Chattanooga region gaining aerial adventures as zip frenzy takes shape

Spots where thrill-seekers can indulge in the adrenaline-fueled aerial adventure known as zip-lining are growing like kudzu in the Chattanooga area.

For people like Kelly Motes, the experience of sailing through the treetops at 35 mph or more is a bucket-list adventure that had her enthralled from the first zip.

"I'm definitely adding this to my outdoor activities," said Motes, 47, an accountant from Southside, Ala., who was zip-lining and climbing obstacles on Sunday at ZIPStream, a Ruby Falls attraction.

Motes' first zip adventure happened in Stone Mountain, Ga., but the one at Ruby Falls was somewhat larger, she said.

"We'll probably be back in a couple of weeks," she predicted. It was the first zip trip for her boyfriend, Steve Orr, of Rainbow City, Ala., but the couple ended up going through the course almost a half dozen times.

"The climbing part, to me, was probably as fun as the zip-lining," said Orr, 51. "The zip-lining is not that challenging; it's more scary than anything." He said the ticket price -- $44.95 per person for two hours -- was a good deal.

Around the country, zip-line ticket prices run from $35 to $200 or more, depending on the location, length and complexity of the course and the amount of instruction and guiding needed. Packages for children usually cost less.

"We stayed an hour and 45 minutes and I said, 'Honey, I'm dead. I'm ready to go,'" Orr said.

So is he hooked on zip, like so many others?

Steve Orr, of Rainbow City, Ala., rides suspended from a cable at the ZIPStream Aerial Adventure at Ruby Falls on May 10, 2015.

"Yeah, that adventure stuff kind of gets in your blood," he laughed.

A new zip-line attraction in the Chattanooga region is on the way. Screaming Eagle Adventures' aerial adventure course is planned at DeSoto State Park on Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, Ala. DeSoto recently has undergone some renovations and additions.

"We expect the new aerial attraction to be equally successful and bring new visitors to our incredible parks," Alabama State Parks director Greg Lein said when announcing the addition.

Screaming Eagle -- with a flagship operation in Whitesburg, Ga., southwest of Atlanta, where the company boasts the world's largest continuous canopy tour -- also is set to develop aerial attractions at Alabama's Wind Creek, Lake Guntersville and Cheaha state parks.

"Our top priority in developing these zip lines, ropes courses and other aerial adventures will be in protecting the natural beauty of the parks and ensuring the safety of park guests," said Screaming Eagle owner Mike Holder. He said the company is working with the parks on locations for the attractions.

Holder did not return calls requesting comment so the time line for construction is unknown.

Necessity is the mother of recreation

People have been using zip line-like contraptions for centuries to haul themselves and supplies across open spaces, up and down mountains and over water.

A little online snooping shows zip lines and aerial courses span rivers, canyons, tree canopies, zoos, between buildings, stadiums and even shopping malls across the country and around the world. Participants as young as 3 are limited only by their nerve, with some lines suspended hundreds of feet off the ground on lines where riders can reach highway speeds.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area are peppered with zip-line operations in Tennessee and North Carolina. In the Chattanooga region, the aerial attractions have been booming with business in the last few years, industry officials say.

On Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls' ZIPStream operates a challenging combination of zip lines, suspended obstacles, ladders, nets, walkways, bridges and an assortment of gravity-powered, adrenaline-producing elements.

Don Stock, one of the owners of The Adventure Guild LLC and a partner in the operations at Ruby Falls and at Fall Creek Falls State Park between Pikeville and Spencer, says the most growth is occurring where there are the most potential customers.

"We're getting more and more strategic about the locations that we go into because there are more [operators] around doing this," Stock said. Developing a quality site can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"When this first started, it was so novel it was kind of proverbial -- 'Just build it and they will come' -- but that's not the case anymore," he said. The Chattanooga market will only support so many operations, but Stock said he isn't worried about competition from the newcomer in Alabama.

Isolated operations aren't profitable because they can't generate enough return on investment, Stock said. Some operators might draw the numbers they need with a broad marketing plan, but Stock likes to have the human traffic in place -- like at a state park or attraction like Ruby Falls -- before launching a new project.

Chattanooga musician Billy Johnson was another first-timer testing his mettle Sunday who liked his inaugural visit.

Johnson, 34, said a former roommate was a rock climber and helped build "ropes courses," so he had some familiarity with aerial adventures when he went zipping last weekend.

"It seems in Chattanooga that it's definitely booming," Johnson said.

There were a couple of surprises.

"It was definitely a lot scarier than I thought it would be," Johnson said. "And I knew it was going to be hard, but it was even harder than I thought it was going to be."

Still, anyone who is physically able should be able to find a fun level of participation.

"I think everybody should try it," Johnson said. "I had a blast. I'll definitely do it again."

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.