aerial park
CANYON CHALLENGE
COURSE
$75
PER PERSON
Plus taxes and fees
The Canyon Challenge Course is an amazing aerial course tucked into the Lost Canyon. Surrounded by rugged and colorful limestone cliffs, the Canyon Aerial Course consists of more than 120 interconnected “challenge elements” including swinging bridges, cargo nets, balance beams, tunnels and more. The 120 elements are broken into 9 courses; each course consist of 8-13 elements and are graded much like ski runs.
- 2.5-hour adventure
- Self-guided
- Features Bornack “Smart Belay” System
- Instruction provided
- 9 challenging course with heights up to 40 feet
- Appropriate for children 8 years old and older
- Stunning Colorado canyon views
PARTICIPANT & TRIP INFO
The Canyon Challenge Course is designed for individuals seeking a physical challenge, designed to test their core strength, balance and agility. Groups are welcome.
Prior to entering the Canyon Challenge Course guests are fitted with gear, given a safety briefing and instructions, and then off they go! Guests begin on easy courses and graduate to more challenging routes as they progress through the courses.
- Weight. 70 lbs. minimum; 250 lbs. maximum
- Vertical Reach. Must be able to reach 60 inches standing flat-footed
- Fitness Level. Reasonably active lifestyle and good health
- Independence. Participants must be able to perform tour activities (transferring equipment, traversing obstacle, following staff instruction, etc.) independent of an aid or parent
- Age & Supervision of Minors. 8 years and older; See chart below.
Age | Yellow | Green | Blue | Black | Double Black |
8-9 | supervised | w/ adult | NO | NO | NO |
10-11 | supervised | supervised | w/ adult | NO | NO |
12-13 | supervised | supervised | supervised | w/ adult | NO |
14-15 | solo | solo | solo | solo | NO |
16+ | solo | solo | solo | solo | solo |
- supervised = Adult (18+ years) must be present below course and within sight, monitoring children
- w/ adult = Adult (18+ years) must accompany child/children on Canyon Challenge Course at ratio of 1 adult: 2 children maximum
- YELLOW – three (3) courses, JACKRABBIT, MAGPIE, and GOLDEN EAGLE. These are the easiest, entry-level, courses. Beginners and children ages 8 years and above. Platform height up to 15 feet. The GOLDEN EAGLE course will take the Guest over the historical limekiln ruins from the 1890s.
- GREEN – two (2) courses, COUGAR RUN and FALCON. Easy course although more demanding than Yellow; platform height up to 20 feet.
- BLUE – two (2) courses, BADGER and WILD CAT. The WILDCAT has the “flying snowboard,” an element that can be experienced with no snow. Challenging course, requires some agility, good balance, strategy, and strength. Platform heights are 24-30 feet. See table above for further specifications.
- BLACK – GRIZZLY. Our second most challenging course. Requires physical strength, strategy, endurance, and athletic ability. Platforms heights of 30-40 feet.
- DOUBLE BLACK – RATTLESNAKE. Very difficult course. Requires physical strength, strategy, endurance, and athletic ability. Must be at least 16 years old to do this course. These platforms are 40+ feet in height.
Prior to booking tickets for the Canyon Challenge Course, we encourage all participants to review the terms and conditions listed here, as well as in the Participant Waiver/Release Agreements.
All participants and spectators must agree to and sign a participant agreement. Participants under the age of 18 must have their agreement signed by a parent or legal, court-assigned guardian.
PARTICIPANT WAIVER/RELEASE AGREEMENTS
Agreements can be downloaded here and signed in advance of the program, signed on-site, or completed online (for those who make reservations online). All participants and spectators must read, agree to and sign a participant agreement. Participants under the age of 18 must have a signed agreement by a parent or legal, court-assigned guardian.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS
When you book a tour with us, we schedule guides and other support staff for your trip and allocate equipment for your spot. When participants fail to show or cancel with limited notice, we still incur staffing expenses. As a result, the following cancellation and refund terms apply:
- Cancellations within 8 days before scheduled trip date receive a full refund.
- Cancellations within 7 days before scheduled trip date receive a 50% refund.
- Cancellations within 24 hours before scheduled departure are NON-REFUNDABLE.
RESCHEDULING / CHANGE IN ITINERARY FEE
Change requests are rare and handled by management on a case-by-case basis.
Check-in time is 30 minutes before your scheduled departure. No refunds will be issued if you arrive late. If vacancies are available on later departures that day, we will make every attempt to reschedule you.
NO-SHOW POLICY
Participants with reserved bookings who fail to show for their reserved time and provide no prior notice of cancellation are liable for the entire fee. This policy applies to all participants. Guests paying with Captain Zipline gift certificates or vouchers, forfeit the gift certificate or voucher.
BAD WEATHER POLICY
We operate the rain or shine, snow or blow. Rarely must tours or programs be cancelled due to inclement weather. During periods of electrical storms, heavy icing, high winds or extreme cold, we will first delay the tour or program. Cancellations are a last option. We reserve the right to postpone any tour for up to one hour. In the event that we must cancel a tour or program, we will provide you the option of a full refund or reschedule you. If you have questions about the weather, please call. We will call you if we know the tour you are scheduled on will need to be cancelled or rescheduled.
SCREENING & PARTICIPANT SUITABILITY
We reserve the right to refuse any of our tours to anyone at any time at our sole discretion. Such right shall not constitute an obligation by us to refuse the right to participate to anyone.
Guests who arrive properly prepared stand to get the most out of their adventure with us.
MEETING SITE & DEPARTURE LOCATION
Meeting Site – Trips begin at the Captain Zipline Office at 520 County Road 54, Salida, CO 81201. Please start your navigation when you depart, there is no phone service once you get closer to our location.
View Map & Directions | Map Route on Google Maps.
Check-in Time – You must check-in 30 mins. prior to the scheduled trip time. Tours depart on-time. No-shows or late arrivals will not be credited or rescheduled and lose the right to a credit or refund.
Food – No food is permitted on the tour.
WHAT TO WEAR
Guests should come dressed for the weather and be prepared to be outside in the elements for the duration of their program. We recommend wearing several layers as conditions on the courses can change during the span of the program. Consideration should be given to the type of program: in general, the canopy tour and team building are passive activities; the treetop obstacle course and climbing are highly active.
CLOTHING NOTES
- For best comfort in the harnesses, we recommend long pants or longer shorts. Shirts should be long enough to tuck into the pants to prevent the harness from rubbing on the skin.
- No baggy clothing, skirts or dresses
- Guests with long hair should bring a hair tie or clip to pull their hair back.
- Sun glasses are permitted throughout the year. Sun glasses or ski goggles are recommended during cold weather and on days where rain or snow is predicted. We recommend that all eyewear be secured with a retainer strap.
- Dress prepared for periods of activity and inactivity.
- Guests must wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes or boots. Sandals, flip flops, slip-ons, barefoot running shoes, and Crocs are NOT acceptable and guests without proper footwear will be turned away without refund.
- Captain Zipline cannot be responsible for lost or stolen goods on the tour. Please leave all valuables including jewelry at home.
WHAT TO BRING
- An adventurous spirit.
- Cameras and video cameras with retaining straps are welcome on the practice cables and first traverse of the Zipline Tour but then must be checked at the Office. We do not recommend bringing cameras on the Canyon Challenge Course, although pictures can be taken from below the Canyon Challenge Course.
- All sunscreen and bug repellent must be applied prior to the start of the tour and may not be reapplied once the harnesses and equipment have been put on.
- Necessary medications. Our courses traverse areas with limited access where advanced medical help could be some time away. Please bring with you all the medication that might be immediately necessary to prevent onset of a more serious condition such as asthma inhalers, nitroglycerin pills, EpiPens, insulin, etc.
- Food, water, and snacks for before or after the program in the picnic area only.
- Money to purchase Captain Zipline gear and to tip your guides. 8-10% is the customary gratuity.
WHAT NOT TO BRING
- Pets. No accommodations will be made for pets on the tour or at the Captain Zipline Office. Please leave pets at home.
- Smoking and chewing tobacco, alcohol, or drugs are not allowed on the trip or on the grounds.
- Food and chewing gum are not allowed on the courses.
- Backpacks, hip sacks, and purses are not allowed on the Zipline Tour or Canyon Challenge Course because they can distort balance and cause participants to invert while traversing lines or hanging from the harness.
- Cell phones are permitted on course, however, we respectfully request that you place your phone on airplane mode to prevent interruptions that could impact the wilderness experience others are seeking. Captain Zipline cannot be responsible for dropped or damaged cell phones, electronics or valuables carried along on the tour.All personal property is brought at the owner’s risk.
SPECTATORS
- Spectators are permitted but must be pre-arranged. All spectators must sign a Participant Waiver/Release Agreement and remain in designated areas throughout the course.
PROUD TO BE THE LARGEST AERIAL PARK IN COLORADO
The Canyon Challenge Course was designed and built by Swiss Alpine engineers to industry standards, including those of the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) as well as the specifications and safety standards of the state of Colorado. Participants are secured throughout their experience to the life safety systems using the Bornack Smart Safe Belay (SSB) lanyard system which prevents participants from detaching from the system during transfers from one element to the next while providing participants the freedom to choose their route and move at their own pace. Staff are positioned nearby to offer encouragement and assist if needed.