As of last week, Springfield has a new outlet for adventure.
Fairfax County Park Authority partnered with Go Ape Zip Line and Treetop Adventure for a new outdoor obstacle course at South Run Park that opened last Friday. The suspended course, which makes its way through South Run tree canopies, boasts 99 obstacles ranging from 20 to 40 feet off the ground along with nine zip lines. There’s also a kid-friendly course called the Treetop Junior Course, making Go Ape and its variety of challenges suitable for a range of experience levels.
The course can take visitors anywhere between one and three hours to complete. The Treetop Junior Course, specifically designed for ages 5-10, costs $28/person. Visitors ages 10-15 pay $38/person, and adults 16 and older pay $58 to partake. All participants receive safety training from Go Ape staff members, who can also help guide visitors through the course.
Go Ape, which launched its first course in 2010, partners with public parks to build the adventure courses and covers the full the cost of construction, maintenance and operations. The county and Go Ape share revenue generated from each individual participant’s admission fee. Go Ape touts itself as a local job creator and revenue generator that bolsters parks’ local environment preservation initiatives and projects. (Go Ape aims to “maintain the natural landscape,” and Fairfax Park Authority describe the project as “low impact.“)
“This is an exciting collaboration between government and the private sector to bring a unique recreational opportunity to Fairfax County residents,” Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity said.
Go Ape is Fairfax County’s very first zip line course, joining the likes of Empower Adventures in Middleburg, Harpers Ferry Adventure Center in Purcellville and Evergreen Adventure Park in Leesburg. // South Run Park: 7550 Reservation Drive, Springfield
