Big Pines Zipline Tours

If I could. leave 10 stars I would! Emily B and Sonia were absolutely amazing! Zip lining with the two of them was better than I had expecting. They were both very accommodating and informative. I had speak to sue a few times before our trip also and she was very welcoming and made me feel very comfortable. This experience was definitely one to remember!

Amazing! As soon as we got there the excellent customer service started. I was worried about losing my Raybans while suspended 300 feet in the air, but no biggie they sell chums for like $ 6.99 and up. The two guides we had were Andrew and Timber. These guys were just the perfect combo of professional and playful. They allowed the small group I was in to fulfill their adrenaline seeking behaviors while keeping it safe of course! It was an all day package we signed up for, and filled with different obstacles. It had repels, sky bridges, Sky stairs, free falls, zip-​lining and some pretty tough hiking trails. The altitude did make the hiking harder. Oh let’s not forget the 4-​wheel van ride up the mountain, wow trust me when I say keep your helmets on and buckle up! It had me laughing like a little kid on a roller coaster ride!
In between the two tours (all day pkg is a combo of two tours) they had a cute little picnic set up for us with a little lunch. This was all included. They even went out of their way to accommodate a gluten free diet for a girl that was with us.
These two guides and the tours were one of the best part of our trip to LA. I will definitely recommend them to anyone coming this way. To get there was an 1 ½−2 hrs but it was a nice scenic drive.
Thanks for EVERYTHING Andrew and Timber. We will always have those memories! BRIDGE! Lol

So I returned this time accompanied by my at the time wimpy boyfriend who is no longer a wimp. Thanks to Big Pines and a little push from myself, my boyfriend conquered his fear of heights.
Being 6’4 my boyfriend comfortably put on the harness I’m 5’7 and I didn’t have a problem. This is an incredible experience and the staff or guides know the course very well they entertain and educate throughout the course.
For more info reference my previous Review on this business! But still 5 stars a second time!

I couldn’t have asked for better a first time Ziplining adventure! We did the 3.5 hour Canopy tour. Them rope bridges are awesome! The experience was phenomenal and couldn’t have asked for better tour guides. Emily and Andrew, you guys rock! Not only were you guys knowledgeable, you both made this an experience unforgettable and thrilling. Thank you again!!! I’ll for sure be back for the night ziplining and request for you.

For Father’s Day, my husband wanted to take my dad out zip-​lining. I’m not good with heights, but I have to admit– what a MEMORABLE experience we had from it all. If not for Zack and Sam to guide us every moment of the way, we wouldn’t have had such a positive experience as we did and I wouldn’t have gone through with it, honestly. They’re very personable and professional at the same time, which is what helped alleviate most my rattled nerves (knowing we were suspended 40ft up in the air– but– i digress).
This 5 star review is dedicated to them and the kind staff upon entering and leaving the place– but mostly for Zack and Sam! Love you, guys: D
I especially appreciated your guys’ (come to think of it~ also my groups’) patience with me when I was crossing bridges and rappel down trees at a snail-​like pace along with my unwillingness to let go of gear straps and hug trees.
Oh! And a shout-​out to the drivers for getting us to and from the mountain safely. Anyone in need of a rally driver— Steph’s your girl loll
Thanks, everyone!

This place is awesome! Great Views, very easy to get the hang of it. First time zip liner, definitely coming back for the night zip. Super cool thing to do for the whole fam. Our guides (Sonia and Emily) were super cool chicks. :) great experience for me and my 10 y/​o daughter.

Had an amazing time! First time zip lining, So was a little nervous but our Instructors Sonia and Nick were wonderful !. Def a must do again. :-)

Amazing experience with Big Pines Ziplines! Everyone is super nice and helpful. We had the best guides, Emily and Gunner, very patient, knowledgeable and great, friendly attitudes! We did the All Day Package which was great. Started off on the Mountain View Tour, took a nice break for lunch, which they kindly provided, and then did the Canopy Tour. What a fun and exhilirating day! Highly recommend this place — the guides are so well trained and check and recheck everyone’s gear often. They really give you confidence that you’re in great hands!

My friend and I did the Mountain tour today and we had a blast! The guides are super fun and really good at what they do. I felt safe and comfortable the whole tour. The braking system takes some getting used to, but once you get the feel of it, it’s not so bad. Super fun!

Me and my other half absolutely loved this experience. We had no idea that a good zip lining course was so close to home.
Located in Wrigthwood CA a short drive from LA this place offers the best kind of excursion for those who love to swing among the trees. We love outdoor festivities for birthdays so this had to be the place.
Instructors were all extremely knowledgable and answered any concerns we may have throughout the trip. I felt perfectly safe the entire time.
We took the 3.5 hr Canopy tour, a great starter package that includes 8 zips & 2 rappels. For the amount of fun we had and the level of safety involved I would say this was worth every penny. Will definitely be back for a day tour soon!
They are kind enough to get cool shots of you zipping down the long zip line available for purchase at the end of the trip. Make sure you bring secure clothes and don’t hold your phone in your hand these drops are no joke!

Ziplining is AWESOME!
I absolutely loved our guides. They made it the most amazing experience ever. Being that this was our first time, our instructors Sean and Emily B. were patient and made us feel safe/​comfortable. THANK YOU SO MUCH, BIG PINES ZIPLINES! We had a rad time!

SO MUCH FUN! this trip was for my birthday and I really wanted to go ziplining somewhere in the area and I found this place! I read reviews and searched their website for tours and there was so much great feedback I decided to book it! it was such a great price for the money ($ 129 per person with 5 people), the tour guides (we had Benjamin and Maverick) were awesome, super helpful and made it fun, and the canopy tour was of course awesome as well. they put safety first which is great and as long as you follow directions you will be fine. I thought the hiking, zipping, sky bridges, sky stairs, and rappels would obviously be the most fun part right? but the car ride up was probably the hardest I laughed to whole time, with Chuck driving he gave us the ride of our lives up that mountain! haha such a great time and there is tons of delicious food nearby that we took advantage of, since our tour was from 8:30−12, we had lunch at a delicious Mexican restaurant that was walking distance from Big Pines! I recommend this to anyone, great staff, great quality, and an awesome day!
I also wanted to add this in since I was curious to know when I was searching. the canopy tour that we went on said to just be able to comfortable walk one mile and you will be okay. my mom was really worried about this because she wanted to make sure she could do it. believe me, this hike is friendly to nearly any person. there is only two small hikes but it’s not super difficult and the tour guides are there to help and stop when you need to. do not worry about being too out of shape, both of my parents could do it at almost 60! I also went with my family (my sister, brother, parents, and me) and it was such a great bonding experience for us, so again I totally recommend it! but if you go with friends or anyone else, you will still totally enjoy it! the more fun you have, the more fun the tour guides are and that makes all the difference to your trip! at least it did for us!
good luck! and when you sign those forms to zipline, be ready for the time of your life!

You all need to go Ziplining! Everything about this experience was awesome. Easy check-​in, thorough explanation of safety and what to expect. We took a van up to the top of our first zip and even THAT was awesome! The driver, Conrad, was playing themed adventure music to psych us up, so fun!
Our guides, Timber and Andrew, were super rad and chill. I’d say we all felt safe, because everything was explained and demonstrated very well. This boosted our confidence levels dramatically. Also they made it FUN! Little jokes here and there, tips on how to go faster or do it better. They were perfect. They also took some amazing photos along the way which we of course purchased. We took mom for Mother’s Day and she was in heaven! The Mountain View Tour was great with 6 zips and 2 free falls. But I think next time we will opt for MORE! It’s addicting! Thank you to the entire staff for a fantastic experience !

Checked off a bucket list item this past weekend ziplining and had an awesome (and safe) time thanks to our guides Chewy and Emily. My boyfriend and I did the canopy tour which included 8 zip lines, 2 repels and 2 sky bridges. The first three zip lines are short and meant for you to practice breaking, the five zips that follow are much longer, faster and more thrilling; the view zipping through the trees is amazing! The repels were cool but the sky bridges were terrifying; we went on an especially windy and cold day so that definitely added to the fear factor. Be sure to check the weather before you go! We went on an especially cold day and it even started to hail at some points!
Highly recommend Big Pines for your zip line adventure!

Two words… «JUST GO!!!» I recently drove up from San Diego and celebrated a birthday with a female family member at Big Pines Zipline and it was unforgettably Fun, Fun, Fun! The entire staff is incredible and leaves you feeling spoiled for choosing a thrilling activity which leaves most people a nervous wreck. Check-​in was e-​a-​s-​y breezy, hello-​its me-​waiver-​wait a few minutes, gear check/​instructions and your off zipping. We were so fortunate to have the two best instructors at Big Pines in… wait-​for-​it, Timber and Maverick! These gentlemen were nothing short of A-​M-​A-​Z-​I-​N-​G!!! Timber and Maverick are both knowledgeable tour guides who will leave you feelin at-​ease because although, they are thrill seekers, they were both cooler than the other side of the pillow. Their direction was clear and crisp. With Timber’s knowledge of the forest, you are in safe hands. With Maverick’s nerves of steal, how could you lose?
We opted for the 3.5 hour Canopy tour which wasn’t too long or too short but just right. This includes 8 zips, 2 repels, 3 sky bridges, and you polish it off with a free fall to close out your day. We had a few «pre-​school zips» as Timber called them before heading straight to college. The highlight of the day was a 1,600 ft zip experience which is guaranteed to leave you smiling and crying all at once as it is a fast zip. There is a nice 1,300 ft zip that competes for attention as well. A sky bridge as high as 300 ft will test your resolve as will the small planks of wood and tree stumps fastened together to give your feet hope as you make your way across nothing but air and opportunity. Rest assured that you will be fine as you are reminded of how Timber and Maverick helped escort a brave soul of a ten year old through the same course.
They will thrill you with stories about Dalores who failed to grab the line and ended needing a rescue from Timber. The most important story on your mind will be the one you tell your friends and family about how everyone must experience Big Pines Zipline! If your still thinking about it… STOP-​IT RIGHT NOW! It’s easy to book online, sign-​up, pick a tour, pick a date and time, and wait to be blown away by a great experience. Get Zipped! Ask about frequent zipper special if you really enjoy your time in the mountains.
***Remember *** to ask for Timber and Maverick as ut would not be the same without them. To the owners of Big Pines, please take the time to commend Timber and Maverick fir leaving a lasting impression– because of them, I’m recommending you to everyone I know. Great Job!!!
So much Fun, Fun, Fun!

Brought my brother in-​law for his birthday along with a bunch of friends and did the Canopy Tour. He loved it, they loved it… I loved it! Definitely coming back for more. Our guides, Zack and Emily were the best. Couldn’t have asked for better. Definitely asking for them again next time around!

Seven of us celebrated a friend’s birthday by having a Zipline adventure and our guides Kraken and Timber went above and beyond every expectation — mind thoroughly blown!
Not only did they deliver a safe, stellar zipline experience, they did so with an amazing sense of humor and entertainment. Right from the start, Kraken had everyone laughing and comfortable as we climbed into our harnesses with self-​deprecating humor. Timber soon joined and immediately made us feel safe and confident.
Throughout our day, both of them put us at ease with jokes and took every step to make sure we were safe. On top of everything, they also gave us a great outdoor education about the Angeles National Forest and pointed out interesting features throughout the course.
I’d come back in a heartbeat. Request Kraken and Timber if you can, they made it a truly memorable day!

We celebrated my daughter’s 21^st birthday by checking off one of the items on her bucket list. This course was extremely safe and fun. If you have never gone ziplining before this would not be the course that I would try first unless you are prepared for the very high, long, and fast courses. It felt extremely safe but it does take some getting use to. Both of our guides were great but it would have been perfect if one didn’t hit on my daughter inappropriately. Business is business, as a customer that should be respected. Other than that, I would give 5 stars.

We took the family to zip line for the first time for my fiancé’s birthday and our guide Ray and Keith were absolutely amazing we plan on going back in the spring and upgrading our package thanks for a great time guys.

This was my first time ziplining, and I had an awesome time. My boyfriend booked the Mountain View tour as a Christmas present, and we had Ray and Keith as our guides. Both guys were funny and upbeat, and I liked that Ray seemed to be a very experienced zip liner who put a lot of thought into safety. He made me feel really safe and comfortable throughout the experience, which was great since I was a nervous first-​timer.
My only complaint is that the photos they take of you (and offer for purchase at the end of the tour) are quite expensive. From a business standpoint, I think it would be better for them to put their logo on the bottom corner of the photos and offer digital copies for free. That way, customers have pictures that they can post on Facebook and other social media, and Big Pines Zipline can have free advertising. I mostly suggest this because the nature of ziplining makes it hard to take your cell phone or camera (due to the risk of dropping or damaging them; our guides even suggested we not carry these things), and so it’s hard to take photos of your own. I got no photos myself, and thus have nothing to share with my Facebook friends, many of whom are outdoorsy and would probably visit Big Pines after seeing my pictures.
Just a thought. Other than that, this place is awesome, safe, and a ton of fun!

We had a fantastic time! It was a bit chilly and the wind kicked up to speed us along even faster at times, but the excitement kept you fairly warm. You definitely want to have some sturdy shoes and warm clothing. Timber and Keith were our guides and they made the experience that much more enjoyable. We were out there for almost 3 hours. Thanks for the exhilarating fun and all the great pix!
Definitely worth the price!

This place was great. From the crazy van ride up, to the fun tour guides (Zac and Micah), to the fun and varying obstacles, all the way to the awesome ziplines.
We felt safe and secure the whole time yet still had that excitement of danger and exhilaration. I’m very impressed and will return.

We’ve spend the 1^st day of new year 2016 in this place. It’s our first time doing this and I would say our tour guide Ben (hope I remember it right) & Emily is awesome… They are knowledgable to all the questions thrown to them. Emily is so cool. Her personality & smilie help us to feel relax. Will definitely recommend the canopy tour … The excitement will start riding the van (?) uphill. We’re like Indiana Jones style being chased … Highly recommended to those who wants to experience zip lining adventure.

Quick check in, reasonably priced, well-​rounded adventurous day. It was very fast paced. We happened to be there when it was cold and snowing. Bring sunglasses just in case. Very cold! Dress appropriately: our feet, hands, ears and noses were frozen! There is some moderate hiking involved — Chewy and Emily were awesome! Fantastic!
Suggestions: sell or rent cold weather gear (wool socks, face mask/​hoodie, ear warmers). More itinerary info at start and along the route so that participants can be more mentally attuned to the progress of the adventure.
DOUBLE THUMBS UP!!!
Another DOUBLE THUMBS UP for CHEWY & EMILY!
I will be going again in summer!

Ahhhhmazing experience! Ben and Emily!!! We originally reserved the Mountain Tour and decided at out your time that we wanted to do the Canopy tour instead. They accommodated us!!!
Ben and Emily helped us to enjoy ourselves despite the fact we were ALL freezing. It was 30 degrees and the wind was blowing at 40mph!!! So it felt like 22degrees! They made the tour easier and achievable for us. Had they not insisted that we continue, I’m so sure we all would have been ok with ending after the test runs.
Thank you Big Pines for being thee absolute best zipline experience in Southern California!!!

Good prices and everyone is so nice.
My family and I booked at the last minute to go zip lining.
From the moment we walked in to the establishment we felt welcomed.
Reception was great and our tour guides were awesome! Special shout out to Ray— thanks for being the best tour guide ever. We are sending all our friends to u!

Ben and Micah were amazing guides! We went ziplining yesterday in the cold with snow on the ground! It was my second time here and my girlfriend’s first time. The course was challenging and exciting and the guides made our trip memorable while keeping us safe. The van ride up the hill was intense and part of the adventure! There’s a small amount of hiking on this canopy tour including many ziplines, rope-​bridges, repels, and a free fall at the end! Thank you Ben and Micah for an amazing adventure and catching us, (and for the glove burn)! ! We highly recommend Big Pine Zipline Tours! See you in the summer!

Our 1^st ziplining experience (yesterday) was AMAZING! Beyond fun. Our guides, Ray & Emily were great. They were a lot of fun, knowledgeable and made us feel like we were in really good hands way up there in the tops of the trees. It was thrilling from beginning to end!
Thanks Big Pines Zipline Tours and thank you Ray & Emily!
Blue skies,
Renate

Days after this experience and I still can’t stop smiling! We did the Canopy Tour on Saturday, November 21^st at 9:00 am for my husband’s surprise birthday. Our family joined us on this adventure and traveled all the way down from the Bay area to celebrate with us. Neither one of us had any experience with zip lining and we were all collectively scared of heights.
But by the end of it all, we felt like we conquered our fears with the help of our guides, Pohai and Sonia, who were so cool and down to earth. They were not only great instructors, but also awesome people to hang out with during the tour. They were super encouraging and showed genuine concern about making sure we felt safe every step of the way. We shared a lot of laughs the whole way through. Pohai’s jokes were a good comic relief to the tension most of us felt crossing a few of the scary sky bridges and Sonia had us smelling the trees and gave us little educational tips about the surrounding area. Don’t forget to tip your guides at the end of the tour. They deserve it! :)
As someone who works in an office all day, it was such a breath of fresh air… to literally breathe the fresh air in the mountains lol. Many of us are programmed to be so busy, going through the monotony of life, hardly ever getting a chance to connect with nature. I felt like this zip lining tour really gave my family and I just what we needed that day, a memorable experience filled with tons of fun and excitement!
There really is nothing quite like hiking through the forest and zip lining through the trees! We can’t wait to go back and do it again!

Absolutely fantastic time. A great outdoor adventure no doubt. Took my girlfriend here for her birthday. She loved it. Our tour guides Steven and Sonia were terrific. Steven was quite funny and made the experience even more enjoyable. Sonia was excellent and professional. Always checking and double checking our gear. My girlfriend was a little scared at first, but Sonia was great at easing her fears.
One of the best parts of this adventure was the ride up the mountain. A very intense, winding road on the edge, stunt driving tour de force by our driver Chuck. Very, very cool!
The only mishap is that they charged my card twice by mistake. I was supposed to receive a 15% discount for staying at a local B&B, but instead they mistakenly charged my card again for another day instead of applying my B&B discount. I was told by a friendly employee that I would have to wait a few days for a refund. But, I also received an email stating the refund would take up to 30 days. Miscommunication is all. No worries. Mistakes happen.
I would highly recommend coming here for one of greatest outdoor adventures you will have. I can’t say enough about the great time we had. Beautiful scenery, friendly, professional staff and so much fun!

The Canopy Tour was so much fun! Crazy adrenaline rush. I did not expect the zip lines to be so long — that was a nice surprise. Ray and Sonia did a fabulous job showing us the ropes and leading an awesome tour. I would recommend them to anyone looking for an adventure.

This is an unusually long review for someone as lazy as me, mostly because of my fondness for everything mountainous, including the nice and simple folks which live up here.
My first time zip-​lining, so I am no great judge. However, the tour was as good as I was expecting.
* HOOD: There are several food joints in the vicinity of these tours, surprisingly a few ethnic options as well (Asian and Mexican). We had a Mexican lunch and it was awesome — nice, big servings.
* CHECK-​IN: The check-​in process is simple — sign a form and get yourself weighted. They don’t ask for ID cards and other useless things.
* WHAT TO CARRY: they clearly state that if something falls off during the tour, they will NOT be able to retrieve it for you (fair enough IMO; for a $ 100 they don’t really owe you a royal service :)). However, it is OK to carry stuff as long as it is properly secured aka your pockets have a zipper or button (s). I carried my smartphone and it was not a problem (Disclaimer: do it at your own risk though and don’t sue me for trying to help you :)). But, unless are taking videos, not much point in carrying anything (you can buy photos on payment later on).
* TOUR and THE GUIDES: I did the $ 99 tour, read other reviews for the $ 129 tour.
–The car/​jeep drives you to your first zipline. Its a rugged and fun terrain; the bumps make sure your food is well digested before you start the whole thing ;).
— You first do some training on a few basic zips to get a feel for the technique; applying brakes is where you need to listen to the guides carefully. There are usually some dropouts after the training, not everyone may feel comfortable with continuing. Two people in my group (out of a total four) dropped out, half of their money was reimbursed.
— The guides were awesome. Nick and Emily were both friendly and nice; they guided us through the entire process, and remained cool even with our unusually noisy group. They trained us well, were clear with instructions and provided us with useful feedback on our zip-​lining technique. Ladies in my group thought they were both cute as well (being a guy, I’m not allowed express my views on anything physical :)).
— There were 6 zip-​lines of varying lengths in the $ 99 package. It was a rainy and we had to press the brakes real hard to when approaching the end of the line (the guides will explain you everything once you are there). Braking is pretty much the only part where you need to use your judgement, physics takes care of the rest. (Again, don’t sue me for your poor luck or even worse — your own lack of judgement .j/​k).
Listen to your guides, scream when going speed, and have tons of fun! Most importantly though, rate this review highly. j/​k.

I’ve been wanting to go zip lining for the past two years and this was the perfect spot for it. Visiting Cali from New York and the tour guides (Ray and Nick) did an awesome job.
They make you feel extremely safe and comfortable. They Crack the funniest jokes while your out on the tour to keep everything running smoothly.
Even the van ride up to the mountain top was down to a science on the songs they played.
Overall great experience and would totally recommend to anyone. They ease you into the heights and speeds so if your nervous-don’t be!

Let me start off by saying I am not very out doorsy AT ALL, but by the end of our zip line tour Timber had me eating a white fur pine tree needle, smelling trees (which some smelled like Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino) and I actually could recognize, and identify the different trees he had pointed out and told us a little about.
My boyfriend booked this tour after seeing a billboard advertisement near LAX and I am SO glad he did. From LA it was about an hour and half to Wrightswood. The drive there is AMAZING the mountains and views are breath taking. The town was amazing too, we wish we could have booked a room and stayed the night.
Timber and Shawn definitely made our zip lining trip! They we so knowledge about zip lining all my fears went away and I could really enjoy my time because I just knew I was safe in their care. We did the Canopy Tour which included: 8 ziplines, 3 bridges, a suspended staircases and 2 rappels, AND I wish we did more.
It’s great to meet people that are really passionate about what they do and care that you have the best time possiable! Only regret is that we couldn’t stay longer! Timber and Shawn thank you so much, we will definitely be back!

This was an awesome zipline experience! Our guides, James and Nick, were very thorough and knowledgeable, and detail-​oriented when explaining the procedures-​safety was their TOP priority (thank God!). They were also entertaining and funny, which made for an even better experience. The cost for the Mountain Tour with 6 zipline rides and 2 freefalls was incredibly reasonable, and I can’t wait to go back for the Canopy Tour!
Big Pines Zipline Tours is a fun, exhilarating and adventurous experience!

This place is awesome if you are looking for some excitement and fun but don’t want to go too far. I’m from the Rosemead/​Arcadia area and it took me just a little bit more than an hour to get there (no traffic). They open at 8:45am, so don’t need to be there too early. Our tour was at 9:20 but we actually started hiking at 10:10am, so make sure you are not in a rush.
There are 3 tours that you can choose from. We chose the $ 109 one. The zips are the most exciting, and then the sky stairs and the repels. There are 8 people in a group and 2 tour guides. We had Alexa and Casey and they were super considerate and friendly! They won’t recommend you bringing bags, but I brought mine anyway and it wasn’t bad at all. The equipments were kind of heavy, thou.
The reason I give 4 stars instead of 5 is
1, the wait is long and it gets a little boring. When you are zip lining, you have to wait until all the people in your group to finish zip-​lining in order to go to the next one, so be prepared to wait.
2, although this might be a little bit subjective, but I think their ziplines aren’t as exciting and thrilling as I thought that they would be :(a little bit disappointed, but not a bad experience overall.

Holy $#!&! What an amazing and unique experience! My friends and I have been planning on coming here for over a year now and it finally went through! We did the Mountain View Tour which included 2 Falls and 6 Zip Lines — we decided to do this one since it was the basic package just to check it out.
We made a 1050am reservation on a Saturday and we got there 20min before to fill out the forms and get weighted. By 1050am, we got introduced to our guides (Ray and Jerome) and we get set with our gears. By the way, Ray and Jerome were AWESOME tour guides. They were extremely funny and energetic the entire time!
You get to take a 5min ride on this van and kinda go off road which was pretty cool. Once you get to the Zip Line site, you hike up a bit before getting instructions on what to do. Ray and Jerome were very helpful and funny all the way. Before the 6 Zip Lines, you get to do 3 training ones just to see if you like it or if you can follow instructions. After you completed the 3 training ones, the 3 next ones are the real thing, followed by a free fall, followed by 3 longer and faster zips, followed by the last fall which leads you back to the waiting lot.
Overall, pretty amazing experience! Definitely recommend it for adventure and adrenaline seekers. Next time, I want to do the entire day package! Definitely worth the drive and the price!

Big Pines Zip Line is an amazing place to get in touch with your inner adrenaline junky! Originally, we booked the 2 ½ hour tour that included 6 zip lines. However, that tour was canceled due to high wind activity after crossing only the second zip line. We were given vouchers to return for a second go round. This was a blessing in disguise as we were more intrigued with their 3 ½ hour tour ($ 109 on weekdays and $ 129 on weekends). That tour had more to offer so we took full advantage of this opportunity! There are 8 zip lines that become faster and longer as you go through the course, 2 opportunities to repel, 1 set of sky stairs, and 3 sky bridges. The best part of that package is that your final zip line activity is a side by side race but it’s totally rigged because the ladies received an extra push to help them gain speed. Yes, I won!!! Woohoo!
When we arrived at Big Pines Zip Line’s facility, we signed waivers and stepped on the scale to make sure that we were within their weight limits. Then we were directed toward the back where we met our tour guides. Harnesses are laid on the floor and when you step into them, you’ll be hooked up in no time. The equipment is heavy!!! I brought my own helmet which was approved after inspection. After that, the van pulled up to transport us to our zip line tour location. Wearing helmets while en route is a necessity as you do some serious off roading along the way. You bounce around in the van quite a bit!
When you exit the vehicle, you actually cross the Pacific Plates (remember your plate tectonics background from Geology/​Geography coursework) and the San Andreas Fault. Soon after, you’ll take a short uphill hike to your first zip line. At this point, you are trained on proper braking techniques. They will evaluate your ability to execute proper braking as you cross the first 3 zip lines. If they feel that you cannot complete this course due to difficulty with braking, you won’t be able to continue the tour. Your safety is their number one concern, next to having fun!
The one thing that I’d like to stress is that if you have a fear of heights, that goes away quickly as you really don’t realize how high up you really are. As you make your way across their longer/​faster zip lines, it becomes evident that you quite a bit higher up in elevation than you thought. All of the sudden, the road below becomes smaller and smaller within your view and the mountainside becomes more majestic each time. Feeling with wind against your face is such an amazing feeling as you become one with nature.
The sky stairs are scary because your walking across logs. However, you’re hooked to the line so that if you fall through the openings, you will just dangle for a bit until you are hoisted back up. The sky bridges consist of long planks that you’ll cross. Once again, you’re connected to a line so you will not plummet toward the Earth.
What makes this tour epic is your tour guides. They’re down to Earth and totally hilarious. At times, things seemed to be set in place to make us feel comfortable. Water was provided (not water bottles but it as enough) and ice cream was left at an ice chest for those who wanted to satisfy that sugar fix! We also had an elderly lady on our tour who expressed her concerns when facing her fears but she was such a trooper. Our tour guides, along with fellow group members help to build up her courage to live on the edge. She was amazing!!! I wish my grandparents were as awesome as her!
I have zip lined at two facilities and this one is a clear winner in terms of levels of higher expectations, pushing your limits, beautiful scenery, and most of all the length/​speed of each zip line. I absolutely loved my experience at Big Pines Zip Lines and wouldn’t hesitate to return on another occasion. :-)