There's an old Maple and Douglas Fir forest in Bellevue, Washington, and you can zip line through it strapped onto a couple carabiners at Bellevue Zip Tour. There are 7 segments here.
Located in Eastgate Park, there's also a sign for the South Bellevue Community Center at the Bellevue Zip Tours driveway entrance. Follow the wayfinding signs for parking, and you'll find the check-in at a modified storage container. You get weighed here, and the weight limit is 60-250lbs.
A Thrill For All Ages
KOMO News reported that the very first person in line the day it opened was 88-year-old Bellevue resident Ivory Fish, a World War II Veteran who said he just had to try it. He had a great time and said he would do it again, and this fun recreational activity for ages 8 and over is a thrilling experience. Physical considerations should be considered, since it's not suited for those who are pregnant or have heart conditions.
Getting Ready
You'll want to get there a little early so you're not late, and wear closed toed or closed heeled shoes. The friendly guides will check you in, make sure you've signed a waiver, and take you on a tiny uphill hike to the gearing up section.
There are lockers to store anything you don't want flying into the forest below. A bunch of helmets, gloves, harnesses and carabiners await on some blue tarp, surrounded by the trees. Once you've geared up and gone through all the instructions and safety protocols, your guides will take you up to the first stop. And that's up.
Before You Fly
The hike up to where we start got us a little bit winded, and that's okay. There are a couple more rounds of safety checks and very important safety information.
Then, we crossed a suspension bridge to our first launch pad, and our intern Natalie proves it's a great spot for a photo - just don't drop your phone or hold up the line.
There's A Starter One
The first one we got on is 78 feet and it felt like a breezy starter zipline. Great for striking a pose. As we went on, the ziplines got longer, or faster. The fastest one can get you going up to 35 miles per hour and the longest one is 458 feet long. Eventually, we get to this zipline that is great for going backwards on. Our guides challenged us to dismount backwards and we all did it. We all thought it was pretty thrilling!
The Trees Need Shaking
Our guides were funny and had spent a lot of time in the zipline industry - they are truly tree people. There's an arborist that gets paid to come out here and make sure the trees here are healthy and thriving. When we got to a younger tree, I think it's in it's 80s, our guides warned us that this next zip could be quite shaky. We were to take it as a challenge to make it extra spicy, because the trees actually love a good shaking. It's the same reason the houseplant guides tell you to shake your fiddle leaf fig tree to encourage a strong, sturdy base.
There's A Challenge Course
On one of our lines, we spotted some activity through the trees, and it wasn't ziplining. Our guides explained that they have a Challenge Course that dates back to 2006, and it was a top priority for the Bellevue Youth Club in the late 90s. The Challenge Course is currently used for Northwest Teambuilding's on site teambuilding programs and camps. During their off season this year, they'll start work on expanding and renovating the Challenge Course to be open to the public in 2025.
Another Fun Adventure
The group consensus is that we would totally go back and do that again. For our visitors, Bellevue Zip Tour is a great couple of hours in Bellevue's urban forest that will get your heart racing, whoo-ing, and laughing. Trees are wonderful creatures that naturally emit phytoncides, which help decrease stress hormones when you breathe them in. Next on the itinerary, try a Wine & Waterfalls Tour, hop on an electric Duffy Boat on Lake Washington with Bellevue Lake Cruises, or try stand up paddle boarding at REI Boathouse at Meydenbauer Bay Park.
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