Hoosier Highlights: Go Ape Indianapolis

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I’m so glad that I can share with the second post of my Hoosier Highlights series today! Many posts that I’ve written in the past about museums and travel have been about locations out East. This year, I’ve decided to create a little series of posts highlighting a few locations a little bit closer to home.

With no further ado, here’s the second post of Kelsee’s Hoosier Highlights!

As an adventure seeker and lover of new experiences, I was so excited when I was approached by Go Ape to share their outdoor experience with all of you and receive a free visit to try it out!

A few weeks back, I was able to check out Indianapolis’ version of the Go Ape course at Eagle Creek Park! Who knew that here on the northwest side of town that you can swing through the trees (…with the greatest of ease…), climb trees & ladders, and then zipline back to the ground?! I’ve been very excited to share my experience with you, so here we go!

What is it?

It’s an outdoor adventure course that takes you up into the treetops of Eagle Creek Park. Seriously. There are 5 total courses that make up the entire experience. Each one starts with a rope ladder that you have to climb and then ends in a zipline that brings you back to ground level. They train you and then set you free to go at your own pace. Depending on how busy they are that day, it can take anywhere from 2-3 hours to finish the course. 

I will preface that I only completed 3/5 total courses – I was up at 5 am that day, so by our 4:30 pm timeslot, I was tiiiiiirrrreeed! 

To start, you check in and you’re fitted for a harness. It’s worth noting that my guest and I are not tiny people, but we were still comfortable in our harnesses for the most part. As comfortable as we could be, that is.

Their staff is great at training you on how to use your equipment (ALWAYS STAY ATTACHED!). We quickly became pros at using these carbines as we went from element to element. 

The staff is also amazing when you need a pep talk to do the Tarzan swings (like me) or need help getting from one element to another. 

What do you wear? 

My suggestion is workout clothes of some sort. For females, athletic leggings are probably going to be more comfortable than shorts, but it comes down to personal preference. Guys would probably be most comfortable in athletic shorts. Depending on the temperature, a long sleeve t-shirt might also be appropriate. It was pretty cool the day that we went, but as it gets warmer, you might want to think about the weather before you go. It is a physical activity, so dress for comfort and mobility.

Ladies & Gents with longer hair – I’d definitely suggest pulling your hair back. Your head can get a little close to the wires and gadgets and it wouldn’t be fun to get your hair caught. 

Take gloves – you will need them. I picked up a simple pair of padded garden gloves at the store on my way up that day and they were definitely worth the few dollars. If you don’t grab any, they have them available to purchase onsite. 

Is it hard? 

It can be. Some parts are definitely harder than others. There are Tarzan swings – which I desperately needed help with completing! You climb ladders, change your hooks and you’re all strapped in the entire time. You can definitely call it a workout and you’ll be challenged. As you go along, they have a few options for you to choose how you proceed – you can follow arrows that say “difficult” or “extreme.” If you’re up for it, go the “extreme” route and see what happens!

Can kids come along? 

If they are 10+ and not afraid of heights, I’d definitely say yes! It’s worth checking the specifications online before purchasing a ticket for them. They’ll get the hang of change of unhooking their own cords as they go along. 

And the best part, I have a little DISCOUNT to share with you!

If you’re interested in giving this course a try, click here to purchase tickets and use code “GAQU8TGV” to get 25% off of your ticket purchase! 

The sounds of nature in the area are very soothing. Listen to my video below! That’s the sound that surrounds you when you’re on the course. Luckily, we were there on a pretty slow day (+ at the end of the day), so we could take all the sounds in! Also, there’s a dock just on the other side of the Go Ape starting point if you need to chillax from the swinging experience that you just had!

My only regret: NOT TAKING MORE PICTURES IN ACTION! Oh well, I was busy!

I look forward to hearing about your experiences in the trees!

Tell me in the comments: Would you give something like this a try? Are you into climbing and ziplining?