Ziplines for the Wildest Bunches

Is your family the kind that eschews board games and sitting on the porch reading in a rocking chair for some adventure? You’re in luck with some of the world’s most daredevil zip lines set in some of the best places for family travel, too.

Broadmoor Seven Falls, Colorado Springs

Propel yourself across 10 zip lines on two courses up to 1,800 feet, along with hiking, rope bridges and a 180-foot rappel that include views of the canyon below and breathtaking waterfalls. You’ll get your Indiana Jones on in style and safety — for both you and the environment — with a course designed by green leader Bonsai Design.

Parc de la Chute‑Montmorency, Quebec City

Soaring high above one of Quebec’s most scenic portions of the St. Lawrence River and a cantilevered cliffside, Parc de la Chute-Montmorency offers side-by-side adventuring 273 feet in the air, some 98 feet higher than Niagara Falls. The newer zip line starts from the top of the cliff and spans almost 1,000 feet across to plunk you near the La Baronne viewpoint, not far from the falls. Get a free video of your exploits if you download a smartphone app ahead of time.

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Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Active volcanoes make for active adventures in Costa Rica, where the biodiverse ecosystems mean there’s plenty of color and life to see from the top. Swing like a monkey from platform to platform as you learn about wildlife and geology at La Fortuna, or try the Monteverde course’s cloud forest, where the mist makes it so you might not even have to shut your eyes to ignore the death-defying heights.

Puerto Rico

As the largest adventure park in the Americas and Caribbean, there are plenty of thrills at Toroverde, not the least of which are the eight zip lines offering views of Puerto Rico’s mountains. The longest line is almost a half-mile long and 600 feet up. Get the chance to zip line regular (sitting) or laying facedown on The Beast — almost a mile long — for something to really brag to your friends about when you get home!

Stowe, Vt.

If you can’t make it to the Green Mountain State in the summer, no worries — it’s much more scenic in the fall anyway. Panoramic ski vistas are filled with color and with the screams of zip-liners thanks to Stowe Mountain Resort ZipTour Adventures. Vermont’s highest peak is a two-by-two for ages 10 and up, so Mom can soar side-by-side with the kids in case they get scared.

Niagara Falls

It may not be the most adventuresome, but the new after-dark experience with four parallel zip lines that face the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls is surely one to remember. It’s a cascade of water and rainbow colors after sunset and your brood — starting at age 7 — will also get a light-up wristband as a souvenir.

Camelback Mountain, Tannersville, Pa

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Reach speeds of up to 60 mph down a 4,000-foot zip line cable over Camelback Mountain, where your views also include waterslides at Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark below. Get a discount when you purchase a full Treetops Adventure Course and climb and claw your way along the leafiest parts of the Poconos.