Maybe it’s time to make your teen appreciate the little things in life, like two feet planted firmly on solid ground. Try out the opposite of that at Aerie’s Resort Zipline in Grafton. Your journey in the treetops starts off pretty tame with the 300-foot “Ridge Runner” run, but the two-hour adventure includes seven zips total as well as stomach-dropping suspension bridges. If your thirst for danger hasn’t been quenched after that, try Aerie’s Alpine coaster. See who among your family members can resist pulling the hand brake throughout the coaster’s seven hairpin turns. 14 W. Main, Grafton, Illinois.
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If you’ve visited Union Station recently, then you’ve probably seen the 100-foot zipline SkyRail. There’s a version of the high-flying attraction just for little ones—specifically those who are under 48 inches tall—called SkyTykes. 201 S. 18th.
The Maryland Heights attraction’s Adventure Tower boasts two 200-foot ziplines, which allow adventurers to soar from more than three stories above the ground. Along the way, navigate seven zipline challenges: the zip scooter, zip jet, zip drone, zip eagle, and more. For smaller children, there’s also the Little Ninja Course, complete with a zip bucket. 12420 Grace Church, Maryland Heights.
There’s always a crowd waiting to use this zipline at the popular Watson Trail Park’s lower playground, but for good reason: It’s free, it’s not too high, and when you get bored after a few dozen turns, your little one can take a walk around the pond or play on the upper playground. 12450 W. Watson.
Sure, your kiddo has to be brave enough to sit on the zipline’s swing and then launch off of a ramp, but that just means you get to demonstrate how it’s done. (Yes, this zipline has been weight-tested by a bunch of this writer’s adult friends.) 746 Rayburn.
For more summer family fun, read our story here.
