Stoney Creek Canopy Adventure Tour
Offered by Stoney Creek Canopy Adventures In Seward, Alaska
: $
About us
In the summer of 2013, Stoney Creek LLC owner Mark Wildermuth purchased a large tract of land about five miles north of Seward, Alaska. The vision? Developing a canopy tour of the forest, offering unparalleled views of the Alaska landscape and surrounding mountains.
We invite you to join us in a great Alaska eco-adventure like no other. This unique outdoor experience involves being securely clipped into gear and traversing from one treetop platform to another through the beautiful Pacific Temperate Rainforest, building on anticipation and suspense, surprise and discovery. The tour will be exciting, as well as informative about the surrounding area.
As an aerial adventure neighboring the Chugach National Forest, our roots are in the trees. So we have committed ourselves to be sustainable and eco-friendly to honor our Earth. From the design and construction of our course, we have kept the preservation and conservation of the spruce giants on our course alive and well. We built our course around nature and we are proud to say that no trees were cut down during the construction of our course. Many people do not understand the importance of sustaining our land for future generations so we have taken it upon ourselves to educate our guides to be environmentally aware, especially about the wildlife and flora on our 80 acres. Our guides take their time to inform our guests on the irreplaceable nature of the environment educating them on the immediate flora and fauna on each eco-platform.
What we'll do
You can’t beat the views from our Canopy Adventure. Featuring eight ziplines, three suspension bridges, and two rappels, this tour will surely provide you with both excitement and awe!
Guests will meet at the Adventure Center in the Seward Small Boat Harbor where they will board a Stoney Creek Canopy Adventures van and drive out to the course.
Vans leave promptly from the Adventure Center 30 minutes prior to the tour time. As participants arrive on location, they will be met by the sight of a large yurt perched in a tree above them. This is the Stoney Creek Welcome Center.
Tour groups form up at the Welcome Center, meet their guides, get outfitted with harnesses and helmets, receive instruction on proper zipline riding and braking techniques, and are put through practice “ground school” runs.
Once completed, they will be transported up a forest drive to a launch point near the valley's top. Next comes a short walk to the course entrance and the first zipline leading to a platform with a panoramic view across the valley and glaciers to the southwest.
The first Stoney Creek zipline traverse is a short 65 feet across the fall line, running fairly close to ground level and allowing riders a chance to become comfortable with the process.
Still high along the valley wall, the third zipline travels 190 feet and lands 50 feet up a huge Sitka spruce trunk. The fifth traverse soars above the trees 1,100 feet back across the valley wall, sails over a reflecting pond, and comes to a stop at a platform 75 feet up another Sitka spruce.
From this point onward, the tour path descends into the ever deeper and darker rain forest with its dense vegetation and sparkling creeks. A 600-foot zipline into an enormous mountain hemlock is followed by a shorter line at mid-level in the forest and a spot where bald eagles have often been sighted.
From the landing platform, each group member rappels 60 feet down to the platform entrance of an aerial walkway that begins just above the ground but ends 120 feet later at a point 60 feet up another Sitka spruce.
The route now takes a 90-degree turn and crosses a long bridge to a hemlock where zipline riding resumes. A 280-foot line travels toward the valley floor, ending in a spruce close to the entry road.
The final traverse then crosses over the tour parking lot and past the Welcome Center yurt to land in a group of Sitka Spruce where a 40-foot rappel brings the group back to earth at last.
Harnesses and helmets are shed, and group members return to the Welcome Center to collect any belongings stowed there and to view and select photos of themselves taken during the Seward zipline adventure.
What to expect / what's provided
*Weight Limit: 80-270 lbs
*Age Limit: 10+
*Youth between the age of 10 to 14 years must have an adult present
*What to Bring
- Closed-toed shoes are required.
- We recommend comfortable clothing for the current weather conditions. Alaska’s weather can change quickly, so the best advice we can give you is to dress in layers.
- Feel free to bring a camera along, however, you will be responsible for transport, damage, or loss of your own photo or video equipment.
- It is best to have a lanyard that can secure your equipment to your harness or keep it in a zippered pocket.
*FAQs:
- Who can zip & what are the restrictions?
Anyone age 10 and above who weighs between 80 and 270 pounds, is in good physical condition and has average strength and mobility.
Participants must have and be able to use all of their limbs and be able to control speed by applying gentle downward pressure on the cable with leather gloves.
Each participant must be able to pull themselves along the zip cable a few feet in the event they lose momentum before reaching the landing platform.
Participants should be comfortable with heights. Guests with a chronic fear of heights should not participate.
Notify us prior to the tour if you have any medical conditions of any kind, which limit your physical activity.
You will not be allowed to participate if you are pregnant, have heart, leg, arm, or back problems, or any other serious illnesses (for example epilepsy/seizure disorders).
You must not be under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or impairing legal drugs.
Stoney Creek Canopy Adventures reserves the right to exclude anyone from participating in any and all activities for any reason which might compromise the health and safety of you, our clients, and our staff. Exceptions to any requirements are at the discretion of the management.
- Do I need to sign a waiver?
Zipline tours, like many other recreational adventures, carry inherent risks. All participants will be required to review and sign the Assumption of Risks/Liability Release form.
Forms will be provided electronically when making reservations. Participants under the age of 18 will need a parent or guardian's signature.
- What should I wear?
All guests will be required to wear sturdy closed-toe shoes.
Long pants and layered clothing are encouraged.
Please remove all valuables, personal electronics, and loose or dangling jewelry.
Tie back and secure long hair.
- Are kids allowed to zip without an adult?
We require all youth (ages 10-14) to be accompanied by a participating adult (18 or older).
Guests aged 15-17 may participate without an adult, however, a responsible adult must be present in the town of Talkeetna and must be reachable by cell phone during the tour times.
- Can I go to the course and not participate in the zipline?
Our zipline course is built in the canopy of the surrounding forest. Unfortunately, the dense vegetation does not allow for spectator viewing during the tours. We do not allow non-participants at the course.
- Can a visually impaired or blind person participate?
Stoney Creek Canopy Adventures accepts customers who are visually impaired or blind.
Please notify us in advance before making a reservation and visit our policies and requirements page for more detail.
- Tell me more about the tour.
The tour is approximately 3 hours from door to door. After gearing up, there is a short ground school practice before you start, we want you to be comfortable and enjoy your tour. There are eight ziplines, three suspension bridges, and two rappels.
- Do you require a deposit?
A 100% deposit is due at the time of the reservation. We have a very friendly cancellation policy so you can make a reservation – worry-free! We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
- Do we still go if it is raining?
Yes. We zip rain or shine! However, on occasion due to high winds and/or lightning, your trip may be canceled by Stoney Creek Canopy Adventures in which case you will have the opportunity to reschedule or be fully refunded.
- Is there a minimum for the tour to operate?
The minimum capacity is 2 persons. We reserve the right to cancel a tour due to insufficient reservations. We will do all we can to reschedule your tour or a refund will be provided.
- What happens if I am late?
We operate on a strict time schedule with little to no wiggle room. Late arrivals and no-shows will not be refunded. Please be sure to arrive in Seward before the required check-in time.
- Should I tip my guides?
If you had a great time, it is common to tip between 10%-20%.
- Should I bring my GoPro?
Yes! Our helmets are equipped with adhesive mounts.
Cancellation Policy
Map