You have Questions, We have Answers

Who can go on the Yellowstone ZipLine Tours?

• Minimum age for Gallatin Classic Zip: 6 years old (kids under 65lbs ride tandem with a guide-only 2 per tour).
• Minimum age for Gallatin Super Zip: 12 years old (kids under 65lbs ride tandem with a guide-only 2 per tour).
• Minimum age Yellowstone EcoTour Zip: 6 years old (kids under 65lbs ride tandem with a guide- only 2 per tour).
• Weight Restrictions: all participants must be under 260 lbs. Children under 65 lbs will tandem zip with a guide- only 2 tandems per tour. 
• We reserve the right to weigh participants to ensure they meet our requirements. Any person weighing over 260 lbs will NOT be permitted to go on tour.
• Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
• All participants must be in reasonably good physical condition. People with knee, back, shoulder, or heart problems should consult a physician prior to booking a tour. Please be realistic about your physical condition and limitations.
• No pregnant women, please.
• The use of recreational drugs or alcohol is prohibited on all trips.  If you appear to be under the influence, you will be prohibited from participating in the tour and no refund will be given.

Do we need to make a reservation?
We strongly recommend reservations. Please call in advance to be sure we have availability at the time you would like to go. We take reservations far in advance or for same day trips. If you have a specific time and date you would like, please make a reservation as soon as you can. We take a credit card to hold your reservation, but you can cancel or change your trip any time up until 48 hours before your trip with no charge. We will take walk-ins if we have availability.

I don't want to Zip, but can I watch my group from the ground?
Unfortunately, you cannot watch from the ground. Our zip line courses are on private property and the terms of our leases clearly state that this is not allowed. Only paid and waivered participants will be allowed on the zip line properties.

What should we wear?
All flyers will need to arrive wearing weather-appropriate comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes, that are secured to your foot. The harness straps will wrap around your upper thigh, shoulders, and waist, so you want clothing on those areas to be most comfortable.  Long hair must be tied back. Remove dangling jewelry prior to the tour. Please remove any items from your pockets that might fall out or poke you.

Can I / Should I we bring anything with me on tour? A water bottle? Camera?
You don't have to bring anything along, all necessary gear is provided (except closed-to shoes). A water bottle is a good idea, especially on hot days and the longer tour options. A camera is great to have along, but needs to be secured with a strap or a zipper pocket. You can clip these smaller items your harness, or you can bring a small backpack (for our longer trip- the Super Zip, we strongly recommend bringing water). In a backpack you can also bring an extra layer, sunglasses, sunscreen and any medications you might need. If you do not want to bring a camera, we do take photos for purchase of most tours.

Do we need to bring our wallets and our car keys on the tour?
We recommend that you lock your valuables in your vehicle and leave the keys with us in the office. Items may fall out of your pockets on tour and be lost.

You hold our keys? Will someone steal our car?
No. We promise. But the office ladies might take it for a spin, just for thrills.

We are from a big city where people would grab those keys in a second. Whats up with this place?
This is a more innocent place. People don't do that kind of thing here. Remember, its Montana...

What equipment will I wear on the course?
We will help you into your full body harness - it goes around your legs, waist and shoulders. You will have lanyards attached to your harness and carabiners to clip you into our cables and allow the guides to safely move you through the tour. A daisy chain will connect your harness to your trolley, which is the piece that allows you to ride on the zip lines. We also provide a climbing helmet. You are required to where the gear we provide for you; we will not allow you to wear your own harness or helmet on our tour, sorry!

How high is the course?
The courses start at ground level and reaches a maximum height of about 60 feet in the tallest trees and platforms.  The zip lines themselves are around 20 - 60 feet off the ground.

Is it safe?
Every adventure activity has inherent risks, but we manage those risks by providing top-quality gear, a zip line course designed and built following Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT) standards and highly trained staff whose primary goal is your well being.  We inspect our course and our equipment on a regular basis. All participants will be required to sign a release of liability prior to joining us on tour.

What if the weather is bad?
We only cancel tours due to extreme lightening storms or very strong winds. Rain is not a problem. If it is too cold (below 40 degrees) or snowing we will try to reschedule. We recommend you bring layers or buy some cozy fleeces or hoodies at our shop.

Group Rates?
We offer discounts for groups of 8 or more. Please inquire - discounts increase with group size.

How do you teach us how to Zip?
All zip line participants take part in a training demonstration before getting onto the actual tour. The guides will go over the rules and zipping techniques to help make the experience as low risk and enjoyable as possible. Participants must demonstrate the ability follow directions from their guides before being allowed on the tour.

Do you have tree platforms?
We do have 3 tree platforms at our Gallatin location, but use mostly man-made platforms on a single pole (just like the pole is a tree, because at one time, it was). You will be off the ground throughout all our tours. The tree platforms are designed to be an integrated part of the tree, to move with the tree in high winds and to allow the tree to grow into the structure.

Will I have to hand break?
Yellowstone ZipLine Tours use gravity and zipper body positions to control your speed. You will never have to reach up to the cable while zipping. With zipping speeds up to 35mph, we would rather keep your hands as far away as possible! The courses are designed to have a large belly in the middle of the zip line. You will gain speed on the downhill side and naturally slow down on the uphill side. Wind and body size can also effect your zipping speed, so the guides will give you methods to help slow you down or speed you up while zipping. The guides also have breaking systems and techniques at the end of each zip to make sure you do stop at the end. Trust yourself, the gear, and your guide and have fun!

Where did zip lines originate?
One of the first recorded American zip lines appears in "The Invisible Man" by HG Wells (1897) as a ride in a Fair.
Modern zip lines were originally developed to help scientists access remote regions in the tropical cloud forests of Central America.
Zip lines serve the very practical purpose of transporting goods and people across gorges, canyons, waterways, and vessels around the world.   
Zip lines are a form of "Tyrolean Traverse" - a Mountaineers method of traversing an open space on a rope secured between two high points.