Crater Lake area’s new feature: A forest zipline

After years of planning, Crater Lake Zipline is open for business, offering Oregon’s longest tree canopy zipline, and the only tree-to-tree canopy zipline on U.S. Forest Service land, officials said Monday.

The 2 1/2 to 3-hour tour includes nine ziplines and two sky bridges suspended up to 90 feet in the trees in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce said.

“Two of the course ziplines are more than a quarter-mile long each, and participants will zip over 1.5 miles of cable as they fly all nine ziplines. That’s more than 8,200 feet of zipline cable suspended in the trees,” explained Jenifer Roe, owner of Crater Lake Zipline.

Zippers will also experience two rope descents, including a slow rappel called a Deus descent and a quicker more exhilarating rappel as the finale, when participants step off the last platform and zing part of the way to the forest floor before the device brings them to a slow landing at the tree base.

“This zipline is all about being in the air and flying from tree to tree. Aside from the amazing sky bridges, there is almost no walking or hiking involved,” said Roe.

Crater Lake Zipline will operate year-round and is located at 29840 Highway 140, about 25 minutes from Klamath Falls, 30 minutes from Crater Lake National Park and 60 minutes from Ashland and Medford.

Participants check in at the base of Tomahawk Hill, where their guides will drive them in UTVs from the tour Outpost office one mile to the top of Tomahawk Hill, where they will begin the course.

Tours are offered from 8 a.m. to sunset year round. Reservations are recommended and can be made online or by calling the office.

All tour participants must be at least 10 years old, weigh between 70 and 250 pounds and participate in ground school training with their rangers before beginning the tour.

For questions or directions, contact Crater Lake Zipline at 541-892-9477 or visit their website http://craterlakezipline.com/