My list of Carnival Coasters to Ignore can be found here.   I'm not a fan of these rides and think they cheat the fans of a true coaster experience, expecially when a major park adds one and hypes it as a thrill ride.   
USA Carnival Coaster List

Old Skool Rides I will no longer go on.   These are outdated, head banging, and should be removed.
USA Old Skool Rides   

When parks put in thrill rides, they end up in coaster lists like the above, on TV shows, people talk about them, and fans like me visit.   The term for this is called a "destination park" which means fans travel from all over. 

End of Report.   Thanks for reading. 

Email me at skiguy777@bellsouth.net.

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