Are you ready for a unique experience? (Credit: Cypress Valley Canopy Tours)
If you’ve ever wanted to experience your own adventure in the tree tops of a forest, look no further than Cypress Valley Canopy Tours, located about half an hour outside Austin in Spicewood, Texas. The closeness makes it the perfect opportunity to escape town without having to drive for hours on end.
Before heading out, be sure to make a reservation. This is required to join in on the fun. Cypress Valley Canopy Tours runs excursions about every hour from open to close, Thursday through Sunday, so you have plenty of options for scheduling your trip. The open season for tours ends on Nov. 19 this year.
Adventure in the Tree Tops
The zipline course can take up to two hours to complete, but boy does it have a variety of fun things in store for you. There are five cables, all about 40 feet off of the ground. They range from 90-feet to 400-feet in length. This tour is different from a regular zipline tour, in that you’re using the natural life around you to move around. It’s probably the closest you’ll ever get to being like George of the Jungle.
In addition to ziplining, you’ll venture across two sky bridges and will have the opportunity to rappel about 17-feet from a cypress treetop down onto the valley floor. You can opt out of rappelling and cross a last sky bridge to the top of the ravine in order to exit the course. But where’s the fun in that?
Book before Nov. 3, 2017 if you want to zipline at night (Credit: Cypress Valley Canopy Tours)
I’d recommend signing up for a night tour, as well. This is my favorite option because it’s an opportunity to enjoy both the beauty of the world below, and the stars above. Cypress Valley Canopy Tours’ last night tour this season is on Nov. 3, 2017.
Devoted to Nature-friendly
Connect with nature after zipping through the trees (Credit: Cypress Valley Canopy Tours)
The owners of Cypress Valley Canopy Tours, David and Amy Beilharz, moved to the property in 1998 with their children. For years, they thought of ways to share the surrounding beauty of nature with others, but didn’t come up with the perfect choice until David experienced a canopy tour in Costa Rica. After that eye-opening experience, Cypress Valley Canopy Tours was born in 2005.
“The goal is to work with nature to give our guests a truly authentic outdoor experience, encouraging them to reconnect with the natural world, themselves, and each other,” manager Shelby Semon shared. “The canopy tour in and of itself helps us to achieve this goal by allowing guests to experience the valley in a minimally invasive way.”
With over 10,000 guests visiting annually, it’s vital to reduce the impact made on Cypress Valley. Gliding through the trees removes the need for harmful trails, potential litter, and negative effects on local wildlife.
Speaking of which, there are many animal friends that reside in or visit Cypress Valley, including (but not limited to):
- Great horned owl
- Ruby-throated hummingbird
- Ringtail cat
- Porcupine
- Mountain lion
You can find a full list of known visitors here.
Other Activities at Cypress Valley Canopy Tours
Zipping is great for family and corporate excursions (Credit: Cypress Valley Canopy Tours)
The fun doesn’t have to end once you’re back on the ground. Make the most of your day trip by partaking in some of the other activities Cypress Valley offers. Bring your swimming suit and cool down by jumping into the lake and spring-fed pool (just because it’s fall, doesn’t mean the temperature has died down).
There are also basketball and volleyball courts, a picnic area, and hammocks for relaxation. These areas all stay open during business hours, so you can get in a few more hours of fun before heading back to Austin.
Tips for Your Trip
- Before going, make sure to check out the Cypress Valley Canopy Tours website for age and weight limits.
- Wear comfortable clothes for the harness. I’d recommend avoiding anything that is too short. Close-toed shoes are required.
- Pack a fun picnic before heading out, something that will last until you finish with your tour. You can enjoy the lake and relax a bit when you are finished ziplining.
- If you decide to make it an overnight trip, you can stay in one of the treehouses on the property. Talk about childhood dreams coming true!
1223 Paleface Ranch Road, Spicewood, TX – Website
@theAustinot wants to know:
Have you ever been on a canopy tour before?
Born in Austin, but raised as an Army Brat outside of Ft. Hood, Brittany didn’t find her way back to the city until 2012 when she attended St. Edward’s University. She spends her free time reading, blogging, finding the perfect outfit for her fashion-inspired Instagram, and exploring Austin one piece at a time.
***
We always have unique content on the Austinot, and we love to give things away. You know, like CDs, event tickets and other cool stuff. We only send out our Best of the Austinot newsletter two times/month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of the Austinot here!