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Outdoor adventures near Eagle County

Caramie Schnell
cschnell@vaildaily.com

For many Eagle County residents and visitors alike, there’s nothing that gets their heart pumping quite like a knee-deep powder day. In the warmer months, adrenaline junkies might hike one of the states 58 peaks that top 14,000 feet, or take to the rapids in a kayak or raft to get their kicks. If you want to pack even more thrills into the summer of 2015, consider one of these Colorado attractions. Did you know you can walk across a ropes course 65 feet in the air in Salida? Or that Canon City is home to North America’s highest zipline now? Neither did we. This state is bustling with adventure. Good thing the folks at the Colorado Tourism Office are paying attention and put together this guide. Go on, get out there and spike your pulse. You won’t regret it.

ONE-OF-A-KIND ADVENTURE

Captain Zipline Aerial Adventure Park (Salida). Colorado’s largest, Euro-style aerial park sits in a canyon with nine different courses and 120 elements. The courses include swinging bridges, catwalks, trapezes, ziplines, cargo nets, ladders and more. The course heights vary from three feet to 65 feet above the ground. And, if the adventure park isn’t enough, Captain Zipline also offers a zipline tour that takes guests soaring across canyons and over abandoned silver mine shafts. Or, try your hand on several Via Ferrata courses. Italian for “Iron Road,” Via Ferrata courses provide adventurers with aspirations of scaling cliffs and traversing ledges the opportunity to flirt with their wild side without extensive climbing equipment or expertise. Visit http://www.captainzipline.com.



Royal Gorge Bridge & Park (Canon City). Hanging high above Colorado’s wild Arkansas River, the Royal Gorge Bridge is America’s highest suspension bridge and a legendary feat of engineering renowned the world over. In addition to the 86-year-old Royal Gorge Bridge, guests can expect more thrills with the new jig-back Poma Tram and Zip Rider Zipline (now North America’s highest zip line). Both attractions will travel 2,400 feet over the Royal Gorge and 1,200 feet above the Arkansas River. Visit royalgorge bridge.com.

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SHOOT DOWN A MOUNTAIN

Gold Runner Alpine Coaster (Breckenridge). Located at the base of Peak 8, Breckenridge’s alpine coaster has 2,500 feet of elevated alpine track. Visitors will get their adrenaline running as they soar down the mountain through forests and above ski runs. Visitors can ride as a single, or ride with a friend as they conquer the quick twists and curves. Visit http://www.breckenridge.com.

Winter Park’s Alpine Slide (Winter Park). Thrill seekers who have wanted to try their hand at bobsledding should check out Colorado’s longest alpine slide, which sits upon a peak at Winter Park Ski Resort. Guests enjoy a six-minute scenic chairlift ride before experiencing the 610 foot vertical drop on Winter Park’s 3,000-foot-long alpine slide. Visit http://www.winter parkresort.com.

WESTERN THEME PARK THRILL RIDES

TERROR-Dactyl (Manitou Springs). Last summer, Cave of the Winds introduced TERROR-Dactyl, the Aerial Dive Ride, which sits on the edge of a 200-foot cliff in Williams Canyon. The ride launches riders 200 feet into the canyon at nearly 100 miles per hour. This one-of-a-kind ride will have visitors gasping for air. Visit http://www.caveofthewinds.com.

Giant Canyon Swing (Glenwood Springs). Perched on a rock precipice on the edge of Glenwood Canyon at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, the Giant Canyon Swing launches riders out 1,300 feet above the Colorado River at nearly 50 miles per hour. Once over the canyon, riders will float at zero gravity for a moment before the swing reverses in the opposite direction. Visit http://www.glenwoodcaverns.com.

SlideZilla (Denver). Denver’s Elitch Garden’s water park is getting a new addition this summer for the park’s 125th birthday. SlideZilla is a new, six-story water slide with a “BehemothBowl” and “TornadoWAVE.” Riders will shoot into the 24 foot bowl, drop 57 feet and then head up into a four-story high tornado wave. Visit http://www.elitchgardens.com.

ZIP THROUGH THE ROCKIES

Crested Butte Zipline Tour (Crested Butte). At Crested Butte Mountain Resort, soar across five ziplines ranging in length from 120 to 400 feet. These ziplines are connected by suspended wood bridges and towering platforms. Not only is the zipline open in the summer for views of Crested Butte’s stunning wildflowers, it is also open in the winter when visitors can watch skiers and snowboarders sail down the slopes. Visit http://www.skicb.com.

Soaring Tree Top Adventures (Durango). Accessible only by train, guests of Soaring Tree Top Adventure’s zipline start their journey on a beautiful train ride in private, first-class cars on the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Upon arrival at the zipline, Sky Rangers from Soaring Tree Top will take guests on the ultimate adventure which includes soaring on 27 ziplines ranging from 56 to 1,400 feet in length through the trees of the San Juan Mountains, over the Animas River and indulging in a four-course gourmet lunch. Visit http://www.soaringtreetopadventures.com.

Steamboat Zipline Adventures (Steamboat). Steamboat’s first zipline opens this June and will feature a course that takes guests zooming down suspended cables through aspen trees and lodgepole pine in the Colorado wilderness on Rabbit Ears Pass. Lines will range from 700 to 1,200 feet in length and will offer stunning views of Lake Catamount, the Flat Tops Mountains and the Yampa Valley.

Zip Adventures (Wolcott). At 4 Eagle Ranch, this 2-and-a-half-hour tour begins with a 10-minute ride in a circa-1974 model Pinzgauers, an Austrian-made, 6 wheel-drive all-terrain vehicles originally manufactured in the ‘70s to transport military troops over rocky terrain. The zip line tour takes you breezing through Wolcott’s beautiful Alkali Creek Canyon. It includes six progressive zip lines ranging from 250 to 1,000 feet in length. Visit http://www.zipadventures.com.

For more information or a copy of the 2015 Colorado Official State Vacation Guide, visit http://www.colorado.com or call 800-COLORADO. Follow Colorado on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Foursquare, Flickr, Tumblr and YouTube. For more information, visit http://www.colorado.com/articles/colorado-amusement-parks.


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