Zipping Through the Treetops With Navitat Canopy Adventures

I’m afraid of heights. And speed. And any kind of adventure sport for that matter. But when an invitation to go zip lining through the trees in Wrightwood, CA, landed in my inbox, I knew I had to go.

The prospect of spending a few hours in the trees was too much for me to pass up, even if I was scared out of my mind.

As long as I’m coming clean, I’ll also tell you that I didn’t take much more than a quick glance at the company hosting my zip lining adventure before I left home. I figured all I really needed to know was where to be and when.

Lucky for me, I couldn’t have been in better hands.

But first, a little background. Navitat Canopy Adventures is a zip-line canopy tour operator specializing not just in high adventure, but in educating guests about the natural environment, history and culture of the surrounding area.

Set in the San Gabriel Mountains 90 minutes northeast of Los Angeles, Navitat’s zip lining course features a series of tree platforms connected by zip lines, sky and rope ramp bridges, trails and rappels.

Because no pictures I took nor words I could write could explain this experience well enough, I’m leaving it to the pros. Here’s a quick glimpse of what a Navitat adventure is all about.

Southern California Zipline Canopy Tour | Navitat Wrightwood from Navitat Canopy Adventures on Vimeo.

I could talk about all the features of this amazing 300+-acre course – like the highest zip line being 300 feet off the ground, or the longest being some ¼ of a mile, or the top speed we zipped being some 50+ m.p.h. Or the fact that I traversed not one, not two, but three separate sky bridges and a set of sky stairs.

But that’s honestly not what impressed me the most. I’m terrified of heights and speed, after all.

No. What I found most amazing about my day were the countless opportunities I had to connect with nature. And the support, even encouragement, I felt for doing so from our guides Joe and Lexie.

We learned the names of the trees we were zipping through and the mountains and other geographic markers surrounding us. We were encouraged to enjoy the view, whether it was whizzing by or standing still.

When I spotted a bird and said under my breath, “I wonder if that was a woodpecker,” Lexie quickly responded not just with a “yes,” but by pointing out woodpecker holes in a tree not five feet from where we were standing. She went on to explain how many holes a single woodpecker can make in one tree alone, how territorial they are – that she’d once seen one chase off a red-tailed hawk.

These are the moments that will stick with me.

I’m not going to lie to you. I was pretty terrified up there. When the wind started to kick in I was sure I’d made a huge mistake in coming. But when encouraged to “hug a tree” for warmth, my fear suddenly faded away.

I felt safe in those trees, grounded by their strength and the knowledge that they belonged there. They were allowing me to spend a few hours among them and I did not take that for granted.

And neither does Navitat. Their commitment to making the smallest footprint on the land as possible is evident from the get-go. Their guides show that same commitment. It was clear in just the few hours I spent with Lexie and Joe that they are at home in the treetops. At home in nature, for sure.

I’ve been telling people that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But now I’m thinking I just might have to go back.

Date of most recent visit: Sat., March 24, 2012

Who: Mom

Weather: Low 50s, sunny & windy

Highlights

• Bird watching not from ground level, but from high up in the trees (where I spotted several Stellar’s Jays, an acorn woodpecker & a red-tailed hawk)
• Hugging a tree & swaying as one in the wind
• Catching views of the San Bernardino Mountain Range, the San Andreas Fault & the Mojave Desert
• Rappelling down three trees
• Crossing three separate sky bridges – plus a set of sky stairs – in spite of my very strong fear of heights

Practical Matters

• Tour price is $109 for adults, $99 for kids under 18
• Participants MUST be at least 10 years old AND weigh between 90 and 250 pounds
• Tour lasts 3.5 to 4 hours depending on group size (tour groups are limited to a maximum of 8 participants)
• Navitat tours run April through November, rain or shine
• Dress in layers & be prepared for cooler temps up in the trees
• Weekday tours tend to be less crowded
• Must be in good health & meet a few participant requirements 
• Navitat Canopy Adventures has a second location in Asheville, NC

Navitat Canopy Adventures – Wrightwood is located at:
6047 Park Drive
Wrightwood, CA 92397
(855) 628-4828

Note: I received a complimentary Navitat Canopy Adventure in exchange for providing my honest review with you. Read my full disclosure policy for more information.