Glenwood Caverns’ new roller coaster drops from 7,132 feet

When thrill seekers strap successful and ascent to the archetypal highest connected the caller Defiance roller coaster, coming to Glenwood Caverns Amusement Park successful 2022, they’ll beryllium sitting astatine 7,132 feet successful elevation.

Only for a little infinitesimal of anticipation though: The coaster past drops 110 feet astatine a 102.3 grade angle, shooting riders done different segments of the thrust called twisted apical hat, the banana rotation and zero-g roll, according to a caller announcement. The full head-spinning acquisition lasts 55 seconds and tops retired astatine 56 miles per hour.

Defiance is lauded by the parkland arsenic the country’s highest elevation looping roller coaster. It is truthful named to harken backmost to Glenwood Springs history, erstwhile a radical of prospectors and miners acceptable up a basal to hunt for golden connected Ute Indian onshore that was protected by a pact with the U.S. government. The basal was reportedly called Fort Defiance.

Technicians assertion the 102.3-degree driblet to beryllium the steepest freefall successful the Western United States. Though determination are others with steeper angles, a typical with Ride Entertainment, which is installing the roller coaster, told USA Today astir beyond-vertical coasters person holding brakes to halt the bid oregon trim brakes to dilatory it down.

Defiance, by contrast, won’t beryllium a “true, gravity-driven freefall drop,” the work reported. The coaster was customized designed by Germany’s Gerstlauer Amusement Rides.

Take a virtual thrust below:

Subscribe to our play newsletter, In The Know, to get amusement quality sent consecutive to your inbox.