The Monkey C Monkey Do Zip Line Park, a family adventure course, located on Rt. 1 in Wiscasset, will hold their grand opening on Sun., June 27. The new facility is Maine’s first and only high flying family adventure and zip line park.
Two zip lines have been open for a couple of weeks. Sunday’s grand opening marks the opening of the ropes course. The family adventure course consists of 29 obstacles on four levels, and two zip lines located 20 and 50 feet in the air.
The family business is owned by Bill and Danielle King, and Danielle’s parents Roland and Brenda Lacombe.
The park, located on Rt. 1 south of Shaw’s Supermarket, is just a few short miles from where Bill grew up in Woolwich. “My husband and I did it last fall (in N.H.) and loved it. We were so empowered by it,” Danielle King commented on the high adventure ropes course.
“We’ve been very pleased with the turnout,” for the zip lines, owner Danielle said. “They are thrilled. Everyone is very, very excited. A little boy took a half hour to get his courage up the other day. After that there was no stopping him,” King added.
Children Drew and Tori Leglininski were trying out the zip lines on June 18. “The first time is a little scary,” Tori said. When asked if they would recommend it to someone else, Drew replied, “Yeah! I would recommend it to anyone. It’s lots of fun.”
After Drew issued the challenge, I harnessed up and took a trip on the Screaming Monkey zip line. A little nervous at first, having fallen off a roof a few years back, I approached the platform timidly. The harness was comforting and felt so safe, I took off down the zip with no problem. Yee hah! What a blast!
First time customers for the ropes course watch a 30-minute training video, sign a waiver, then are fitted to a safety harness.
Participants then test out and get familiar with their safety equipment on low obstacles located one to two feet off the ground. Once comfortable and confident, they will progress to the Little Monkey course (Forest Floor) and then to the Lower Canopy and Upper Canopy.
All participants are required to wear a harness and be hooked on to a cable suspended above the obstacle courses at all times while on the course. Safety is a number one at Monkey C Monkey Do.
Obstacles on the ropes courses consist of tight ropes, moving platforms, suspension bridges, Burma bridge (Indiana Jones type with boards tied together with ropes), to suspended stirrups that participants step from one to another.
The Upper and Lower Canopy courses are suspended 20 to 50 feet in the air. Once through the main course, participants exit on one of two 400-foot long zip lines to the ground, where they can enter the course again.
“There will be staff monitoring the course at all times. If there are any incidents of freezing on the course, the staff will be there to help.” Bill King said.
Danielle equates the Canopy Floor level to a “bunny slope in skiing.” The ropes course is restricted to 48-inches and taller.
“If the right six-year-old shows they can handle it, they can go with their mom or dad,” Danielle said. The lower canopy is an intermediate course, and the upper canopy the expert level.
“It’s a progressive thing. People with climbing experience can probably start at the middle level,” Danielle said.
“It’s a very different kind of adrenaline rush. We want people to grow with this. We want this to be a family team building experience. We want the family to feel like they have grown together, and to have fun.”
Participants can ride just the zip line, or they can use in combination with the ropes course. Three trips down the Screaming Monkey zip line (400-feet long, 40-feet high) cost $10, and five rides on the Kid’s Zip (100-feet long) cost $10.
The cost of the ropes course will be $40 for adults, $35 for high school and college students, $25 for children aged 4-13, $99 for a family of four pass ($18 for each additional child), and $205 for a season pass.
Special group pricing, and birthday party prices are available. They will also hold Maine Monkey Days, where Maine residents will get a discount. Monkey C Monkey Do strongly suggests making reservations, by calling 882-6861.
No open toe shoes are allowed in the park; sneakers or tennis shoes are highly recommended.
Check out park specials on their website at www.monkeycmonkeydo.com.
