Whitefish Mountain Resort expands zip-line tours

Published: June 9, 2010

Whitefish Mountain Resort will open its new and improved Zip Line Tours and the alpine slide on June 18, with mountain biking, scenic lift rides, and Walk in the Treetops Tours set to open June 26.  

The resort will operate sevent days per week from June 18 until Labor Day, Sept. 6. After that, all activities will be available Fridays-Sundays through the end of September.

The resort's popular Zip Line Tour and Alpine Slide were new last summer. The expanded version includes two new zip lines, bringing the total to six and making an average tour about three hours long. Both new spans are higher and longer than any of the original four, traveling approximately one-third of a mile and more than 300 feet above the forest floor.

"If there's one thing we heard from people after they rode the zip lines last summer, it was, 'That was awesome!'" said Donnie Clapp, spokesman for the resort. "If there were two things, then the second was, 'More zip lines!' We figured as long as we were building zip lines, we ought to build very long, very high zip lines."

A grand opening celebration for the zip lines and alpine slide is planned for 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, June 19 at the Base Lodge.

Zip Line Tours are $49 during early and late season (June 18-27 and Sept. 10-26), and $75 the rest of the summer. The two new spans are slated to be open by June 25, but could be completed sooner.

The Alpine Slide is also opening June 18, offering quick rides and fun entertainment for all ages.

"We're serious when we say all ages," said Clapp. "Last year, I rode with my 1-year old in my lap and he loved it. Later that day, I was eating lunch on the patio at the Base Lodge and I saw some guests help an elderly woman with a huge smile on her face from her sled into her wheelchair at the bottom of the slide."

Alpine Slide rides are $8, and children under 48" tall ride free in an adult's lap.

On Saturday, June 26, the resort will move into full swing with hiking on the Danny On Memorial hiking trail, chair-lift rides, dining at the Summit House, Walk in the Treetops canopy tours, lift-served mountain biking, and cross-country mountain biking.

New for this year, the Easy Rider Lift will be outfitted to carry mountain bikes, giving riders access to the new beginner-friendly Gravy Train trail, as well as easy access for mountain bikers from the Base Lodge to the Lift Plaza and Upper Village.

"We now have a pretty well-rounded offering for mountain bikers of all abilities who want to try gravity-powered biking," said Clapp. In addition to the easy Gravy Train trail, the mountain offers the Summit Trail for intermediate riders and Runaway Train for experts, “which is about as good as freeride trails get," says Clapp.

More information on all activities is available online at skiwhitefish.com, or by phone at 877-SKI-FISH or 406-862-2900. Reservations are encouraged for Zip Line and Walk in the Treetops tours, as popular time slots can fill up weeks in advance.