Ketchikan Alaska Zipline Tours

An exhilirating experience!

Incredible! Awesome! That's what we said after our experience with the zipline tours in Ketchikan Alaska. While we started out nervous and anxious about what we were going to do, we ended up walking away with a perma-smile and a love for ziplining in Alaska!

After being in Ketchikan for a couple years, we had the opportunity to go ziplining and jumped on it! Knowing that the Zipline Tours were voted as the number one tour for 5 years in a row, we were really excited to learn what the big deal was! :-) We quickly learned why the ziplines are such popular Ketchikan Alaska tours!

The Unimog used to get us to the beginning of the Ziplines

Beginning at the Cruise Ship dock, we boarded an old school bus type transport and travelled through town and out to the site, about 8 miles south of downtown Ketchikan. Our driver chatted with us about the area and pointed out highlights during our drive. When we arrived at the site of the Ziplines, everyone turned in their release forms & we boarded a fun 4x4 Unimog vehicle that powered up & around the hills to get us to the top of the zipline course.

We stopped at the top of the road & assembeled inside the gear shack to meet our sensational guides and be fitted with our safety harnesses, gloves, & helmets. Our tour guides were exceptional at explaining everything and ensuring our gear was fitted perfectly. Safety was definitely the #1 priority as was getting everyone excited to get started!

Next up, we were taken outside the gear shack, our guides splitting us up into groups of no more than 9, and showing us in detail exactly how to go ziplining! They explained the perfect position (in our sitting harnesses!), how and where to position our hands, and what not to do! Oh how he made it look so eash! haha...

And then it was our turn at the practice zipline. I'll be honest, my heart was beating through my chest and I had a hard time remembering everything - where do I put my hand again?

But our guide was incredibly calm and went over any detail I missed before letting me gooooooo...... :-) And just like that - wheeeee..... I was zipping to the next platform!

Thankfully, Mike (one of the two tour guides) was waiting for me and coached me through the stop. Woohoo!!! I made it!! That was simply incredible!!

What a feeling - I know I was smiling ear to ear! Even if it was a mere 40 feet! haha...

We went on the Eagle Creek Zipline which had a total of eight ziplines & ten tree platforms up to 135 feet above the forest floor and over 700 feet long! The zipline tours start short and gradually get longer to let you build up your confidence, which helped significantly!

We also traversed 3 suspension bridges which were a hoot! It was so incredible to be walking among the top of the trees! Spoting eagles & other birds all while on the lookout for bears below at Herring Cove.

Our guides discused the trees, rainforest, & surrounding area, how the zipline was built, how it is inspected & maintained, experiences in the area, and so much more!

They were great at making us feel comfortable - remembering everyon's names & engaging us in conversation, picking up right where we left off after catching us on the platforms.

The sights & sounds of the zipline tours I will never forget are the sound of the wind rushing by, the whine of the zipline as you fly to the next platform, the treetops,

Eagles in the Trees - Photo by Lindsay Case

The wildlife (how many eagles do you count?!),

The sensational views







and of course, that exhilirating feeling of simply letting go and flying!

There's nothing quite like it and you can't help but have a HUGE smile on your face when you finish!! And this from a guy who has a fear of heights!

At the conclusion of our tour, we were all awarded with red medals - proof that we made it! We were also invited to wander through the lovely gift shop with all kinds of godies inside; T-shirts with the 'Eat Sleep Zip' logo on it, hats, keychains, mugs, you name it! We were also treated to hot coffee, cocoa, & cookies - what a treat!

Outside the gift shop was also a handful of gorgeous Totem Poles, the perfect backdrop for a group photo!

There are two Zipline Tour Companies in Ketchikan Alaksa. We chose Alaska Canopy Adventures and were incredibly happy with our choice. We were lucky enough to go on a dry day but on those rainy days they provide rain gear.

There are two zipline courses at Alaska Canopy Adventures - the Eagle Creek zipline with 8 ziplines, 3 suspension bridges, & ten tree platforms. The other course is called the Bear Creek Zipline which is a little tamer & built for first-time zipliners & families with smaller kids. The Bear Creek Zipline has 7 ziplines, one suspension bridge over a waterfall, a rapelling station and a 250-foot mountain slide!

Southeast Exposure is the other zipline tour companies in Ketchikan and offers the Rainforest Canopy Ropes & Zipline Park. This park has 7 gravity ziplines, a 50ft climbing tower, rapelling, & suspended log bridges to cross. Different from all other zip experiences, you can swing, scramble, climb and glide on suspended cables through a unique rainforest adventure park

The Ketchikan Alaska Zipline Tours were phenomenol - a truly exhilirating experience, one I will not soon forget!

---

Ketchikan Maps - Free Walking tour maps & more of the Ketchikan Area
Ketchikan Webcams - See live views of Ketchikan!
Alaska cruise packing list - What to pack for your trip!