Branson, Missouri is quickly becoming a major destination for thrill seekers. Besides Silver Dollar City, there are now four other roller coasters in the Branson area and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more in the future. Just like we did with our guide to the alpine coasters of the Smoky Mountains, we’ve detailed out the three mountain coasters of Branson so if your time or budget is limited you can prioritize which ones to ride.
If you’re not familiar with Alpine coasters, start with our post from years ago all about what they are and how they work. We use alpine and mountain coaster interchangeability but they mean the same thing in our book.
Location of the Branson Roller Coasters
Shown on the map below are the locations of the alpine coasters of Branson, Missouri (as of August 2023). You can see that Copperhead Mountain Coaster is the closest to Silver Dollar City if you want to pickup a quick credit on your way to or from the theme park. The Branson Coaster is in the heart of the tourist district. You could hit the Runaway Mountain Coaster on your way to Table Rock State Park.
Runaway Mountain Coaster
Location: Branson Mountain Adventure Park
Opened: August 2016
Manufacturer: Aquatic Development Group
Length: 4,900 ft.
Driver: $18
Driver with passenger: $28
Website: https://www.bransonalpinemountaincoaster.com/
The Runaway Mountain Coaster was the first alpine coaster to open in the Branson area back in 2016. The ride begins with a single 1,900 foot long cable lift before careening around 3,000 feet of downhill track. In all, you’ll drop a total of 330 feet.
Despite being the oldest, the Runaway Mountain Coaster still holds as the longest and tallest vertical height difference out of all three Branson mountain coasters. The track was manufactured in the USA by ADG. Ride at night for a completely different experience.
The Branson Coaster
Location: Branson Sawmill
Opened: July 2017
Manufacturer: Wiegand (Gen 1)
Length: 2,700 ft.
Driver Ticket: $16.99
Passenger Ticket: $10.99
Website: https://thebransoncoaster.com/
The Branson Coaster is advertised as “North America’s Original Double Alpine Coaster” because unlike the other single lift coasters, this one has two cable lift hills (Rocky Top Mountain Coaster in Pigeon Forge has four lift hills but didn’t open until 2018).
The Branson Coaster gets going into the action with a downhill helix right off the bat which I’ve not seen on any other alpine coaster. However, it is by far the shortest of the three alpine coasters in Branson. If you’ve never done a roller coaster or alpine coaster before this would probably be the best one to try to ease someone into coasters.
Copperhead Mountain Coaster
Location: Shephard’s Adventure Park
Opened: June 2021
Manufacturer: Wiegand
Length: 4,800 ft.
Driver: $16.95
Passenger: $10.95
Website: https://theshepherdofthehills.com/coaster/
The newest alpine coaster in Branson has a total vertical drop of 310 feet and features the newest in safety and technology from Wiegand. Unlike most other mountain coasters that start at the bottom of the hill with a cable lift, Copperhead starts at the top and immediately goes into the downhill run. It makes for an exciting start but the downside is the ending is very anti-climatic with a 1,450 feet uphill cable lift. Still, the downhill run is so good, it more than makes up for it. Seriously, this just might be my favorite alpine coaster that I’ve ever been on with a fast an intense ride and an amazing view.
While Runaway Mountain is longer in total length, Copperhead Mountain has a longer downhill run: 3,350 feet to 3,000. Their marketing is correct when they advertise “Longest Downhill Mountain Coaster.”
Branson Alpine Coaster Comparison
It should be noted, you must sign a waiver before riding any of the Branson alpine coasters. You should also easily be able to find coupons for $2 off tickets or more. Overall, they’re priced very similarly, all within a dollar of each other as of August 2023. However, if you look at cost per length, Copperhead is the best value (especially if you get a $2 off coupon), followed closely by Runaway. Branson Coaster is the worst value, as it is priced the same as the other two but the ride is half the length. Factoring in cost, thrills, scenery, layout and ride experience, our ranking of the Branson alpine coasters is:
- Copperhead Mountain Coaster
- Runaway Mountain Coaster
- Branson Coaster
Other Coasters in the Area
Looking to pickup more coaster credits to add to you coaster count spreadsheet? Spinning Coaster at Track Family Fun Parks is a SBF Visa Group spinning coaster opened in 2022 and costs $10 to ride. The park is also home to the former Chicago’s Navy Pier Ferris Wheel.
https://www.bransontracks.com/rides/spinningcoaster
Total cost to get all 11 coaster credits in Branson: $147+tax (without any discounts or coupons). I used $85 as the base ticket price for Silver Dollar City but during my visit there was a promotion for $55 tickets.
Final Thoughts on the Branson Alpine Coasters
Whether you are a thrill-seeker or a family looking to have a good time, you will find an alpine coaster for you. The best part of these rides is that you can control your experience. I like to go all-out and get as many g-forces as possible, but any one of these coasters can become tame enough for anyone with some applied braking. Go out and give some of these coasters a try, we hope this guide has helped you understand these rides a little better. And if you want to learn more, check out our behind the scenes look at one of these alpine coaster under construction.
If you’ve been on some of these, let us know what your thoughts are and which coaster is your favorite!
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