Hopping barrels over Niagara Falls is so old news. There’s a new adrenaline-inducing way to experience the most powerful waterfalls in North America: by zipline.
Situated on the Canadian side of the waterfalls that straddle the U.S. border, WildPlay’s MistRider Zipline to the Falls shoots riders 2,200 feet across the Niagara River Gorge at speeds of up to 40 mph. From an exhilarating vantage point of 220 feet up, zipliners travel straight toward the face of the U.S. and Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
MistRider (as it’s known locally) consists of four parallel ziplines. Although the far ends of the lines are a good mile or so from the falls, you’re practically guaranteed to feel mist in your face as you follow a guide down. Add to this the fact that you’re ziplining right toward the falls themselves, and the ride is sure to elicit some shrieks from even the most stoic zippers.
The zipline is part of WildPlay Element Parks at Niagara Falls, a family-friendly outdoor adventure theme park with outposts all over Canada. In addition to the zipline, this particular park boasts cliff-side adventure courses that includes climbing, jumping, and swinging aerial games, plus a loose-line leap (sort of like a bungee jump).
Perhaps the only downside to these experiences are the age and weight limits. 1: Nobody under the age of five can ride the zipline, do the loose-line leap, or run the ropes course, and the maximum weight limit for zipline riders is 275 pounds.
Adrenaline-seeking riders zipline toward the falls at the Niagara Gorge.
Courtesy of WildPlay Niagara Falls
The good news is that there’s also a separate obstacle course designed just for kids, which has a much shorter zipline so the young ones don’t feel left out. (A responsible adult must accompany children younger than 13 years old on site.) Provided you fulfill the requirements, admission for a single zipline ride is $50. The Mistrider Zipline to the Falls opens for the 2019 season in April. See you at the bottom—enjoy the great view!
This article originally appeared online in July 2016; it was updated on January 4, 2019, to include current information.
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