COLORADO ZIPLINES OFFER A VIEW WITH HIGH-SPEED THRILL
Ziplines in Colorado carry you over the fray
Ziplining opens the beauty of flight to all Coloradans, no pilot’s license required, and summer is the perfect time to go soaring through the sky. We’ve assembled a list of some of the state’s high-speed thrills across the Centennial State. Royal Gorge Zip Line Tours
With 20 total ziplines and more than 3 miles of adventure, the Royal Gorge Zip Line Tours offers two courses — “classic” and “extreme” — for zipliners of all experiences and stomachs for thrill. First-timers come for gorgeous look at Cañon City and keep coming back for the unique zipline experience, which features guide-led hikes filled with local history and lore.
45045 W. U.S. 50, Cañon City, 719-2757238; $89-$139; royalgorgeziplinetours.com
Soaring Tree Top Adventures
At Soaring Tree Top Adventures, 27 unique ziplines will take you on a scenic journey in the San Juan Mountains. Lines range from 56 to more than 1,400 feet, which the company claims is the longest zipline course in the United States. Only accessible by the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, the ziplines promise a full day of adventure.
964 County Road 200, Durango, 970769-2357; $299-$529; soaringcolorado.com
Colorado Adventure Center Glenwood Springs, Idaho Springs
An ideal option for beginners and urbanites, the Colorado Adventure Center offers zips across the Colorado River at the Glenwood Springs site, and the Idaho Springs site — just a half-hour trip from Denver — is near Clear Creek. Whitewater rafting packages make for an easy supplement to a day of adrenaline.
1308 CR 129, Glenwood Springs; 2697 Stanley Road, Dumont, 888-4947386; $35-$96; raftingcolorado.com/zip-line
Castle Rock Zipline Tours Castle Rock
At Castle Rock, speed is the name of the game. Ten ziplines will let you fly at more than 50 miles per hour. A 1,500-foot dualrace line will let you and a friend fight for velocity with a view. Interactive sky treks and a sky-high adventure tower complements the fun for all ages of climbers, zippers and speedsters.
1375 West Plum Creek Parkway, Castle Rock, 720-733-9477; $89; castlerockziplinetours.com
Denver Adventures — Zipline Conifer
What’s 30 minutes outside Denver, 250 feet off the ground, and lets customers travel up to 55 mph? The Denver Adventures zipline course, which features five ziplines in the steep pines of the Rocky Mountains. A great course for novices and city-dwellers looking to fit ziplining into busy schedules.
26267 Conifer Road, Conifer; 303-984-6151; $59-$99; denveradventures.com/zipline/
Captain Zipline Salida
There’s much more to Captain Zipline’s offerings than a zip through the air. The Lost Canyon Zipline Tour consists of six cables between 200 and 700 feet that sail over a rocky canyon, as well as an 80-foot practice cable. Two-hour hiking trails between the take-off and landing platforms allow for groups large and small to see the Rocky Mountain landscape firsthand in all its natural splendor. Meanwhile, an aerial adventure park lets patrons play on nine courses of various difficulties.
1500 County Road 45, Salida, 877-947-5463; $79-$139; captainzipline.com
Broadmoor Soaring Adventures Colorado Springs
Deep in the cloistered South Cheyenne Canyon, Broadmoor Soaring Adventures claims to offer a viewing of “the Grandest Mile of Scenery in Colorado” — waterfalls, mountains, green hills -- across 10 ziplines divided between two courses. Hiking trails, two suspension rope bridges and a 180-foot rappel frame Colorado’s natural allure. 1 Lake Ave., Colorado Springs, 844-876-4968; $168-$290; broadmoor.com/broadmoor-adventures/
AVA Zip Lines Granite and Idaho Springs
Arkansas Valley Adventures’ Mountaintop Zipline tour near Buena Vista (in Granite) has seven ziplines, including a 900foot dual race line for friends to duke it out. The Cliffside Zipline Tour in Idaho Springs has six lines and a “Surf Zip.” Packages include rafting, rock climbing and even a threehour train ride on the Georgetown Loop that makes nature accessible.
Call 855-947-7464 for directions to outposts; $79-89; coloradozipline.net/zipline-courses/
Top of the Rockies Zip Line Leadville
Fourteeners alert: The standard two-hour zipline tour at Top of the Rockies shows off Mount Elbert and Mount Massive, two of the tallest peaks in North America, plus a number of historic gold mines. Wildlife sightings are possible, for the lucky. A train-zipline package includes a cable that runs over a running train.
6492 Colorado 91, Leadville, 970-668-5323; $100-$155; topoftherockieszipline.com
Steamboat Zipline Adventures Steamboat Springs
The six ziplines at Steamboat Zipline Adventures leaves plenty of time for scenic, guide-led hikes through the Yampa Valley and Flat Top range. Starting just a few minutes’ drive outside Steamboat Springs, the adventure shows off the rolling hills of northern Colorado.
31939 E. U.S. 40, Steamboat Springs, 970.879.6500; $95; steamboatziplineadventures.com/index.html Pikes Peak Ziplines Manitou Springs
Jump off the edge of a cliff to start the ziplining fun at Pikes Peak, where only natural, non-artificial platforms begin every journey. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m. are family nights, when all guests pay $45 for an open course.
1335 W. Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs, 800-7550935; $45-$85; advoutwest.com/co-tours/coziplines.html