Sky High Adventure Park Re-Opens in May
Sky High Adventure Park
Re-Opens in May
Treetop Adventures Return to Holiday Valley Resort for the 2023 Season
Photos / Holiday Valley Resort
‘It’s gonna be May!!’… (anyone under the age of 20 probably didn’t get that reference)… and that means it’s time for picnics, hiking, biking and outdoor fun. Holiday Valley Resort is more than ready because Sky High Adventure Park opens May 5th at 9:00am.
“We’re anticipating a fantastic summer up at Sky High,” said Dash Hegeman, Director of Marketing at Holiday Valley. “The Sky High team is excited to open the park back up to guests and has been working very diligently to make the transition from winter to summer. If you’ve never been to Sky High, you’re missing out because it’s a really unique experience. After all, spending a few hours up in the trees isn’t something that most people do on a regular basis.”
Sky High aerial adventure park is a series of bridges, platforms and zip lines built up in the trees. The bridges are made out of various materials such as logs, ladders, hanging chunks of wood… you can even glide on a snowboard in one of the courses! Bridges and zip lines connect the platforms together to form a 5-acre section near the Tannenbaum Lodge. Navigate your way from platform to platform; the more challenging courses require as much strategy as they do balance and strength.
The park consists of 13 courses that vary in levels of difficulty. (The harder the course, the higher up in the trees you are.) The courses are ranked by color, similar to runs of a ski area: 3 yellow courses, 5 green, 2 blue, 2 single black diamond and 1 double black diamond (appropriately named The Commando). All courses except The Commando have at least one zip line. Interesting stats: Sky High is the largest aerial park in New York State and the 3rd largest in the U.S.! There are 142 platforms, 170 elements and 43 zip lines, with the longest being 350 feet.
Cost for the park varies depending on session length and if you will be including any of the other activities that Sky High has to offer. (Example a 3-hour aerial park session is $62 for adults and $54 for juniors; an aerial park session and unlimited access to the Mountain Coaster is $80 for adults and $72 for juniors.) The park will operate from 9:00am-6:00pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday starting May 5th and then will open daily starting June 17th
OTHER SKY HIGH ACTIVITIES
Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster: Similar to a a roller coaster, except it’s built on the mountain! One or two riders sit in a “car” that is attached to the rails and pulls you up the hill, then it follows a zig-zagging path down the mountain. Each car is equipped with a handbrake, allowing riders to control their speed as they descend down the mountain. There are some rules that must be adhered to when considering the coaster, such as: drivers must be at least 8-years-old and 54” tall and be able to demonstrate they understand the staff’s instructions to be a driver. Children must be at least 3-years-old and over 38” (without shoes) to accompany a driver who is at least 16-year-old. Riders must be able to perform certain physical tasks to participate. If two riders are on one car, the combined weight cannot exceed 350 lbs. This is for all riders' safety. The Mountain Coaster will open May 19th.
Climbing Forest: The Climbing Forest is a natural 3-D version of a climbing wall. (It’s one of only three in the U.S.!) Franz Muller of Monkey Hardware (out of Germany) and Bahman Azarm of Outdoor Ventures (who also designed Sky High Aerial Park) have created a unique attraction in the woods of Holiday Valley. There are nine trees outfitted with color coded climbing holds. Difficulty runs from yellow (super easy) to extremely challenging (purple). Every climber has a harness that is clipped into an Auto Belay system so once a climber reaches the top of the tree (up to 45 feet in the air) they just let go and the belay system slowly lowers them to the ground. There is also a kids’ area that has two trees that go up about 6 feet. The minimum age to take on the climbing forest is 5-years-old with a weight of 30 lbs. The Climbing Forest will open on weekends starting May 6th and will operate daily starting in June through September.
Mister Happy Gem Mining: For some educational family fun at the park, head over to the Mister Happy Gem Mining. Great for anyone over the age of two, this attraction welcomes you to experience the old-time tradition of panning for “gold”. Miners can purchase a bag of gems; three options available: a 3 lb. bag for $10, a 5 lb. bag for $14 or the motherlode - a 10 lb. bag for $25. Dump the contents of the bag into a screened frame and wash the grit away in the water of the 65-foot-long sluice to unveil the treasures in your bag! Identification cards are included for those who wish to learn about what types of gems and fossils they’ve discovered.
Chairlift Rides: Don’t forget that besides all the Sky High fun, there is also the option of enjoying a scenic chairlift ride up to Spruce Lake. Take the lift back down or opt to work those leg muscles and hike down to the bottom. For the mountain biker, chairlift access is available so you can take the work out of peddling up and save your energy for riding the miles of trails located at the top of the mountain. The Spruce Lake chairlift will start spinning June 16th and will operate Saturdays and Sundays through October 29th from 11:00am-5:00pm.
Reservations are recommended for all of these great attractions and can be made by calling 716-699-4444 or by reserving online at holidayvalley.com. Spring into Summer with an exciting adventure today!
