The Ultimate Outdoor Adventure Guide

Tiptoe through the trees

By Anna Stevens

The Adventure: Walking across a thin wire 30 feet up in the air is just part of the average day at Eagle Bluff’s high ropes challenge. Eagle Bluff has three different courses available to challenge your determination, each made up of several small platforms, towering 30 feet off the ground, connected by “events” (narrow log bridges, plank-like ladders and long lengths of cable) challenging you to walk across. With your safety harness on you can conquer new heights while looking out—if you dare to look out—over the treetops and the Root River. Summer Open Ropes is the perfect Saturday adventure for adults and families all summer long. (Two sessions are offered at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.).

What We Wrote About It (from Jennifer Koski, July ‘08): “... The reward for getting through all six events—in addition to a sense of accomplishment—is the zip line that completes the course. At the final platform, I strapped my carabiners to a special hoop on an overhead cable and took a literal leap of faith off the platform. An exhilarating 20-second ride through the sky later, I was back on solid ground.”

Why Climb Up Into Trees?: “It’s great for pushing your boundaries,” says Eagle Bluff’s education director Sara Sturgis. “It helps you meet challenges.”

Where You Go: Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, 28097 Goodview Drive, Lanesboro.

What You Pay: $25 for ages 18 and over, $20 for ages 10-17 (participants 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult).

Find Out More: 507-467-2437; www.eagle-bluff.org