29 Aug Ziplining in Las Vegas with Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon
Riding up the steep and winding dirt road on a clunky bus that was skimming the edge of the mountain made my stomach twist in knots, but our guides humorous antics eased my nerves a bit. I have a slight issue with cars and gravel (it may have something to do with a previous accident), but thankfully, I have no problems hanging from a wire and flying through the sky. Ziplining is always something I’ve wanted to do, but I never thought that my first time would be through the desert–in fact, I never thought that ziplining in Las Vegas was even a possibility.
After doing some research on “Off the Strip” adventures, I came across ziplining in the Bootleg Canyon with Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon, located a short drive from the strip. I couldn’t pass it up, and soon enough, we were on a 15 minute hike up the mountain towards the start of our adventure.
From the top of the mountain, the views were stunning and at one point, we even had a peek of the Las Vegas skyline. The vast rocky terrain contrasted beautifully with the bright blue skies and vibrant Lake Mead, and since we were on a morning tour, the scorching summer heat wasn’t in full swing yet. The mountain is also home to one of the best downhill mountain bike parks in the U.S., so you can imagine how crazy and rugged the landscape is.
With lots of jokes and some music blasting through portable speakers, we jumped in the harnesses and got ready to fly. There are a total of 4 separate ziplines set up, which equates to 8,000 feet of zipline zigzagging through the canyon. Some of the lines can send you soaring at speeds of up to 60mph, which is exhilarating to say the least.
The wind speed and direction determines how you have to fly—when the winds are high and you need to gain some extra speed, you have to keep your toes pointed and lean back. But, when you are coming in fast and they are waving their flags, you have to pull the breaks and spread your legs when you reach the platform. If you fail to make it to the platform, the guides will have to come rescue you by scaling out the line and pulling you back, and it’s quite comical to watch!
Tours last around 2-2.5 hours, and you have a chance to spot wildlife such as big horn sheep, lizards and more. You can’t take hands on photos or video while on the zipline, but you can document your adventure through a hands free camera while flying or with a regular camera when you are off the line and exploring the mountain. Flightlinez has many GoPro ready helmets and if you don’t have your own, I believe you can rent a GoPro or camera from them to bring along. There are also pockets in the back of the harness to store any necessities you may want to bring along—it was perfect for storing my phone and the water they provided for us.
Not only does Flightlinez offer tours during they day, they also have options for sunset or moonlight flights. I would love to check out the canyon during the evening, and if we ever head back to Las Vegas, it will be on our list again for sure. We had a great time on our morning zipline tour and definitely recommend it to anyone seeking some off the strip adrenaline fueled adventure!
Have you ever been ziplining? Where?
Special thanks to Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon for providing us with complimentary tours. As always, all opinions are our own.