You don’t need snow to have fun at Snowmass. The Colorado mountain resort has just launched the Lost Forest summer adventure zone and it’s filled with all sorts of great new ways to play in the woods. The alpine adventure park, built mid-mountain near Elk Camp, is a whole new world offering excitement for all ages. From challenging obstacle courses and zipline thrills to calm pondside fishing and disc golf, the Lost Forest is a place you’ll want to find.
Take the Elk Camp gondola up to the Breathtaker Alpine Coaster for a joyride careening through the trees. Riders control their own speed with handbrakes — going as fast as 28 mph — and though the course is full of twists and turns, the ride is comfortable and smooth. The Breathtaker is open during summer and winter, so you can enjoy this thrill ride year-round.
Then, let the Snowmass experts show you the ropes on the Treeline Trial Challenge Course where multilevel paths reach a height of 40 feet. The challenge course features five paths and five different difficulties testing all levels of abilities. Plus, feats can be viewed from the forest floor, so parents can watch kids having fun in the sky.
For epic views head to the Canopy Run Zipline Tour. After all, what better way to see the Elk Mountain forest than from the top of it? Hang around on a guided zipline tour that combines three sky bridges and eight zip lines across both tree- and pole-based platforms.
Finally, give rock climbing a try on one of the 14 lanes of the the 40-foot wall. The large wall, 14-lane climbing wall features autobelays with set routes from easy to challenging. With varying levels, it’s fun for kids or experienced climbers.
If that’s not enough, the Lost Forest also offers gorgeous high-country terrain for fishing, hiking, biking and disc golf, as well as stunning mountaintop sites for family gatherings and naturalist talks.
The Lost Forest is open daily from June 22 until September 3rd, and then on weekends for the rest of September.
By Laura Beausire