Living up to the nickname “Thrill Capital of the World” with more world-class roller coasters than any other destination, the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park, roughly an hour’s drive northeast of Los Angeles in Valencia, is a daredevil’s paradise. Teens and young adults flock here to get spun, flung, and plummeted on rides with names like Goliath, Twisted Colossus, Dive Devil, and Apocalypse—you get the picture. Comic-book heroes get nods here too, as on the Superman: Ultimate Flight, The Flash: Vertical Velocity, and the single-track coaster Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage, which is the tallest and longest coaster of its kind in the world. If you need a place to settle your brain back into your skull, or if you have little ones who aren’t quite ready to ride a chair upside down at 65 miles per hour, head for mellower Bugs Bunny World, with pint-size rides and dressed-up Looney Tunes characters saying hi to the kids.
Entertainment that does not involve flying through the air is to be had at Six Flags Magic Mountain as well—there are meet-and-greets with Justice League and Looney Tunes characters, and the Golden Bear Theater hosts a revolving lineup of shows, from hypnotists to dance parties to musical revues. To see what shows are currently being presented, check the park’s entertainment page or the events page.
For a cool retreat in summer, bring your bathing suits and head to adjacent Hurricane Harbor, where you can slip and slide on more than 20 water slides, ride a make-believe African river, and relax beside a tropical lagoon. Groups looking to splurge a little can also opt for their own rental cabana in the sprawling Cabana Cove, featuring lounge chairs, food and beverage wait service, and included tube rentals. The harbor is open mid-late May through September.
To cut down on wait times, the park’s Flash Pass is invaluable for line skipping. Available for 20 of the park’s most popular rides, with Flash Pass, you select the attraction and the time you want to ride on the app. When your time comes, you get an alert to walk on and get to avoid long lines.
Useful info: Six Flags Magic Mountain opens daily at 10:30 a.m. Hours of closure vary by day; you can view an operating schedule on its site, as well as a map of the park.
