Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
Ziplining – Extreme Fun For (Just About) Everyone
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on April 23, 2019
If you've never ridden a zipline before, you may be wondering if just anyone can step up and take that leap of faith to go sailing among the treetops like a bird. The short answer is yes – with just a few exceptions.
There are some age and weight limitations that we have in place for safety reasons. As far as age goes, you must be at least eight years old and weigh at least 60 pounds to ride. If you're any lighter than that, the physics aren't in your favor; you're simply not heavy enough to make it all the way from one tower to the next. The maximum guest weight allowed is 275 pounds.
We ask that all participants be of average strength and mobility and be capable for standing for as long as two hours at a time. If you are pregnant, have heart trouble, back or knee problems, recent surgeries, casts or any medical condition that would prevent you from following instructions, we ask that you not take part in our canopy tour. Finally, we recommend that anyone with an EXTREME fear of heights (most people have SOME fear of heights), epilepsy or a history of panic attacks not participate.
This may sound like quite a few restrictions, but again, these guidelines are for the ultimate safety of our guests, since riding a zipline does require a certain level of physical ability, dexterity and concentration. And this still opens up ziplining as an option for the vast majority of our visitors who want to zip line Smoky Mountains.
But let's say you meet all the requirements, and you're still questioning whether ziplining is right for you. Consider what we said earlier about most people having some level of fear or anxiety about doing an extreme activity, especially if they've never tried it before. It's natural to be a little nervous at the prospect of stepping off a perfectly good platform high off the ground and trusting that our safety gear will do its job.
Look at this as an opportunity to push your boundaries a little bit and step outside your comfort zone. And you can always remind yourself of the thousands and thousands of guests ages 8 and older (some very much older) who have successfully navigated our canopy tour and, in the end, been very glad they did.
If you let a little anxiety prevent you from taking a bold step, then you may always wonder if it's something you could have done or not. But if you push ahead through the doubt, you will wind up on the other end of the experience feeling proud of yourself and gaining a little more confidence that you can take on just about anything.
In fact, we've welcomed all types of guests to Smoky Mountain Ziplines over the years. That includes married couples, dating couples, parents with their children, parents with their own parents, senior citizens, groups of friends, family reunions, co-workers, church groups, scout groups, school groups and many more.
The lesson here is that if you're planning to go ziplining for the first time, you won't have to face it alone. You'll be with people who will have your back, and who knows? Maybe some of them are feeling uncertain as well, and you'll have to have THEIR BACK.
Finally, remember that our experienced guides are always on hand for reassurance. They'll make sure the tour is as safe as possible and that you have all the knowledge you'll need to get through it and have a great time along the way. They're also a pretty entertaining bunch, so if nothing else, they'll help you take your mind off your first-timer's jitters.
