Hungry Mother Outdoor Adventures: Zipline Course

My 12-year-old and I have had precious few days of one-on-one time since my toddler joined the family. My husband and I therefore decided that for one day of our Blue Ridge Highlands vacation, she and I would get a full Saturday together while he stayed back with our little one. We began our special day by heading to Hungry Mother Outdoor Adventures for some ziplining, which I had booked ahead of time for $70 per person.

Located near (but not affiliated with) Hungry Mother State Park in Marion, VA, Hungry Mother Outdoor Adventures offers both ziplining and tube rental experiences. When you arrive for your adventure, park in the small parking area immediately after pulling off of the main road. If you find yourself on a steep hill, you have gone too far. You will eventually have to head up that incline, but HMOA staff will take you there (more about that in a moment).

Our guides, Tyler and Michael, met us and the two other members of our group in the parking area. They provided us with waivers and helped us put on our gear, all while answering any questions we had. Once everyone was properly harnessed and helmeted, we turned around to find the sweet ride that would be taking us to the course’s starting point. Riding in the back of this truck was an experience in itself! Still, my daughter thought it was the best thing ever, and I never once felt unsafe.

The truck dropped us off at the top of the hill near the pathway to the first zipline. I really liked that each zipline was accessible from solid ground – I’ve been to places that require climbing narrow ladders or scaling obstacles to get to a zipline platform. That was fortunately not the case here.

At the start of each zipline, one of the guides helped us get into place, often with the assistance of a stepstool. Once we were secured, comfortable, and ready to go, they released us and let the laws of physics take over.

I am not the biggest fan of heights, but it was remarkably freeing to soar through the air with treetops zooming past my peripheral vision and the wind rushing at my face. As I neared the end of each zipline, a guide was poised and ready to wave his arms at me. That was my signal to press gently on the break above me in order to gradually slow my trajectory towards the platform. I was a little nervous about this step at first, but breaking was a lot easier than it sounded and became second nature by the end of the tour.

At the conclusion of each zipline, a guide helped to detach each of us from the cable, and we waited a safe distance from the platform until all four group members and the other guide arrived. Then, we made our way down a path to the next zipline. This pattern continued for each of the course’s five ziplines. The ziplines varied in height and length, with the biggest one measuring roughly a quarter of a mile long and 300 feet high.

When we crossed the fifth and final zipline, we found ourselves at a staircase that led back to the little parking lot. Our adventure quite literally flew by! The Hungry Mother Outdoor Adventures website suggests planning for about two hours on the course, but since there were just four people in our group, it only took us about an hour to complete the full circuit.

We are super grateful to Tyler and Michael for such an awesome experience on that beautiful August morning. They led our group with safety, enthusiasm, and a wonderful sense of humor. If you ever find yourself traveling through Smyth County, definitely stop and enjoy an excursion with Hungry Mother Outdoor Adventures – it was one of the highlights of our vacation!