Soaring Tree Top Adventures
The Best Zip lining in Colorado
By Michelle Post; photos courtesy of Bob Wiebold
Three zip liners crossing paths on different lines at Soaring Tree Top Adventures in Durango.
Imagine standing on a platform 100 feet in the air, and you are looking across the Animas River, near Durango, Colorado at your next zip destination. That’s where I found myself on my 20th wedding anniversary. My husband and I wanted to do something special for our anniversary, and we heard about zip lining in Durango. We took the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad to Soaring Tree Top Adventures and had the zip lining adventure of our lives. We were met by the sky rangers who gave us a briefing on the do’s and don’ts of zip lining. Fitted with our full-body harness, we were ready to begin zipping through the forest of ponderosa pines and aspens.
Lunch was served atop a platform suspended in the trees of Durango.
It was an all-day adventure and one we still talk about. Our favorite zip line was when my husband and I were on different lines, and we passed each other crossing the Animas River – what a thrill that was. For me, one of the craziest moments was when I jumped off to zip the next line, I heard a voice and coming up behind me was the lead sky ranger; I wasn’t expecting that. He hurried up behind me and gave me a spin then we both slowly drifted into the next platform. It was so much fun. My heart was racing, my pulse was pounding and I was giggling the whole time.
Since that first zip line adventure, my husband and I are on a quest to visit and zip as many of the zip lines Colorado has to offer. According to the website, https://www.colorado.com/co/adventure-sports/ziplining, Colorado boasts having 32 different zip lines from north to south and east to west. If you have never zip lined, I encourage you to do your research on what is required. Each facility has its rules and regulations, which include: age, height, weight, health conditions, and hiking abilities, just to name a few. I also encourage you to call and ask questions about the best type of clothing to wear, bringing water and snacks, best shoes to wear, any medical limitations, length of the tour, and any other query that you may be thinking. Do your homework to ensure it is for you and be prepared to have a zip lining adventure of a lifetime.
