The Organic Farm Hiding the Coolest Zipline in the Pacific Nort…
Caroline Stratos
Article Writer
Courtesy of Canopy Tours Northwest
I’ve always considered zip-lining to be more tourist trap than ecotourism experience, but that was until I dashed through a lush forest on Camano Island, Washington. Swishing through the temperate Pacific Northwest canopy gave me a different perspective—literally—on the popular airy activity.
Kristoferson Farm, an organic family-owned farm and event space, attracts visitors and locals alike to a Pacific Northwest forest adventure through their Canopy Tours Northwest zip line experience. After entering the forest in a stylish 1963 Unimog vehicle, expert zip liners hooked me up to a series of six different zip lines, a log bridge suspended in the trees, and forested trails. Suddenly, I was whizzing past a variety of western hemlock, western redcedar, and more, taking in their fragrant aromas along the way.
Time slowed down on the zip line as these forest canopies offered a chance for me to admire the grandness of the trees, and nature for that matter, almost as if I was being enveloped in a big hug. There’s nothing like the calming, almost spiritual feeling of succumbing to the mercy of the trees around you while having the crisp Washington air brush your cheeks.
After accidentally slipping through the spaces of the suspended log bridge that our group was valiantly trekking across, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself as I made my way back to one of the wood platforms. Zip-lining has a way of humbling you.
Courtesy Canopy Tours Northwest
While there is much more to explore of the 232-acre property, I was able to get a feel for the lush greenery that spans the farm through a birds-eye-view of the zipline. “Our canopy tour is just one of several ways guests experience the farm, forest, and history celebrating farm life and a rich wildlife habitat,” said Mona Campbell, director of marketing at Canopy Tours Northwest and one of the fourth-generation owners of Kristoferson Farm alongside her siblings. “Combining history, experience, and adventure is what we do best, and we invite others to celebrate and create their own life experiences with us.”
After accidentally slipping through the spaces of the suspended log bridge…I couldn’t help but laugh—zip-lining has a way of humbling you.
Courtesy Kristoferson Farm
After the tour, peel off that helmet and take advantage of the historic family farm’s selection of homemade products, including those made of homegrown, organic lavender, located at their farm stand and gift shop. For those looking for further family fun and good times, Kristoferson Farm has everything from lavender picking, to fall festivities, to private events in their red, hillside barn.
As I made the final 47-foot final descent to the ground after hours of laughing and building camaraderie with the guides and fellow zippers, I embraced the thrill of racing through the Camano Island treetops. I might have been a tourist, but this open-air experience felt like anything but a trap.
Caroline Stratos is a Thrillist contributor.
