New zipline tour opening in Wrightwood

NAVITAT Canopy Adventures opens July 1, bringing a canopy zip line tour to the mountains of Southern California. NAVITAT
will showcase the rugged beauty of the San Gabriel Mountains, just 75 miles
northeast of Los Angeles near the popular Mountain High winter resort.

The canopy tour course is entirely tree-based and features 10 zip lines
ranging from 200 to 1,500 feet in length — including one that sends
guests soaring 300 feet above the canyon floor.

“We are an
authentic, high-adventure canopy tour with a heavy emphasis on educating
our guests about our natural environment,” said Ken Stamps, CEO and
Managing Partner of NAVITAT, which also operates a
tour in the mountains of western North Carolina.

Guests begin their
NAVITAT experience at a welcome center in Wrightwood, where
they meet their guides, go through a 20-minute orientation session and
gear up. Then, they ride in an all-terrain vehicle to the start of the
custom-designed course, learning along the way about the natural and
cultural history of the area.

In ground school, guests are trained in
proper zip line techniques before starting the course.
Two skilled guides lead each group of eight guests through a series
of zip lines, sky bridges and stairs, trails,
rappels and platforms high in the treetops.

Guests are gradually
introduced to zipping, beginning first with shorter zip lines closer to
the ground before moving onto higher, longer zip lines and sky bridges.
Guides handle all equipment, and guests are attached to a redundant
safety system at all times while off the ground.

“Safety is our
top priority at NAVITAT,” said Wrightwood Site Manager and Partner Evan
Krogh. “Our guides are trained by industry-certified professionals, and
they are required to continually train while they are working here.”

NAVITAT
is a member of the Association for Challenge Course Technology,
which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute. The
company exceeds all standards for construction,
operations and training.

Bonsai Design Inc., the leading canopy
tour installer in the country, designed the NAVITAT course. The design
is entirely tree-based and uses no poles or other structures to support
the platforms and course features.

“We’ve taken great care in
creating this course,” said John Walker, NAVITAT partner and president
of Bonsai Design Inc. “We’ve used innovative design and installation
methods to build a course that fits into this amazing landscape,
disturbing it as little as possible.”

The course is located on a
portion of the Wrightwood Guest Ranch property, a 300-acre retreat
located between the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest.
The site is home to massive conifer trees, abundant wildlife and
long-range views of the Mojave Desert, the Sierras, and the San
Bernardino Range, including San Gorgonio, Southern California’s highest
peak.

“This is a special and spectacular place and we’ve designed
a tour to match it,” said Stamps. “Guests
can expect beautiful views, big zip lines and big-time fun.”

NAVITAT
tours begin July 1 and run daily, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Nov.
30. Reservations are required. Regular tour price is $109 per adult,
and $99 per youth. Weight restrictions apply. Tours last approximately 3
to 4 hours. Visit www.navitat.com/wrightwood/ to book your tour and
learn more.

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