A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of experiencing the Navitat Canopy Tour, a four hour adventure in the trees of Wrightwood, Ca, just 75 miles out of LA. This “Squirrel approved Adventure” includes 10 zip-lines, 2 repels through tree branches, bridges, and my personal favorite, sky-stairs.
Afraid of heights? Never fear, the friendly staff fasten you safely in a harness that you wear the whole time, and your tour guides are in charge of clipping you in and out of the zips, so you pretty much just enjoy the ride! At one point I even zip-lined alongside a really pretty blue bird, we were going the same speed.
Navitat’s platforms and zips are built in harmony with nature, and the tour guides do an excellent job of explaining how they minimized the impact on the trees, allowing them to continue to grow unaffected by our exploring from their mountaintop views. Of course all I could think about was how to build a tiny house with zip only access!
Tips to plan your visit:
- Get there early, Wrightwood is a cute little town up the mountain off of the I-15, walk around a little before your tour.
- Wear pants! One member of our group didn’t, and it gets cold up there.
- Keep your eyes open for the San Andreas fault line, you cross it on the way up!
- Hydrate ahead of time, but know there are no bathroom breaks once you get started. Small water cups are provided twice along the tour, but you will still be thirsty.
- Check out the Yodeler for some drinks and pizza after, it won’t disappoint!
Navitat also provides tours in Asheville, NC and they are possibly coming to a forest near you, with plans to open a new location each year for the next ten years. Learn more at Navitat.