Desperado Roller Coaster

Ride facts

Length: 5,843 feet

Max Height: 209 feet

Biggest Drop: 225 feet

Max Speed: About 90 mph

Ride Duration: 2 minutes, 43 seconds

Capacity: 1,700 people per hour on three trains

Designer: Arrow Dynamics, Clearfield, Utah

Special Features: A high-speed dive down a 55-degree hill into a tunnel kicks off the ride followed by a 155-foot second hill. That’s higher than most other coasters’ first drop.

If you’re driving across the California/Nevada state line, there’s one particular thing that catches your attention.

We’re not talking about thousands of neon lights. That’s all Vegas. The one structure that stirs major curiosity is Buffalo Bill’s Desperado roller coaster, one of the tallest and fastest roller coasters in the entire country, located in Primm, Nev.

The ride starts off slow and serene — talk about keeping you in suspense! This is your chance to admire the scenery of the Southwest mountain ranges and desert. Once you hit that 209-foot peak, you’ll plummet through a tunnel, reaching speeds close to 90 mph.  

Just when you thought the scare was over, Desperado’s second drop is a thrilling 155-foot-tall spiral. This ride features a four G-force. To give you an idea of how strong it is, astronauts feel 3.5 Gs on a space shuttle take-off. Just imagine the fluttering your stomach will feel during the experience. 

Speaking of fluttering, this ride is not for the faint of heart. It does rattle a bit. If your back and neck are sensitive, you might leave the ride feeling a little sore. Our advice? Try and sit back as stay still as much as possible. 

If you’ve come to Vegas to do something out of the ordinary, Desperado’s speeds, twists and turns are a great way to start (or end ) your trip.