Lost Canyon Zipline Tour

Whether you're looking to schedule your first zipline experience and are asking yourself "What am I thinking?"--or just looking to relive the fun--we hope this virtual tour will get your heart pounding and lift your spirits. 

VIRTUAL TOUR: LOST CANYON ZIPLINE - SALIDA, CO 

 

Zip Line Cable #1. Orientation on the Bunny Ziplines. A requirement for all guests, this practice gives our zipliners the confidence and skills needed to fly the cables that span the canyon.     

                                                                                    

Zip Line Cable #2. Zip Trip - 262 feet

This thriller will jump-start your zipline experience! It’s the easiest one. C'mon, just step off the cliff...

This cable is followed by a hike up the side of the canyon, through the high desert landscape and tree-studded terrain, to reach Eagle's Roost Lookout. From here, take in a panoramic view that includes the most productive trout fishing segment of the Arkansas River, some 500 ft. below and with over 10,000 trout and 2 million dollars in gold per mile! The forces of geologic faulting and folding are evident from this site. And, if the mountains are still snow-capped, the "Angel of Shavano" may be seen as well.

Zip Line Cable #3. Flight School - 200 feet

Land at the Pack Rat Penthouse deck … yes, there is a cool packrat nest nearby. He still has some of our drill bits and screws from the deck construction stashed in his nest and it doesn’t look like he is ready to give them up. Here, a brief note about the travertine warm spring formations with examples of raw and polished rock demonstrates the beauty of local minerals onsite. The mining claim is called "Mountain Pink" because of the delicate pink color of the outcrop. Mineral "soda straws" lay where the spring water percolated up through the rock. Everyone seems to like the delicate bonsai pinyon tree growing out of solid rock nearby. Off in the distance, the 14,000-foot mountains of the Sangre de Cristo range (Blood of Christ, named by the Spanish explorers in the 1600s) frame the horizon.

Zip Line Cable #4. Canyon Flyer - 385 feet

This cable is the most intimidating yet, as our zip buddies have not gotten their "flight wings" fully developed. Take off and fly over trees on the cable that many of our guests like the best. We have seen black bears in the canyon below this zip line, but they don't stick around long when they see us! Land at Piñon Point Landing and take a break in the shade while the rest of your group catches up.

Zip Line Cable #5.  The Intimidator - 365 feet

Once again, the group will embark on a short (100 ft.) hike, this time with views of two 1895-era silver mines, one that is tunneled 60 ft. into the rocky face of the mountain and one with a 100 ft. vertical shaft located on the "Mountain Pink" mining claim. These mines are home to  colonies of long-eared bats. This location is the mid-tour watering hole so hit the cooler for a water break and a bathroom stop, if necessary.

Leave from our newest platform and most scenic location on the tour. Swirling orange limestone cliffs will make you dizzy while flying 150 feet high above the Box Canyon Campfire spot. Ah, you're getting better, more confident, and your need for speed is satisfied! This time, zipliners are encouraged to look down into the abyss as they fly across the rugged terrain. 

Alternate Cable (with additional run on Zip Trip Cable #2. for Eco Tour) Cliffhanger - 266 feet 

The 9-cable eco-tour is flown with advance telephone reservations only. This tour involves a more comprehensive presentation of the natural history of the region. A very quick and scenic ride, this cable is a bit faster, and thus hand-braking is required. Remember your training on the Bunny Zip! A short hike through the complex geology of the Wellsville formation takes the zipists to Rim Rock Launch with a view of three lime kiln ruins dating back to 1895. These ruins are part of the Postmaster Mining Claim. The complex geology of this region, million-year-old river bed strata, and evidence of massive subterranean plate movement resulting in rock folds and faults can be viewed from this location. What a fun way to take a geology lesson! When you land at Lookout Point, you will have a commanding view of the entire canyon topography.  

Zip Line Cable #6. Adrena-Line - 695 feet

Opened in 2009, this is the longest span and the highest at 200 feet above the canyon floor. Your need for speed will be satisfied after jumping off the cliff and into the flight of a lifetime! The mountain peaks above and Arkansas River whitewater below cannot compete with the panorama of mine ruins and colorful cliff views from this ride. Beginning Summer 2011, Captain Zipline is planning to have photographs and videos  taken while you run this cable. What a great way to preserve a cherished memory!

Zip Line Cable #7. Gun Barrel - 465 feet

The fastest cable of all, and one that goes straight down into the belly of the canyon from Cable Canyon Launch. Check out the wave pattern as your guide demonstrates how waves move up and down the steel cable span. Never has physics been so interesting! After all this practice, our guests must fly and land on a small cable spool near the end to accumulate all of their "frequent ziplining miles."

Look down on some ancient (300-million-years old) limestone formations and the geologic fault between the two masses of an ancient sea bed. This fault is still moving, and one can sometimes hear rocks falling from the cliff as the two huge land masses move against each other.

Arrive at journey's end, Miner's Landing. Take a short hike back up to the Guide Shack to check in your gear and exchange email addresses with your new zip friends. We give every guest a $10 off "frequent zipliner" coupon for their next flight. We are sure you will be back and hope you had as much fun as we did! ZIP ON! Plans are in the works for photos and video of your trip (during the summer season); these will be viewed and ordered at our Guide Shack.

Zip Line Tour Overview

The only tours that can be booked at this time are those listed on our reservation page, specifically those zip trips at 9AM, 1PM, and 2:30PM.

For Summer 2011, we are planning additional tours, including a 9-cable Eco Tour; a 4-cable Zipline Express Tour; and a Zip-and-Sip Tour that includes a 30 minute session of pickin' and singin' by a local musician as well as a cold beverage. These venues are being developed to better meet the desires and needs of our zipline guests. 

One more thing--our online reservation form presents the weekend days with gray shading; this is to highlight these days as "weekend days" and does NOT mean the days are booked.

Come zip with our friendly guides and experience a true eco-tour in the Colorado Rockies. We aim to make this adventure the highlight of your vacation. This activity is really "No sweat adrenaline." It looks extreme but actually is relatively easy to do. Weight and health restrictions apply, so please check out our Zip Preparation page for details.

Box Canyon Site

Groups can arrange with Captain Zipline and its partners to have food and refreshments at this site. We also have a campfire spot on the canyon rim near the Bunny Ziplines for group activities, when requested. We have several pickers and singers who will play-for-pay for a cookout event with advance reservations. Moonlight zip tours can also be arranged during summer and fall, but only with prior zip experience on our cables.