Getting its start back in 1992 thanks to a vision by founder Ken Jacquot, the High Gravity Adventures Aerial Adventure Park in Blowing Rock, NC, began with the formation of the Blue Ridge Learning Centers. Ken and his team at Blue Ridge Learning Centers aimed to facilitate team-building events for groups, which came to life on the top of Blowing Rock Conference Center in the form of the Discovery High Ropes Course built by Challenge Towers.
Interestingly, as one of the first aerial structures built in the High Country, Challenge Towers first constructed the Blue Ridge and Foothills Course in 2015. The first official opening day of High Gravity Adventures, followed on April 1, 2015. In July 2016, the Three-Person Giant Swing and Ninja Ground course were added to the fun destination, with the final addition coming in July 2017 with the launch of the High Altitude Zip Line Tour and Free Fall.
Today, when you visit High Gravity Adventures, you have a few options to try. If you have always wanted to experience the thrill of flight without the danger of actually jumping out of a plane, you will likely enjoy a zip line course. The High Altitude Zip Line Tour, for ages seven and older, includes five zip lines, and one free fall, and takes around two hours to complete. When trying this adventure, you are given a safety briefing and then shuttled to the tree house up the road to start your adventure. The culmination of the High Altitude Zip Line Tour is the Dropzone, which sits 70 feet atop the High Gravity Adventure Park and makes quite a finale to an amazing adventure.
There are two ropes courses or climb courses for you to try at High Gravity Adventures. The Foothills Park and Zip Lines plus Ninja Course is open to ages over four, features 17 obstacles, and three zip lines, and takes around two hours to complete. All guests must have a minimum reach of 5’3” or be accompanied by someone else who does do this course. The other ropes option is The Blue Ridge Park plus Ninja Course, which has 64 obstacles, and four rappels and is designed for ages seven and up. It takes around three hours to complete this course.
The Blue Ridge Adventure Park is three stories and gets more challenging the higher your climb. You will enjoy a wide range of aerial terrain challenges from sky bridges and spider webs to swinging logs and more. The vertical climbing and rappelling stations only add to the fun.
Finish up your visit to High Gravity Adventures with a ride on the three-person giant swing. This four-story, three-person, ripcord swing is designed for ages seven and older. Buckle into the three-person swing then pull the ripcord and let out your inner Tarzan as you swing high in the air.
To keep you safe throughout your adventures, High Gravity Adventures provides you with leading technology for the aerial world in the form of a helmet, full body harness, and a set of smart belay personal safety tethers. This tech ensures that you stay safe while swinging, climbing, repelling, or zipping.
We all want to know what it’s like to feel weightless, to be able to swing or zip from treetop to treetop much like a monkey, or to feel like we are soaring through the sky like a bird. Thankfully, at High Gravity Adventures, you get to put the laws of gravity on the back burner for a bit and defy its restrictions by enjoying zip lines, ropes courses, and swings. All of which are designed with guest safety and overall experience in mind.
Insider Tips:
-Maximum weight for all activities at High Gravity is 265lbs. Guests will be weighed discreetly to ensure safety.
-The minimum weight for all activities at High Gravity is 75lbs.
-Every guest participating in any adventure has to sign a waiver. All guests younger than 18 will have to have a legal guardian sign on their behalf.
-Pets are not allowed at High Gravity Adventures.
-Hours of operation vary by season so make sure to check out when High Gravity Adventures is open here.