CLIMB Works

A Look at CLIMB Works’ Sustainable Practices

The Great Smoky Mountains see more visitors than any other national park in the country, with over 13 million a year. That means every business operating near the park has a choice: treat the landscape as a backdrop for ticket sales, or treat it as something worth protecting because it’s literally in your backyard. At CLIMB Works, we don’t have to think about eco tourism in abstract terms. Our address is 155 Branam Hollow Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, and we’re surrounded on three sides by national park land. The forest isn’t a marketing asset for us, it’s across the street. It’s the air our guests breathe on the Mountaintop Zipline Tour, the view from every platform, and the reason any of this works in the first place.

This guide breaks down what eco tourism actually means, why the Smokies demand it, how our operations are designed around it, and what you can do as a visitor to make your trip a little lighter on the land.

What Is Eco Tourism And Why Does It Matter in the Smokies?

Eco tourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, supports local communities, and prioritizes low-impact experiences over high-volume consumption. It’s not a trendy label, it’s a framework for making sure the places people love to visit still exist for the next generation.

Now, why does this matter here specifically? Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the United States. That’s not a casual distinction. Yellowstone gets roughly 4.5 million visitors a year. The Smokies triple that. And unlike parks out west with vast, spread-out acreage, much of the Smokies’ visitor traffic funnels through a relatively compact set of roads, trailheads, and gateway towns, Gatlinburg being the primary one.

Photo by Denil Dominic

That concentrated traffic creates real tension. Adventure tourism and conservation aren’t natural enemies, but they’re not automatic allies either. Every ATV trail, every souvenir shop parking lot, every tour operation that doesn’t think about runoff, noise, waste, or habitat disruption makes the problem a little worse. Multiply that across hundreds of businesses in a single corridor, and you’ve got a situation where the thing that draws people here, the wildness, the old-growth forest, the elk, the salamanders, the quiet, gets eroded by the very act of showing up to enjoy it.

But here’s the thing: they can coexist. Sustainable tourism in the Smoky Mountains isn’t about telling people to stay home. It’s about designing experiences that bring people into nature without chewing up the landscape in the process. It means small groups instead of mass tourism. Shared transportation instead of individual vehicles crawling up mountain roads. Guided formats where trained staff manage the visitor footprint. And it means businesses choosing to build with the land rather than on top of it.

That’s the lens we operate through at CLIMB Works. Not because it sounds good on a website, but because we can literally see the national park boundary from our property. If we mess up, we don’t just lose a marketing angle. We lose the thing that makes this place worth being in.

CLIMB Works’ Location: A Neighbor to the National Park

The proximity we have to the National Park shapes every operational decision we make, from how we manage stormwater to how we route our UTV trails. When your neighbor is one of the most biodiverse temperate forests on Earth — home to over 19,000 documented species, including more tree varieties than all of northern Europe combined — you don’t get to be careless. The black bears, wild turkeys, and red-tailed hawks that guests spot from our zipline platforms don’t know where our property line ends and the park begins. The watersheds certainly don’t.

Being open year-round means our team doesn’t just experience the mountain during peak tourist season. Our guides are out there in January ice, April wildflower blooms, August humidity, and October leaf-turn. They watch the same ridgeline change across twelve months. They know which platforms get the first morning frost. They know when the tulip poplars go gold before the oaks even start to think about turning. That kind of daily, seasonal familiarity builds something you can’t get from a sustainability consultant’s report. When a staff member notices unusual erosion on a trail section or a shift in where water pools after a heavy rain, they flag it because they’ve been watching that spot for years.

This isn’t theoretical environmental stewardship. It’s the kind of ground-level awareness that comes from working on a mountain, in a forest, next to a national park, 365 days a year. The geography doesn’t let us be anything other than careful.

How the Mountaintop Zipline Tour Is Designed With the Land in Mind

Our Mountaintop Zipline Tour includes 11 adventures in a single guided experience: dual side-by-side ziplines, three aerial bridges, a controlled rappel, and a scenic UTV ride that gains over 400 vertical feet. It runs about two hours, and almost every design choice behind it connects back to minimizing our footprint while maximizing what guests get to see and feel.

Shared Transportation That Reduces Individual Impact

The UTV ride to the upper platforms isn’t just fun, it’s a deliberate logistical choice. Instead of guests driving personal vehicles up a narrow mountain road (more exhaust, more road wear, more parking infrastructure needed at the top), a single shared vehicle carries the group along a maintained route. One trip up, one trip down, controlled speed, controlled path. Compare that to a scenario where every family drives their own car to a mountaintop overlook: the difference in fuel consumption, road erosion, and habitat disturbance adds up fast, especially across thousands of tours a year.

The route itself was designed to follow existing terrain contours rather than cutting new switchbacks into the mountainside. That matters for soil stability and for the root systems of the hardwoods that hold the slope together. You might not notice it as a guest, but the path you’re riding was planned with the mountain’s drainage patterns and tree canopy in mind.

An Innovative Braking System That Reduces Wear and Waste

Here’s a detail most people don’t think about: traditional zipline setups often require hand braking, which means more physical intervention, more friction on cables, more frequent cable replacement, and more wear on gloves and gear that eventually end up as waste. Our system doesn’t require hand braking for guests at all. The innovative braking technology handles deceleration automatically, which extends the life of our cables, reduces the volume of consumable gear, and (as a bonus), makes the experience accessible to people who might not have the grip strength or confidence for manual braking.

Less equipment turnover means less material heading to a landfill. It’s a small thing that scales up when you’re running tours six days a week, year-round.

Small Groups and Guided Format

We run small-group guided tours rather than high-volume, self-directed experiences. That means a trained guide is with your group the entire time, managing transitions, hooking up all safety equipment, and keeping the group on designated paths and platforms. This concentrated, supervised format means we’re not spreading visitor impact across a wide area. Guests don’t wander off-trail. They don’t leave gear behind on platforms. They don’t accidentally trample sensitive vegetation because they missed a sign.

Our expert staff handles every equipment hookup and transfer, which means there’s no fumbling with gear, no dropped hardware on the forest floor, and no need for the kind of sprawling instructional infrastructure (massive signage, paved walkways between every station) that a self-guided operation would require.

Rain-or-Shine Operations Cut Waste From Cancellations

CLIMB Works operates rain or shine. We only pause for lightning or sustained winds over 35 mph — conditions our staff monitors in real time from the mountain, not from a weather app. This isn’t just a convenience for guests; it’s an environmental consideration. When tours cancel frequently due to light rain, you get a cascade of waste: rescheduled trips mean extra driving, idling vehicles, duplicated logistics, and the frustration-driven tendency to fill the gap with some other, potentially less sustainable activity. By running through normal weather, we keep the schedule tight and the waste low.

If a weather closure does happen, guests get a reschedule or full refund — no arguments, no fine print. You can read the full booking and cancellation policy for details.

Visiting Responsibly: What Guests Can Do

Eco tourism isn’t just about what operators do, it’s also about the choices visitors make. Here’s how you can keep your Smokies trip as low-impact as possible, starting with your CLIMB Works tour.

Pack Light and Use the Free Lockers

No backpacks are allowed on the tour (except for essential medications), and we provide free lockers for keys and small items. This isn’t just a safety rule, it’s a leave-no-trace practice. Fewer personal items on the course means nothing gets dropped off a platform or blown into the canopy. It means guides aren’t searching for water bottles among the brush after a tour, keeping our activity as low-waste, low-litter as possible.

Book Ahead to Reduce Operational Waste

This one’s practical and environmental: booking at least five days ahead during peak season (especially October) isn’t just smart for availability, it helps us manage our tour capacity efficiently. Last-minute no-shows and cancellations create waste in the form of unused capacity, staff and vehicle time that can’t be recovered, and the downstream effect of guests scrambling to rebook at less-than-ideal times. When our tours run at planned capacity, everything operates more efficiently, meaning less idling, less redundancy, less waste across the board.

You can book online 24/7 or call (865) 325-8116. Our cancellation policy is straightforward: 48+ hours out gets you a full refund or reschedule. Within 48 hours, it’s final.

How to Plan Your Eco-Friendly Smokies Trip with CLIMB Works

Putting together a low-impact Smokies itinerary doesn’t require a spreadsheet. A few practical decisions go a long way.

Arrive 40 minutes early for your tour. This is required — late arrivals forfeit the tour with no refund — but it’s also good eco practice. When guests arrive on time, we avoid idling vehicles, rushed logistics, and the cascade of small inefficiencies that come from running behind. You’ll check in, get your gear, use the restrooms (there are none on the tour itself), and stash your stuff in a free locker. It’s a smooth, low-stress start.

Bring the whole family. The Mountaintop Zipline Tour welcomes ages 5 and up, and kids under 70 lbs can ride tandem with a guide or sibling. That means one experience, one group, one trip — rather than splitting up and doubling your logistics. Kids ages 5–14 need an adult on the tour; ages 15+ can go independently. There are height requirements (42 inches minimum, 6’8″ max) and weight limits (270 lbs, or 250 lbs if under 5’10”), so check those when you book.

Combine with rafting for a full day. Our Smoky Mountain Outdoors combo packages pair ziplining with whitewater rafting — two eco-friendly activities, one day, minimal driving. It’s genuinely the best way to fill a full adventure day without adding to Gatlinburg’s traffic congestion or expanding your environmental footprint across multiple locations.

Stay in the corridor. If you’re lodging in Gatlinburg or the surrounding area, try to cluster your activities geographically. CLIMB Works, the park, Laurel Falls, downtown Gatlinburg — all within a short drive of each other. You don’t need to crisscross three counties to have a great trip. And every mile you don’t drive is a little less exhaust drifting into the hollows.

Making Eco Tourism Real, Not Just Aspirational

The phrase “eco tourism” gets thrown around a lot, sometimes by businesses that slap a green label on the same old operation. We’d rather let the details speak: a location bordered on three sides by the national park, a tour designed to move with the mountain instead of reshaping it, a braking system that extends equipment life, a partnership network that keeps visitors exploring deeply instead of driving endlessly, and a team that’s been watching this particular stretch of the Smokies through every season for years.

If you’re planning a Smokies trip and want it to feel good in more ways than one, our Mountaintop Zipline Tour is a solid place to start – not because we’re telling you it is, but because you’ll be 400 feet up a mountain, looking out at one of the most biodiverse forests in the world, and knowing the experience was built with conservation and protection in mind.

Best Unique Outdoor Activities Near Pigeon Forge

Planning a family trip to Pigeon Forge? With so many attractions packed into one destination, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the usual lineup of crowded mountain coasters, busy museums, and high-traffic tourist spots. While the area is known for its high-energy entertainment, it also offers some unique, family-friendly outdoor experiences that feel a little more off the radar.

These hidden gems give families the chance to slow down, spread out, and take in the natural beauty of the Smokies without the crowds. Whether you’re traveling with young kids, teens, or a mix of both, these outdoor adventures near Pigeon Forge are perfect for creating meaningful, lasting memories together.

Zipline at CLIMB Works Smoky Mountains

If your family is looking for a little adrenaline paired with incredible mountain views, ziplining is a must-do activity. At CLIMB Works Smoky Mountains, families can experience the thrill of soaring through the treetops in a safe, guided environment designed for all experience levels.

Expert guides lead you through every step of the adventure, making it easy for first-timers to feel comfortable and confident. Along the way, you’ll cross rope bridges, take in panoramic views, and share a one-of-a-kind experience that stands out from the more crowded attractions in the area. It’s the perfect blend of excitement, nature, and quality time together.

Whitewater Rafting on the Pigeon River with Smoky Mountain Outdoors

For families with older kids or teens, whitewater rafting is an unforgettable way to bond and add some excitement to your trip. Guided rafting trips with Smoky Mountain Outdoors make the experience approachable and safe, even for beginners.

These guided trips offer the perfect mix of fun and adventure, all while giving you a unique perspective of the Smoky Mountains from the water. It’s a refreshing break from traditional sightseeing and a great way to experience the outdoors together.

Easy Scenic Hikes in the National Park

Not every adventure needs to be high-speed. The Smokies are filled with easy, family-friendly hiking trails where you can slow down and explore at your own pace.

Some great options include:

Cosby Nature Trail – An easy, one-mile loop in the quieter Cosby area of the park

Laurel Falls Trail – A short, paved hike leading to one of the park’s most popular waterfalls

Kuwohi (Clingmans Dome) – A paved path that rewards you with incredible panoramic mountain views

These trails are perfect for kids to spot wildlife, splash in streams, and connect with nature in a hands-on way.

Biking Through Scenic Spots Like Cades Cove

Looking for a more laid-back outdoor activity? Biking is a great way to explore the Smokies at your own pace. The loop at Cades Cove is especially popular with families thanks to its relatively flat terrain and breathtaking scenery.

As you ride, keep an eye out for deer, wild turkeys, and even black bears (from a safe distance, of course). It’s a peaceful, immersive way to experience the natural side of the Smoky Mountains.

Make the Most of Your Family Trip to Pigeon Forge

One of the best things about visiting Pigeon Forge is the variety of experiences available for every type of traveler. By mixing in these unique outdoor activities, you can step away from the crowds and create more meaningful moments together.

Whether you’re ziplining through the treetops, hiking to waterfalls, or navigating the river as a team, these are the kinds of experiences your family will be talking about long after the trip ends.

CLIMB Works

Why CLIMB Works Keana Farms Is the Best Zipline Experience for Families on Oahu

If you’re planning a family adventure on Oahu’s North Shore, ziplining is likely at the top of your list. With several options available, it can be tough to decide which experience is truly worth your time (and money).

The truth is, all zipline tours provide a similar experience, but only one company tops the list when it comes to safety, variety, and overall experience. CLIMB Works Keana Farms has consistently stood out as the best choice for families, and here’s why.

More Than Just Ziplining

Many zipline tours offer a few lines and call it a day. At CLIMB Works Keana Farms, your family gets a 2.5 hour experience that goes far beyond just zipping from platform to platform.

This experience includes 8 dual ziplines (so you can ride side-by-side), 3 sky bridges, 2 controlled rappels, and an off-road UTV ride through the lush jungle terrain. Instead of feeling rushed, families get a variety-packed experience that keeps kids, teens, and adults engaged the entire time.

Designed Specifically for Families

One of the biggest differences between CLIMB Works and other North Shore zipline companies is how family-focused the experience is. At CLIMB Works, the side-by-side ziplines let parents and kids ride next to each other at the same time, reducing fear and increasing fun. The tour is fully guided, meaning trained staff are with you every step of the way. Guides are known for being encouraging, educational, and entertaining, helping even nervous first-timers feel confident.

Industry-Leading Safety You Can Trust

Safety is often the #1 concern for families, and this is where CLIMB Works truly shines. Unlike many zipline operators that rely on manual braking, CLIMB Works uses an advanced, automatic braking system that reduces the risk of user error and injury. On top of that, all of the tours are professionally guided and supervised, and safety gear is provided and properly fitted to each individual.

The experience is designed to be 100% safe and easy, even for beginners. Because of this, parents can relax and enjoy the tour knowing that their family is in good hands.

Unmatched Views of Oahu’s North Shore

While other zipline tours may offer forest views or short runs, CLIMB Works delivers panoramic views of Oahu’s most beautiful scenery.

From over 400 feet above sea level, you’ll see:

The North Shore coastline
The Koʻolau Mountains
Lush tropical farmland

This elevated perspective gives families a completely unique view of Oahu, far beyond what you’d see from the road.

Consistently Top-Rated by Guests

With thousands of glowing reviews, CLIMB Works has built a reputation as one of the top-rated zipline experiences on Oahu.

Guests frequently highlight the friendly, supportive guides that stick with you for the entirety of the tour, and the perfect mix of thrill and comfort that CLIMB Works provides. Many families even describe it as the highlight of their Hawaii trip.

The Verdict: The Best Zipline Tour for Families on Oahu

If you’re looking for a zipline adventure that’s thrilling, beginner-friendly, packed with variety, and fun for the entire family, then CLIMB Works Keana Farms is the clear choice.

Book today for the experience of a lifetime.

CLIMB Works

What Makes CLIMB Works Stand Out?

If you’re planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains and trying to figure out which zipline tour is actually worth your time, we get it. Gatlinburg has no shortage of options, and it can feel overwhelming sorting through them. Here’s our honest take: not all zipline tours are created equal. (We’re a little biased, obviously, but stick with us.)

CLIMB Works has been operating in the Great Smoky Mountains for over 12 years, right across the street from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In that time, we’ve built our own braking systems, designed our own structural elements, and created a zipline experience that consistently ranks as the #1 rated zipline in Tennessee. Here’s what sets us apart.

It’s 11 Adventures, Not Just a Zipline

Most people searching for a “zipline near Gatlinburg” are picturing one line, one ride, done. Our Mountaintop Zipline Tour is something different entirely.

Your adventure starts with a scenic 6-passenger UTV ride up the mountain, which gains 500 feet of elevation over a rugged 1.5-mile forest trail. From there, you’ll move through 6 dual-line ziplines (yes, side-by-side, so you can race your travel partner), cross suspension skybridges high above the forest floor, and finish with a controlled rappel off the final platform. Your feet won’t touch the ground for roughly 2 hours.

The whole thing is surrounded on three sides by Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with 360-degree panoramic views from each platform. It’s the kind of view that makes people forget they were nervous in the first place.

The Guides Are the Secret Sauce

Read through our Google reviews and one pattern jumps out immediately: people aren’t just talking about the views. They’re talking about guides named Slick, Beau, CC, Sylvi — real people who made their trip.

Every tour is led by three highly-trained guides. Their job isn’t just to keep you safe (though they’re excellent at that), it’s to get you from “I’m terrified” to “When can I come back?” They’ll educate you about the ecosystem and local history along the way, cheer on the first-timers, and have you laughing before you even reach the first platform. By the end of the tour, most groups are exchanging sweaty hugs like they’ve known each other for years.

No hand-braking required. No dragging yourself across cables. The course design and our custom braking systems take care of the technical stuff. All you have to do is show up and go.

Built for the 95% (Including You)

We didn’t build CLIMB Works for hardcore outdoor athletes. We built it for everyone else: the family from Georgia on their annual Smokies trip, the couple celebrating an anniversary, the nervous first-timer who has never done anything like this before.

CLIMB is actually an acronym: Challenge, Learn, Inspire, Master, Believe. Those five things aren’t marketing language, they’re the reason every guide shows up to work the way they do. The goal is that everyone who rides our lines leaves feeling more confident than when they arrived.

The tour is open year-round, rain or shine. (The Smoky Mountain ecosystem honestly comes alive in the rain, and ponchos are available if you need them.) Guests must be at least 5 years old, making it a genuinely accessible adventure for most families.

What to Know Before You Book a Gatlinburg Zipline Tour

A few practical details worth knowing:

• Tours run approximately 2 hours start to finish

• Weight limit: 250 lbs (or 270 lbs if you’re 5’10″ or under); maximum height 6’8″

• Closed-toe shoes required (no Chacos or Five Fingers)

• Small lockers on-site for keys and essentials

• Photo packages available for purchase

• We’re open Monday–Saturday; closed Sundays

If you’re road-tripping up from Atlanta, Nashville, or Charlotte, we’re a quick drive from downtown Gatlinburg. One piece of local advice: skip Pigeon Forge Parkway during peak hours and come in through Wears Valley Road instead. The drive is prettier and you’ll actually enjoy getting here.

Ready to See the Smokies From a Different Angle?

There’s a reason CLIMB Works has been the #1 rated zipline in Tennessee for 12 consecutive years. We’re not going to oversell it, come see for yourself. Book your Gatlinburg zipline tour online, or give us a call at (865) 325-8116 with any questions.

We’ll see you on the mountain.

CLIMB Works

How to Prepare for Your Winter Zipline Tour in Gatlinburg

Ziplining in Gatlinburg is one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the Smoky Mountains, regardless of season. Every season has its own unique reasons for being special, especially winter. While the brisk weather might deter some from choosing to zipline, there are a few easy ways to prepare so your experience is not only comfortable, but unforgettable. Here are a few ways to prepare for your CLIMB Works Smoky Mountains zipline tour this winter:

Check the Weather Prior to Coming

The first thing that you should do when planning your trip to CLIMB Works is check the weather. About a week before the day you want to zipline, check the weather so you know how to prepare. Temperatures in Gatlinburg during the winter can be unpredictable, varying from low 20°s to as high as 60°. You’ll also want to check for wind chill and precipitation, as the temperature can feel drastically different with high winds or precipitation. Keep in mind that the temperature will feel colder as you’re zipping, so you may want to bring an extra layer to ensure your comfort throughout the tour. Knowing what to expect and how to prepare for your tour is the best way to ensure that you have the best, most comfortable zipline experience.

Book Your Tour Ahead of Time

We highly recommend planning ahead and booking your zipline tour in advance either online or over the phone. While CLIMB Works welcomes walk-ins, we are ultimately reservation-based. In the winter, our Smoky Mountain location operates on fewer days compared to our busier seasons, so reserving your spots on a tour ahead of time is the best way to ensure that you can book for the day and time that you prefer.

What to Wear

The most important thing to consider when deciding what to wear for your zipline tour is how comfortable you will be in the clothing. There are parts of the tour that require climbing staircases and crossing floating bridges, so make sure you’re wearing clothes that allow for moderate levels of activity.

Rather than wearing jeans, opt for leggings or sweatpants to allow you to be mobile while staying warm. With the colder winter temperatures, long sleeves and/or insulated jackets are highly recommended. Zipping through the air tends to feel colder than standing still because of the wind, so wearing a windbreaker is also a good idea to counteract some of the windchill. Accessories such as beanies, gloves, and scarves are also recommended to keep warm. All participants are required to wear closed-toed shoes, and this is especially important during the winter season, not only for safety reasons, but also to keep you warm. Thick or double layered socks to keep the warmth in your feet will keep you insulated.

At CLIMB Works, we will do everything we can to ensure that you have the most comfortable, exciting experience from the minute you walk through the door to when you leave. We keep spare gloves, socks, and hand warmers to loan to participants who need them. We also have a stock of sweatshirts, hoodies, rain jackets, winter gloves, beanies, and neck gators available for purchase in the lobby.

So, are you ready for the most exhilarating winter experience of your life? Book with us today and create memories that will last a lifetime!

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CLIMB Works

More Than a Zipline: How CLIMB Works Keana Farms Connects You to Oahu’s Culture and Land

The North Shore of O’ahu is saturated with rich Polynesian history, vibrant culture, and a sense of community unlike any other place. CLIMB Works Keana Farms calls O’ahu home, and our zipline tours are more than just a thrilling experience; they’re an opportunity to celebrate and preserve the land and immerse our guests in Hawaiian culture. Our goal is to spread aloha with every person that zips with us, and we hope that each guest leaves with a newfound sense of respect and appreciation for the land. Here’s a few ways that we connect each of our tours with Oahu’s abundant culture and history.

Witness a Fully-Functioning Farm From a New Perspective

CLIMB Works Keana Farms is located on a fully-operational, 450 acre farm that produces over a million pounds of produce every year. Throughout the zipline tour, you’ll see crops like Vietnamese curry leaf, papayas, taro, apple bananas, ti leaf, cherry tomatoes, and more. The majority of these crops stay on the island, keeping the practice of self sustainability that the native Hawaiians once had. When available, samples of the farm’s produce are stationed throughout the course for visitors to try. As you zip over the farm, take a moment to appreciate the farmers that work long hours every day to sustain the people of O’ahu.

Learn All About Hawaiian History and Culture

Our zipline tours are structured to be not only a fun and exciting experience, but an opportunity to educate visitors about Hawaii’s rich history. Our guides are knowledgeable in Hawaiian history and are happy to answer any questions that may come up during the tour. Located throughout the course are a number of different plaques that explain important facts about the land, such as the ahupua’a system, which is the traditional Hawaiian system of land division that runs from the mountain to the sea. There’s also information about the native Hawaiian language, the origin of the Shaka, and important people in Hawaii’s history. After your tour, you’ll have gained so much knowledge about O’ahu and its incredible history.

CLIMB Works Keana Farms is committed to preserving and appreciating Hawaiian culture in every way possible. Our goal is to ensure that everyone who zips with us will leave with a newfound understanding and respect for the land and people. If you’re looking for an exciting and educational experience on the North Shore, book a tour today at CLIMB Works Keana Farms!

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CLIMB Works

Is Ziplining in Gatlinburg Safe? How CLIMB Works Smoky Mountains Keeps You Secure

Ziplining in Gatlinburg is one of the most thrilling ways to experience the Great Smoky Mountains’ incredible scenery, but it’s natural to wonder, “Is ziplining safe?” The short answer is yes, absolutely, especially when you choose CLIMB Works. CLIMB Works is the area’s top-rated zipline experience, and for a good reason. Known for its state-of-the-art braking system, professional and knowledgeable guides, and top-notch equipment, CLIMB Works prides itself on being the safest zipline experience in the Gatlinburg area without sacrificing fun. Here are some of the ways the CLIMB Works prioritizes safety throughout the two hour experience.

Every tour is accompanied by three trained guides

At no point during your tour will you be expected to attach or detach your own equipment. Each tour group will have three guides assigned to the tour; two Receiver guides and one Sender guide. Your Receivers will be responsible for utilizing the braking system to bring you to a stop and disconnecting your equipment from the line after your zips. Your Sender will safely hook you up to the lines and let you know when you are good to zip. Our experienced guides will ensure that you are properly attached to the course at all times throughout your tour.

All equipment is industry-recognized and regularly maintained

At CLIMB Works, safety begins long before you begin your zipline experience. All of the gear, including the harnesses, helmets, and trolleys are inspected before every tour. This goes for the on-course equipment as well, including the zipline cables, braking systems, safety tethers, and carabiners. Any equipment that shows signs of wear is promptly either fixed or retired. Every morning, guides perform a safety inspection by zipping through the course and thoroughly checking all equipment. In addition to daily safety inspections, a certified third-party inspector for Tennessee inspects the course annually, ensuring that all equipment is up to the safety standards of the industry.

Every tour starts with a comprehensive safety briefing

Prior to beginning your zipline tour, your guides will go over a thorough safety briefing with the group. They will give you all the information you need to stay safe and secure throughout the experience, including describing the equipment being used and what you can do to ensure your safety and comfort throughout the experience. Because your guides are with you during all parts of the tour, they are prepared to answer any and all questions that you may have about safety on course.

Overall, CLIMB Works prioritizes safety while ensuring that the thrill isn’t sacrificed. Between our experienced guides, top-notch equipment, regular maintenance, and thorough safety protocols, CLIMB Works tops the list of safe and exciting zipline tours in the Gatlinburg area. So, if you’re ready for the adventure of a lifetime, book a tour today!

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Smoky Mountains

The Best Time to Zipline in the Fall

There is nothing quite like fall in the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s known for its breathtaking vibrant foliage, and there is no better way to experience this beauty than soaring through the trees on a zipline. Between mid-September and early November, the mountains transform from lush green peaks to vivid gold, orange, and red hues as far as the eyes can see. While these beautiful fall colors are visible for many weeks, the change in color is staggered, making a waterfall-like effect of color that cascades down the mountain gradually throughout the season.

Why the Smokies are the Perfect Fall Destination

The Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the United States, and for a good reason. It is the most biodiverse national park in the park system– home to over 100 species of trees –which is one of the main reasons why the Smokies’ fall foliage is so spectacular. The wide range of tree species gives the Smokies a variety of colors and textures that shift throughout the season at different times. Because of this gradual change, fall in the Smoky Mountains seems to last longer compared to other parts of the country. Instead of a quick burst of color, the Smokies offer these breathtaking views for weeks that begin at the top of the mountain and slowly trickle down. Because of this elongated season, there is much more flexibility in planning their trips, making it an ideal destination for visitors from a variety of places and ways of life.

The Science Behind the Season

So, what gives the Smoky Mountains their colors? To put it simply, the leaves are green for the majority of the year because of chlorophyll, which is used during photosynthesis to absorb energy from sunlight and nourish the trees. As temperatures drop and the days get shorter, the trees begin to slow their food production, which leads to a breakdown of chlorophyll in the leaves. With less chlorophyll to create the green pigmentation, the reds, oranges, and yellows start to emerge, creating the fall colors that we know and love.

The timing that the leaves change colors changes depending on the species and elevation. Trees in higher elevations tend to adopt their fall colors sooner because of the difference in temperature and sunlight. This is why there’s a staggered transition of colors that begin at the top of the mountain (the highest elevation) and slowly moves down.

When is the Best Time to Zipline for Peak Fall Colors?

While you’ll get a stunning view of the fall colors anytime between September and November, you can plan your tour to experience the park once all of the trees have undergone their transformation. The peak week for autumn colors in the Smokies is typically the last week of October through the first week of November. This is when the majority of trees across all elevations have changed colors. Don’t worry if this doesn’t fit your schedule, though. You’ll still have incredible views of the mountains and their fall colors throughout the entire season.

Final Thoughts

Ziplining with CLIMB Works is not only a thrilling, adrenaline-pumping experience, but also an opportunity to witness the beauty of the park firsthand. You’ll soar over the trees with 360 views of the rolling mountains decorated in their fall colors, giving you the absolute best way to see the Smoky Mountains in their gorgeous fall state.

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