by Megan Monson
A Gold Hill Adventure
Rogue Zipline Adventures in Gold Hill (open year-round) specializes in a three-hour course that propels visitors high above the scenic Rogue Valley, offering adrenaline-fueled views of Crater Lake Rim, Mount McLoughlin and Table Rock. Adventurers must be at least 8 years old and weigh between 65 and 275 pounds. Certified guides help zipliners gear up at a replica gold mine town in the company’s private park before embarking on a series of five ziplines. The company’s signature Zip, Dip & Sip Tour (check for seasonal schedule) offers the best of everything — ziplining, lunch at Laurel Hill Golf Course, a three-hour whitewater raft trip and time for sipping afterward at Del Rio Vineyards & Winery.
Rogue Valley Zipline
Photo Dan Shryock
Rogue Valley Zipline – Central Point – Gold Hill – Medford – Oregon
Sasquatch, Spiders and Speed
Based in Klamath Falls, Crater Lake Ziplines (open March-December) offers adventure for all ages. For the younger crowd, ages 5 through 12, the Kid Zip is a 1.5-hour challenge with four ziplines, a rolling rapids bridge, Sasquatch crossing and a spectacular spider web. Kids, who can traverse the course as many times as they want in a 90-minute session, must be able to reach 46” standing flat-footed and may not be taller than 5’6”. All other riders must be at least 10 years old and weigh between 70 and 250 pounds. The nine-zipline tour of the forest canopy includes two rappels and a pair of skybridges. Want to combine a water sport? The all-day Skyak (zipline plus kayak) features guided paddling at Malone Springs along with the three-hour canopy tour.
Sasquatch Hollow, Crater Lake Ziplines.
Treehouses With a Twist
In Cave Junction, Out ‘n’ About Treehouse Treesort (open year-round) began offering zipline adventures for guests at its treehouse complex more than 15 years ago. Just 25 miles from Oregon Caves National Monument, the “treesort” offers Swiss Family Robinson-style lodging along with the Treehouse Ziplines menu. Guides work hard to instill confidence in novice zipliners, beginning each trip with an orientation session and practice on a short training cable. Adventurers must be at least 4 years old and weigh between 40 and 250 pounds. The two-hour tours include the Mountain View Zipway, which starts low and slow but builds up to 70 feet in the air at speeds approaching 45 miles per hour. The Canopy Course features a series of five ziplines that soar over the trees to a platform and ultimately sets zippers down safely in an expansive meadow. The Tarzan Swing, a 50-foot pendulum, is a popular addition to the tours.
Myrtle Creek-based communications consultant Megan Monson loves sharing her discoveries along Oregon’s highways and byways. Her work has appeared in publications for Travel Oregon, Oregon Business, The Ford Family Foundation, AT&T and Horizon Air Magazine. A technology dweeb — and proud of it — Monson has a special interest in rural preparedness and crisis communications.
