**Go Ape provided us complimentary passes to go zip lining in Maryland and enjoy their treetops adventure course.**
I am not an outdoorsy person.
I’ve written several times about how I loathe bugs, and snakes, and excessive heat, and being cold, and too much sunshine, and high pollen counts. I don’t like sweating, I don’t like shivering, I don’t like snow or rain or humidity. I don’t like suspicious bathroom facilities, or food prep by fire (unless we are talking about a cook out and then, YASSSS, count me in!), or “roughing it” in any way.
I like central air conditioning, rain showerheads, and gas fireplaces that I can sit next to wrapped in a cozy blanket and slipper socks, while I sip hot cocoa with mini marshmallows in it.
Which means, when it’s time for vacation and recreation, we don’t tend to do things like tent camp (although cabin camping is SO my jam), or backpacking, or long hikes, or fishing trips (unless a boat is involved) because then all of the aforementioned items and elements are likely to invade my personal space and haunt me in my sleep. And, frankly, I prefer to not have that.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy nature –I do, but like, in spurts or controlled instances where I can run to safety and comfort should the need arise. And on documentaries with cute pandas or polar bears or whatever. I love those.
As a mom to three active, adventurous sons, however, I’ve been pushed to my outdoorsy limits several times. I have finally come to understand where my threshold aligns perfectly with their happiness and you will see us having hybrid outdoor adventures on a regular basis.
That’s why when <a “no follow” href=”https://goape.com/Locations/Maryland/Rockville”>Go Ape Treetop Adventures in Rockville, Maryland reached out to me to offer a complimentary visit for myself and my Dudes to enjoy their treetop ropes course and zip lining adventure, I was totally down with that.
There aren’t a ton of places to go zip lining in Maryland, and this one is one of the closest to us.
While Go Ape is quite the outdoor adventure involving a high ropes obstacle course and ziplining, it is a controlled situation (so I won’t die) in a relatively urban area (the D.C. Metro area) and no one expects me to sleep over or outside (although I did have to hit that port-a-potty a couple of times while we were out there).
If you’re looking for a place to go zip lining in Maryland, or anywhere really, here are some things you need to know to prepare for your adventure.
Zip Lining in Maryland: Go Ape Treetop Adventures in Rockville
You will be trained.
Most zip line and treetop adventure courses will have an extensive training period with guest before allowing them to climb into the trees. I’ve gone on excursions like this several times and each one included an in-depth safety briefing to help us understand the equipment and how to use it as well to keep us safe while we were high above the trees.
And following their safety warnings is extremely important.
The first question Dude 3 asked me when we completed our training was what does the word fatal mean. Because, if you mess around, and don’t follow their rules about clipping and supervision, you could be seriously injured and/or seriously dead. The obstacles are high up in the trees and, while totally safe if you abide by their rules, the distance from the platform to the ground is very loooooooong.
So, be cautious if you’re afraid of heights.
The high ropes course takes place, you guesses it, HIGH up in the tree canopy which, depending on the height of your trees, could be 40 feet from the ground. The good thing though is that doing the course is a great way to conquer your fear of heights!
It’s physically demanding.
I know people on TV make climbing a rope ladder look like a breeze, but you need a surprising amount of upper body strength to actually pull that task off. That said, if you are pretty healthy physically, I encourage you to try it. I always feel super strong and proud of myself when I finish a course like this off.
It’s not for very young children.
Most zip lining and treetop ropes courses will have age limits for participation because you really need to be able to reach the ropes and follow the safety rules accurately. Go Ape Treetop Adventures have a Treetop Junior experience for younger kids to enjoy.
Looking for other fun things to do in Maryland? check out this list: Fun Things to Do with Kids in Maryland