Swinging From the Treetops in Charlemont, Mass.

 

Weaving its way through the towering treetops on Zoar Outdoor’s eighty-acre property in Charlemont, Massachusetts, is the most extensive zip line in the state.

 

The Deerfield Valley Canopy Tours include zips of varying lengths, separated by stations—platforms built into the sturdy trees that cover the hillside—offering breathtaking views of nearby mountains as adventurers travel along at twenty to thirty miles-per-hour.

 

Two sections totaling nine zip lines allow participants to swoop down through a verdant tunnel of trees approximately six hundred feet in elevation.

 

An adventure right at your fingertips, literally, the canopy tour is led by well-trained guides who not only make sure each person is strapped in tight and knows when to hit the “brakes” (placing a gloved hand on the cable), but who also inspire zipees to feel confident while flying through the air.

 

Secluded right in our backyard, the tour offers a wholly unique sensation: peaceful exhilaration. Other adventures, such as rafting or rock climbing, require intensive training to develop technique, but the Canopy Tour, as Zoar co-owner and vice president Karen Blom says, “is the event.” [AUGUST 2009]

 

THE GOODS

Deerfield Valley
Canopy Tours
Zoar Outdoor
7 Main St./Route 2
Charlemont, Mass.