Roller coasters in Georgia

There are only three real amusement parks for roller coasters in Georgia, Six Flags in Atlanta, Wild Adventures in Valdosta, almost to Florida, and Lake Winnepesaukah just over the line from Chattanooga, TN. There are TONS of water parks though, and not even all along the coast. The biggest, White Water, is in Atlanta.

Any link on a coaster’s name below is a video of the ride! You can take a virtual tour of all the roller coasters in Georgia from your sofa!

Six Flags Over Georgia

Six Flags Over Georgia is the biggest theme park in the state, with 11 roller coasters and a general southern/DC superhero theme. Batman The Ride is an inverted coaster (where your feet hang.) Blue Hawk is a military-themed looper. Dare Devil Dive takes you straight up a completely vertical lift hill, then back down an over-90-degrees first drop. The Georgia Scorcher is a standing coaster (and really only good in the first row.) Goliath is my favorite overall, a huge out-and-back steel coaster. The Great American Scream Machine is a classic wooden coaster made by the same guy who did the Cannonball at Lake Winnie below (but MUCH larger!) Superman-Ultimate Flight is a flying coaster where you lay on your stomach. Twisted Cyclone is a hybrid steel/wooden coaster built on the tracks of the old Georgia Cyclone. The Dahlonega Mine Coaster is a classic mine train. And the Joker Funhouse Coaster is more of a family ride. One of my very favorite coasters, the Riddler Mindbender, is a classic Schwartzkopf looper (and the first coaster I ever went upside down on! If bird people have their spark bird, then this is my spark coaster.)

New for 2023 is a family-style coaster called Kid Flash Cosmic Coaster. This smaller ride is a dueling single-rail coaster with cool LED lighting.

Other rides in the park include some thrilling spinner rides, including the tallest swinging pendulum ride in the southeast, a rapids ride, a log flume, a huge drop tower, a laser-shooter dark ride, and the venerable swamp-themed Monster Mansion. And all the other things you would expect in a theme park, like a train, carousel, antique cars, and a Loony-Tunes-themed kid’s land. A small water park is also included, even though there’s a larger, separate White Water park nearby.

Tickets

Tickets at the gate can cost as much as $80, but you can get them online right now for as low as $35, depending on the day of your visit. A season pass is only $60, which includes White Water. Parking is $30. A Diamond Pass for $140 includes access to all Six Flags properties across North America, including Canada and Mexico.

Wild Adventures

I have passed the sign for Wild Adventures in Valdosta a hundred times on my way to Disney World, but I’ve never once stopped. Wild Adventures has six roller coasters, mostly geared towards families and not high thrills. The Boomerang is a steel shuttle coaster, moving through three inversions, both backward and forwards. The Twisted Typhoon is a solid inverted coaster. Go Bananas! is a wild mouse. The Outpost Express is a gentler family coaster. So is Swamp Thing, but it’s inverted! Swampwater Snake is more of a kiddie coaster (though one with a unique layout.)

There are several more flat rides and kid’s rides, and an emphasis on animals and animal shows. There’s also a decent water park on one side.

Tickets

Tickets at the gate cost $60. Purchase online for up to $15 off. (7+ days in advance = $15 off, 2-6 days in advance = $10 off.) Buy online period for $55 and get the next calendar day included. Child & senior prices are $5 less. Parking is $18; save $3 when buying online. Annual passes range from $115-160 and include weekly concerts at the park from the likes of the Beach Boys, REO Speedwagon, and Bearnaked Ladies.

Lake Winnepesaukah

Lake Winnie is a small mom-and-pop park in Rossville, just over the state line from Chattanooga, TN. Growing up, this was my local park, and I have a lot of fun memories here! It seemed pretty run-down and dingey during my last visit, though they have added a new water park section that is nice.

You can find two roller coasters at Lake Winnie, the venerable Cannonball and a kiddie wacky worm. Other rides of note are swings, a pirate ship, and a Skyride that go out over the lake. Plus, there’s a drop tower, a 360-degree looping ride, and several flat rides, including one head-over-heels A-frame spinner. And don’t forget the Boat Chute, the original 1927 flume ride with a splashdown in the lake. A cute small-gauge train travels all the way around the park.

The amusement rides are $32 for a day, $42 if the water park is open. There’s a small discount if buy online. Parking is free.

Fun Spot America

Fun Spot America near Atlanta is a go-karts, arcade, and mini-golf complex with several amusement rides, including three roller coasters. One is a steel coaster called the Hurricane Coaster, and the other is a kiddie coaster. New to the park in 2023 is the impressive ArieForce One with I-beam tracks. There’s also a Ferris wheel, a giant swing, and several spinning rides.

Fun Spot is free to enter, but you’ll need to pay per ride or get an all-rides wristband. Most rides cost either $7 or $12 each. A wristband costs $35 online, $40 at the door, and includes unlimited rides on all attractions and go-karts. For $120, you can get a 3-park season pass that includes the Orlando and Kissimmee parks as well. Parking is $5 but you get $5 on a card to use in the arcade or toward other add-on experiences.

Georgia Mountain Coaster

The Georgia Mountain Coaster can be found in Helen, tucked into a faux-Bavarian mountain town. It’s much shorter than the ones in Pigeon Forge, so I can’t really recommend it for the price, but it is the only one in the area. The cost is $17 for a single ride, half-off repeat rides.

North Georgia State Fair

This one is only available during the fall state fair, but there’s a rare Schwartzkopf steel coaster that lives here full time, the Wildcat. The fair in 2023 will be held Sept 21 – Oct 1, and it’s always about that time of year. Admission to the fair is $10, and ride tickets cost $1.25 each, with discounts for ticket bundles. Certain days have “pay one price” for unlimited rides, between $20-30, depending on the day. Check the website for discount admission and ride specials.

Keller’s Flea Market

Keller’s Flea Market in Savannah has a section for kiddie rides, including the Sea Serpent, recently bought from a Maryland theme park. The market is open every weekend from 8 am-5 pm, parking and admission is free. Tickets to ride cost $1 each and it looks like the coaster takes 3 tickets.

Water Parks in Georgia

• White Water is a Six Flags water park in Atlanta, about 30 minutes away from Six Flags Over Georgia. There are 22 slides in this large park, with a large wave pool surrounded by a lazy river, and three kid’s areas. What I like most about this park is that it’s more shaded than your average water park, with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Prices at the gate are around $65, but right now you can buy online for as low as $30. Parking is $25.

• Splash Island Waterpark at Wild Adventures in Valdosta has 10 adult slides, three kid’s areas, a wave pool, and a lazy river. The water park is included with regular park admission, $45-60, +$18 for parking.
• Summer Waves Water Park in Jekyll Island has 10 slides, a lazy river, a wave pool (the Frantic Atlantic – I like that), and two areas just for kids. Admission costs $25 during the week and $28 on the weekends. There’s no parking information, but it costs $8 per car to drive onto Jekyll Island itself.

• Margaritaville at Lanier Islands has Georgia’s largest wave pool and 10 slides, “foam parties,” and a summer tubing hill (but no lazy river.) The Lanier Islands are in Lake Lanier, an hour north of downtown Atlanta. The cost to play is $35-55, depending on the day, plus a $20 per car gate fee to enter the resort & park.
• Hurricane Harbor inside Six Flags Over Georgia has 4 big slides, a kid’s area, and a wave pool. Price is included in park admission, $35-80, +$30 for parking.

• SoakYa water park at Lake Winnie has 4 slides, a lazy river, and a kid’s splash area. The best one here is the Zoom Flume raft ride, which used to just be part of the regular park. It’s $37 for admission to both Lake Winnie and the water park. Parking is free.
• Great Wolf Lodge in LaGrange has an indoor water park to enjoy year-round, with 6 slides, 6 kids’ areas and activity pools, a lazy river, wave pool, and even an adults-only warming pool. You can stay the night or day passes cost between $60-100 depending on the day and how far in advance you buy.
• Rigby’s Water World in Warner Robins, south of Macon, has a 10-slide complex with water cannons and a dump bucket – several of those are aimed at kids, though there is a separate area just for toddlers. There’s also a lazy river and a lagoon pool. Tickets cost $30, or $33 on Saturdays and holidays.

• Splash in the Boro! in Statesboro has 4 slides, kid’s slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, and a Flowrider. plus some large picnic pavilions for groups. Admission is $20 online or $22 for adults and $17 for kids at the gate, with discounts for seniors, military, and college students or staff. Parking is free.
• Spivy Splash Water Park near Atlanta has a 4-slide tower, a lazy river, a Flowrider surfing simulator, and a kid’s pool. splash pad, and activity pool. Tickets cost $20 and under and seems to include a ropes course.
• Helen Water Park has 4 slides (really just two pairs of identical slides) surrounded by a lazy river, all in the full sun. Much better is tubing down the shady Chattahoochee River for 2-3 hours, which this company also does – they’re the ones with the pink tubes. Cost for the water park alone is $24 and under. (Tubing is $16 and under – do that instead.)

• High Falls Water Park in Jackson (halfway between Atlanta & Macon) has 2 slides, a kid’s play area, and a family pool. Entrance costs $14 and under.
• Water Wiz in LaGrange’s 3 Creeks camping area has 2 slides and a wave pool. Admission is $20.
• Seven Springs Water Park in Cobb County (Atlanta) has two water slides, a small lazy river, and a zero-entry pool. Admission is $6 for non-residents.

• St. Mary’s Aquatic Center just above Jacksonville, FL, has one big slide, a splash tower, a lazy river, and a lap pool. It’s open to the public Saturday-Tuesday and costs $11 and under to visit.
• Neptune Park Fun Zone in St. Simons Island doesn’t seem to have any adult slides, but it has a fun pool and kid’s play area, lap lanes, and a “water gym” for $8 and under.

Did I miss anything? Have you been to any of these parks? What are you looking forward to doing this summer? Let me know in the comments below!