Three local zip-lining parks supply singular highs 

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This is the closest I'll ever get to being Batman. About 400 feet above ground, I look below at some valley terrain, visible but mildly obscured by my legs—dangling wildly in the air—as I zip-line from point A to point B at Highline Adventures.

Tucked away just outside Buellton's city limits, Highline Adventures is the Central Coast's newest zip-lining destination, which opened in July 2023, and the first of its kind in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Since its summer debut, the attraction has lured in both zip-line junkies and newbies, including first-timer Louise Henle, a local in her 60s who attended the same park tour I did in early January.

"It was just like being a bird; like being able to fly," Henle, still wearing a harness and helmet, said about her first impression of zip-lining. "I wasn't sure if I was going to be afraid of heights.

"Nope! It was awesome," she exclaimed. "They just make it so comfortable."

For Henle, the occasion also marked her first time riding in the back of a Humvee, as one transports park guests up a steep mountain path from the briefing area to the zip-lining platforms above.

Those who book a tour at Highline Adventures get access to three consecutive zip-lining opportunities, each one faster than the last, according to the park's owner and operator Jeff Hartman.

"We start you off long and high, but that's the slowest one. We get you progressively faster," Hartman said. "The third one gets people going 50, 55 miles an hour."

The local entrepreneur said it took about 10 years to get his new venture off the ground. Before landing on zip-lining, Hartman's family considered using their hillside Buellton property—where he also resides on-site—for agriculture cultivation or cattle raising.

"We've gone through a lot of iterations of what this project could be, and I think we've really developed a world-class outdoor recreation facility," said Hartman, whose park features other activities as well.

There are more than 80 climbing obstacles, as high as 60 feet above ground, for adults and children alike to take part in at the venue's Adventure Park area.

Highline Adventures also offers more down-to-earth opportunities for sightseeing without the adrenaline rush of zip-lining or climbing. The park's Protea Walking Tour gives attendees the chance to stroll across the property and enjoy the flowers, expected to be in bloom through March.

Pincushion protea were blooming near the beginning of 2024, and winter leucadendrons and banksias are currently in full bloom at the park as well.

While Highline Adventures offers patrons scenic views of the property's flora and mountain surroundings during both zip-lining and walking tours, some zip lines at Vista Lago Adventure Park in Arroyo Grande take riders directly over a body of water.

When general manager Nick Johnson started at the park in 2017, "we never really had the zip-lines going over the water, with the drought and Lopez Lake being lower," he said.

Nowadays, zip-liners at Vista Lago glide over the surface of Lopez Lake on a regular basis when the venue is open, as it's seasonally closed until this May.

The lake setting may elicit a subliminal feeling of relief—the water could be seen as a wet safety net of sorts, not that one's ever needed, Johnson clarified.

"A lot of the time the first question we get is, 'Is it safe?'" Johnson said. "We go through every nut, bolt, wire, rope. Everything on the course is inspected daily."

Zip-lining isn't the only activity at Vista Lago that'll get adventurers above ground, as the venue has plenty of ropes courses for its patrons to choose from. Each one is named after an animal, with difficult courses like Deer Run and Black Bear not recommended for the faint of heart, and beginner-friendly treks such as Squirrel Zone and Quail Trail recommended for most.

There's also Cub Course, ideal for ages 4 through 8, which offers young adventurers the chance to climb like Spider-Man across a web-like rope net and embark on similar escapades.

Margarita Adventures at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch welcomes the same demographic to enjoy its lineup of kids day camps, and guests of all ages to try out both zip-lining and nature/wildlife tours led by ranch naturalist Jacqueline Redinger.

"The eagle tour is really exciting, especially at this time of year because we're expecting the bald eagles out on the ranch to be returning to some of their nests," Redinger said in January. "We expect them to be laying eggs and incubating them soon."

A seasonal offering, the eagle tour is open now through June. During the summer of 2023, Redinger and attendees of other wildlife tours saw a fair amount of black bears at the ranch. Each of these events includes a driving tour of the ranch's backroads while guests learn about the sprawling property's diverse ecosystems.

"There are mountain lions out there too," Redinger said. "They're active in the early mornings and late evenings, so we don't see them quite as often."

Prior to joining the staff at Margarita Adventures about two years ago, Redinger had never tried zip-lining.

"That was a really cool new experience for me," said Redinger, who leads both the venue's nature/wildlife tours and kids day camps.

One activity open exclusively to adults at the park is the Zip 'n Sip Tour, a zip-lining package that incorporates five wine tastings, courtesy of Ancient Peaks Estate Wines, and charcuterie.

Both Redinger and operations manager Katrina Larson share an unwavering favorite when it comes to which wine pairs best with zip-lining.

"It seems pretty unanimous between Jacqueline and I. We both really like the Renegade," Larson said of the wine, a blend of syrah, petit verdot, and malbec.

When Larson started working for Margarita Adventures in 2019, she intended to stay on for just a few months, but ended up enjoying the seasonal job—and the sweeping outdoor workspace it provides—too much to give it up so soon.

"I was only going to stay for the summer, and I never left," Larson said with a laugh.