Is ziplining on your bucket list? It wasn’t on my bucket list. I’ve been before, at church camp. It was fun, but nothing spectacular. When we visited The Dillard House for the Dillard House 100th Birthday celebrations, I was given the chance to go on a zipline adventure at the nearby Highlands Aerial Park. I expected it to be fun, but not thrilling. I was wrong.
Highlands Aerial Park in Scaly Mountain, North Carolina, is based off canopy courses and ziplines the owners visited in Costa Rica. They had a lot of fun on their Costa Rican adventure, and wanted to bring that back home to North Carolina. With its scenic views and abundant forests, Scaly Mountain was the perfect fit.
Highlands Aerial Park offers fun for the whole family, with 3 different levels of adventure. They also have a “mountain swing,” along with nature trails for anyone in the family who can’t swing through the trees. There are a few rules: you must be five or older for the family-friendly Brave Indian Zipline and Mountain Challenge Course, or older than eight for the Mountain Top and World Class Canopy Tours. You must weigh less than 200 pounds for the Brave Indian Zipline and Mountain Challenge, or between 70 and 250 pounds for the Canopy Tours. Wear comfortable clothing and close-toed shoes.
When I arrived at Highlands Aerial Park, I was feeling a little nervous. Not because I’m scared of heights. Nope, I was nervous because I am absolutely terrible at outdoorsy things and I was scared I was going to injure myself…or my pride. Luckily, our two wonderful guides reassured me, and by the time everyone in our group had arrived, I was ready to go.
The first part of the adventure is purely technical. Your guides explain your gear and help you suit up. As you suit up, you realize why they tell you to wear comfortable clothes, so I was happy I had worn leggings instead of jeans. I noticed that all the female guides were wearing leggings or workout pants as well, so I must have been onto something. After you’re suitable geared up, you head over to “ground school” and your guides show you the ropes. (More literally, they show you the lines.)
After ground school, you get one chance on the practice line. I realized it was about as big as the zipline I had been on at church camp. If that was a practice line, what was in store for us next? The two people on the tour with me did great on the practice line, which our instructors referred to as “dumb luck.” I managed to punch myself in the face so hard that my glasses nearly broke in half. Somehow, I was still excited for the next line.
We took stairs to the platform for our next zipline, and I was enthralled. We were SO high up! There are no nets, barriers, or anything like that around you. You rely on being clipped to a safety line. I was thrilled. (The people in my group, being terrified of heights, were slightly less thrilled.) The line didn’t look too hard. I stepped onto the stump, kicked my legs out, and flew through the air. The rush of adrenaline hit me like a brick wall, similar to how my hand hit my face when I tried to brake. If you’re sensing a theme here, so were the guides. They started braking for me several lines in. That would seem embarrassing, but everyone at Highlands Aerial Park was so nice and so genuinely passionate about ziplining that it really didn’t bother me.
We worked our way through progressively bigger and badder ziplines until we got to the big baddie: The Squealing Mare. Named after a Cherokee legend, this line crosses from one mountainside, over a valley, and onto another mountainside. It’s 1500 feet long. It’s amazing, and it’s the biggest reason I would give anyone for upgrading from the Mountain Top Canopy Tour to the World Class Canopy Tour. Sure, doing four extra lines was fun, but this one? Bucket list worthy. Pro-tip: look to the left for the best view as you’re crossing the valley.
The lines start shrinking as you work your way down from the Squealing Mare. The next line, back across the valley, is only 850 feet. The catch? You have to walk across the sky stairs to get to it. My teammates called the walk from the Squealing Mare to the 850 “the scariest part of the tour.”
Don’t feel disappointed about the smaller lines, though. On the two after the 850, you’re able to give up on everything you learned so far and practice cool tricks. I didn’t want to push my luck after the glasses incident, so I mostly ziplined with no hands. Our guides were much more impressive.
After the trick lines, you arrive at the bottom of a steep hill. Not to worry, though. You get to ride a little ATV back up the hill, because by this time, you’re pretty exhausted. When you arrive back at base camp, you’re shown the pictures your guides took of you throughout the trip on the GoPro camera attached to their helmet. You have the opportunity to purchase a USB of all the pictures taken for $25. Although we received our pictures complimentary to facilitate this post, I would have bought them anyway. You’ll definitely want to be able to look back on them later.
Although ziplining wasn’t on my bucket list to begin with, I’m counting my adventure at Highlands Aerial Park as a check off the list anyway. Had I known what a cool experience it was going to be, I would have had it on the list to begin with! If you want to check ziplining off your bucket list, we have a treat for you! You can get 1/2 off the World Class Canopy Tour (regularly $89!) at Highlands Aerial Park using our Highlands Aerial Park Coupon code “SIMPLYSOUTHERNMOM.”
What’s on your travel bucket list?
Zip Lining sounds pretty fun and scary at the same time! This aerial park is so beautiful!
This is on my bucket list!! You had so much fun I see!!
That really is entrhalling to be so high up. I’m glad they brought a taste of Costa Rica back to North Carolina. 🙂
Zip lining through the Carolinas sounds so fun and exciting! I would love to have that experience. So cool!
Wow, they definitely had a wonderful celebration! Plus, that’s a long time to keep a family business up and running! It looks like you guys had a blast!
It seems I missed out on an awesome celebration at the Dillard House! I’ve never been ziplining before…I think I might be too chicken to try though haha!
I’ve never been zip lining but it looks like a lot of fun. I would really appreciate good guides like the ones you had. I think I’d need a lot of explanation before I jumped on that line!
Zip lining is a lot of fun. I’m long overdue for a tree top adventure. This location isn’t to far from me, I need to plan a trip.
I am glad you enjoyed zip-lining.
I have done this several times before and am a big fan.
It is such an exhilarating experience!
I give you credit for having the guts to take a 1500 foot long zipline, hike up that scary staircase and with no net. I guess you have to trust the clip of the line. Maybe someday, not now, but it looks great.
this looks so much fun. i would love to zipline. i have always wanted to try it.
It looks so much fun! I wish we could try this as a family!
I did a zipline once in S.Africa and it was SCARY! Looks like you guys had a great time!
Oh my goodness. I have heard so many people talk about zip lining and it sounds like so much fun. I’d really enjoy this!
I would love to do this! I love anything adventurous and zip lining is so fun!
I have only been on a zip line once and that was just across our river. All of 30 seconds lol. I’d love to go through the trees here. Looks like so much fun!
I love going on zip lines! This sounded like fun and zooming through those trees must have been a rush!
So much fun! There’s a place close by me in Delaware for zip lining and people have a blast. I went zip lining in Haiti over the ocean. It was so much fun!
You are braver than I am. I am way too scared of heights to ever take this on.
Wow, that is way too cool! I don’t know if I would be able to do it without crying haha.
I have ziplined once in my life and absolutely loved the experience! Looks like you had fun too!
I have always wanted to go zip lining. Plan on making it happen soon. Looks like a ton of fun.
I have always wanted to go ziplining and it is on my bucket list. It seems like I’m always with people who have a fear of heights. After reading your post I definitely want to try it even if it’s just by myself.
I would love to do this with my oldest daughter. She and I both love ziplining. It’s so much fun to see everything from above.
That looks like such a fun time for the family! We all love to zipline.
That looks like so much fun! Ziplining has always been one of my favorite ways to take in the beauty of nature.
I have been to NC a few times and thought it was so pretty! I am not sure I am brave enough to zip line but good for you looks like you had fun!!
My children enjoy ziplines. They always tell me how thrilling it is to “glide” at different heights, sometimes, tree level. I want to try it but I am not courageous enough to be higher than 2 feet above ground. Looks like you did have a lot of fun though.
Ziplining is so much fun! I’ve done it two countries, but have not done it in the U.S. yet. Either I find it too expensive here or the sights haven’t been too thrilling.
I’ve always wanted to go ziplining. I was scheduled to go on one of my trips to the Caribbean but it got canceled. Now I really want to go after reading this.
I do, too! I had a chance to go once in NH, but I chickened out. I need to do it next time.
That sounds like so much fun! I have always wanted to go ziplining – it looks like a blast.