Zip Line Course Opens In Cook County Forest Preserve
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Billed as the first of its kind in the state, a new zip line and treetop obstacle course is open in Western Springs.
Go Ape – a Maryland-based chain of treetop adventure courses – has opened a seven-acre course at the Bemis Woods forest preserve in the western suburbs.
Cook County Forest Preserve District Supt. Arnold Randall said it's the first such course in Illinois.
"You have people suspended maybe 20, 30 feet above the ground, walking across ropes. You have people on zip lines – you basically hook up, you're in a harness, and you hook yourself up, and you zip across the treetop canopy there. There's cargo nets where you can swing; it's called a Tarzan swing, you can swing into the net, and then climb up the net, and all the time you're secured to a safety, so you're basically in a very safe situation, but you're doing some high-level tree canopy stuff. So really exciting stuff," he said.
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The course is open to adults and children 10 years and older. After a 20-minute safety session, the entire course takes 2 to 3 hours to complete.
Go Ape at Bemis Woods is open through November 30.
