Tarzan did it. Now you can, too. Fly through the trees with the savvy of someone raised by apes during a winter zipline tour at Sunday River or Sugarloaf. The safety harness will keep you safe, and yes, you can belt out your best Tarzan yell as you glide from tree to tree. We won’t judge.
Sunday River’s zipline tours in Newry fly riders through the Maine woods as they cross back and forth over a deep ravine and stream bed on the six lines of the course. Lines range from 100 to 300 feet and reach speeds of 25 miles per hour. That’s significantly faster than most of us normally move. And before riders return to the pedestrian world, they’ll take on the 750-foot twin ziplines. Race a friend or go the whole way upside down. (The twin ziplines can be done without taking the full tour.)
Zipline tours at Sunday River depart at 1 p.m. on Saturdays through March 29, plus holidays (Jan. 19-20) and vacations (Feb. 16-23) and last one to two hours. The tour costs $59, or $49 with a valid lift ticket or season pass, and reservations are highly recommended. Call 800-543-2754 for more information or to reserve a spot.
At Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, the zipline tour features seven lines reaching up to 260 feet. Riders will zip over Gondi Brook and across the former path of the Sugarloaf Gondola. Tours here last about an hour and depart at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesdays through April 6. The tour costs $39 and reservations are encouraged. For more information call 800-843-5623.
If heights aren’t your thing – either because you suffer from vertigo or you continue to have flashbacks from a terrifying treehouse incident in your youth – you can still catch a bit of air at one of Maine’s tubing parks.
Black Mountain
39 Glover Road, Rumford; 364-8977; www.skiblackmountain.org
$15 day ticket. Tubing area not yet open
Camden Snow Bowl
20 Barnestown Road, Camden; 207-236-3438; www.camdensnowbowl.com
$5 per hour. Weekends, holidays and February vacation, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Eaton Mountain
89 Lambert Road, Skowhegan; 207-474-2666; www.eatonmountain.com
$13 for three-hour session. Friday 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday noon to 9 p.m., Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Special Friday night 9 p.m. to midnight sessions with bonfires and live music
Hermon Mountain
441 Newburg Road, Hermon; 207-848-5192; skihermonmountain.com/tubing
$12 for three hours. Wednesday through Friday 3 to 6 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to noon, noon to 3 p.m., 3 to 6 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to noon and noon to 3 p.m.
Oxford Plains Snow Tubing
339 Main St., Oxford; 207-539-2454; www.oxfordplainssnowtubing.com
$12 for one hour, $14 two hours, $20 all day. Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., school vacations 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Seacoast Fun Park
932 Roosevelt Trail, Windham; 207-892-5952; seacoastfunparks.com
$18 per two-hour session for single tube, $27 per session for combo tubes. Thursday 5 to 8 p.m., Friday 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sugarloaf
5092 Access Road, Carrabassett Valley; 207-237-6939; www.sugarloaf.com
For children 12 and under. $10 per session. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Sunday River
Sunday River Road, Newry; 207-824-3000; www.sundayriver.com
$10 per hour. Friday, Saturday and holidays, 4 to 9 p.m.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
