The One Experience You Must Try When Visiting Durango, Colorado

• What Is A Zip Line?
• Luxury Zip Line Tour
• Train Ride Included
• Attraction Rated #1 
• Get Away From The Crowds
• Full Day Adventure
• Trained Sky Rangers
• Fun Multignerational Adventure
• The Scenery
• Environmentally Friendly
• Accessibility And Rules
• Other Important Information
• Tips For A Successful Day With Soaring Tree Top Adventures

Zip-lining through tall timbers with Soaring Tree Top AdventuresPhoto credit: Michael P. Smith

Do you enjoy zip-lining? I love it, and when I visited Durango, Colorado, a few years ago, I had the opportunity to zip on the largest zip line in the world! Soaring Tree Top Adventures has 27 spectacular spans and offers an all-day, family-friendly adventure.

Remotely located on 180 private acres, approximately 32 miles north of Durango by rail and surrounded by the mountains and forests of the San Juan National Forest, Soaring Tree Top Adventures is only accessible by train.

Let’s learn about zip lines and why a Soaring Tree Top Adventure might be the perfect vacation activity for you.

What Is A Zip Line?

A “zip line” is the generic term for steel cables that run from tree to tree. Soaring Tree Top Adventures uses stainless steel helicopter-grade cable that will never rust and is much higher quality than the standard “bright” steel zip lines that flake and are noisy. This provides a much smoother, quieter, and safe ride.

Soaring Tree Top Adventures holds the patent to a unique formula allowing zip line guests to go from tree to tree without manually slowing down. Gloves are unnecessary to brake on the zip lines because you never need to touch the cable. Guests arrive at a comfortable pace to each tree and can step onto the platform. A Sky Ranger will greet you at each platform.

Luxury Zip Line Tour

Soaring Tree Top Adventures is the Tesla of zip lines! It is the longest and safest zip line in the world. The Soaring property spans both sides of the Animas River, so the zip lines are permitted to cross the river by law.

Most of the river crossings are more than 500 feet in length. The tenth and last zip line that crosses the river is a whopping 1,400 feet (a quarter of a mile) span! You jump from a cliff to launch this zip line and fly across the Animas River.

Class V rapids in the upper Animas River, where the zip lines cross the riverPhoto credit: Robin O’Neal Smith

When I visited and zip-lined across the Animas river, there was a black bear in the river below. What a thrill that was.

While the experience allows you to enjoy nature and zipping from tree to tree, you are also treated to first-class train transportation in a luxurious, private train car, a four-course gourmet lunch among the trees, snacks, and an ecology tour.

Soaring Tree Top Adventures provides guests with two of the best Durango attractions (Soaring and the Durango & Silverton Railroad) packaged together for a day’s adventure.

The only way to get to Soaring Tree Top Adventures is to ride the Durango & Silverton Train.Photo credit: Michael P. Smith

Train Ride Included

You board the historic Durango & Silverton Train in Durango and ride for 2 hours, viewing the scenic forest, majestic mountains, and the gushing Animas River. The views are spectacular.

Visitors from around the globe visit Durango to ride the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Guests of Soaring Tree Top Adventures ride in a special car. After dropping guests off at the zip line, the train continues to Silverton. The train returns at the end of your zip line adventure to pick you up and return you to Durango.

Attraction Rated #1 

It was the very first zip line and is currently the longest zip line in the United States. It was rated the #1 Attraction in the United States on TripAdvisor. It was also ranked the top activity in Colorado and Durango.

Get Away From The Crowds

This unique zip-lining course is in the middle of the San Juan Forest. Talk about being remote; the only way to get there is via train. There are no roads. There is also minimal cell service in the mountains, so plan to unplug and enjoy nature as you leave the crowds behind.

Full Day Adventure

It is a full day of adventure with the 2-hour first-class train ride through breathtaking alpine scenery to Soaring Treetop Adventures. Sky Rangers and Eco Rangers are there to greet you and accompany you throughout the day.

Soaring Guests will experience 5.5 hours of zip-lining! All that exercise will work up an appetite, and the delicious four-course gourmet lunch served on a platform overlooking the Animas River will give you the energy to zip through the afternoon.

When your soaring adventure through the treetops and tall timbers comes to a close, you board the train again for the 2-hour ride back to Durango. The experience from start to finish is approximately 9.5 hours.

Trained Sky Rangers

Your tour guides for the day are the Sky Rangers. They guide you through the entire zip line course, help with your equipment, greet you when you arrive on a platform, and send you off to the next on the next span.

All Sky Rangers have CPR and First Aid certifications. Plus, they are trained in Soaring’s treetop protocols to ensure they know how to safely and effectively guide guests of all ages and physical abilities.

Eco Rangers will educate guests on Soaring’s commitment to the preservation and sustainability of the rare old-growth trees.

Fun Multignerational Adventure

From 4 to 94, all ages can enjoy Soaring Treetop Adventures. Multiple generations come for the day to zip-line together. Several generations were zip-lining when we visited.

Zip-lining through aspens at Soaring Tree Top AdventuresPhoto credit: Michael P. Smith

The Scenery

Gorgeous scenery will surround you both during your travel by train to Soaring Tree Top Adventures and while you are there. Majestic mountains, the gushing Animas River, and the tall timbers that include Aspens and Pines contribute to one of the most scenic areas in the country.

You also may see various animals like deer, mountain sheep, elk, bobcats, turkeys, mountain lions, and bears.

Environmentally Friendly

Soaring Tree Top Adventures is environmentally friendly. Platforms are suspended from a patented “tree-hugging” system that allows the trunk to sway and expand. Built without bolts, hooks, screws, or anything penetrating the trees, they do not suffer any intrusions or stresses.

Accessibility And Rules

• Guests must be able to climb stairs and hike up and downhill. You must be able to bend your knees.
• The paths are not wheelchair accessible. The course is in an outdoor, wilderness environment.
• The minimum weight for ziplining is 50 pounds, and the maximum weight is 265 pounds.
• Smoking and all smoking devices are strictly prohibited.

Soaring Tree Top AdventuresPhoto credit: Robin O’Neal Smith

Other Important Information

• Soaring Tours typically run from the end of May through the middle of October.
• You can reserve both the train and the zip line experience with one call to Soaring Treetop Adventures. They take care of everything.
• There is a strict no-tipping policy.
• The train and zip line run rain or shine. The zip line shuts down if there is lightning in the area.
• Selfie sticks are not permitted.
• You can travel with your family but skip the zip lines if you wish. Just reserve a pass as a day guest. This allows you to watch and take photos during part of the course and enjoy lunch with them.

Tips For A Successful Day With Soaring Tree Top Adventures

• Dress in layers and bring a jacket. It is 5 to 10 degrees cooler in the mountains.
• Wear closed-toe shoes. You will be hiking, climbing, etc.
• Take bug spray and sunscreen.
• Pay close attention to the Sky Ranger instructions. 
• Have fun!