The White River National Forest has , including zip lines and an alpine coaster.
The busiest national forest in the nation has now approved — , Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain and Snowmass — under the 2011 Ski Area Recreational Enhancement Act. The federal legislation was designed to help grow summer traffic at ski areas operating on federal land with hopes of bolstering year-round economies in high country communities. With 11 of the country’s most trafficked ski areas, the White River National Forest has forged the model for summer development.
The Forest Service spent more than as part of a rigorous Environmental Impact Statement review. The plan calls for a mountain coaster, zip line, canopy tour, ropes challenge course, 2.4 miles of new hiking trails, 13.9 miles of new and realigned biking trails, a mountain bike skills park, climbing wall, educational installations and two multi-purpose activity areas for gatherings and events.
Aspen Skiing Co. said the Breathtaker Coaster, the first of its will open in December, featuring a 5,700-foot track dropping 410 vertical feet with a total ride time of 7 to 9 minutes.
Others will be ready by next summer, including the guided Canopy Run Ziptour that will take up to three hours, with groups traversing eight zip lines and two sky bridges between tree-based platforms.
