Residents of Plano and the Dallas/Ft. Worth area will have the chance to swing from the trees this spring thanks to a new partnership between Plano Parks and Recreation and Go Ape, the nation’s premier treetop adventure course company.
Go Ape Treetop Adventure courses inject fun and exhilaration into everyday life by giving guests the unique opportunity to experience the outdoors in a new and adventurous way. The course will be a two- to three-hour trek through the forest canopy using rope ladders, Tarzan swings, five zip lines, and more than 40 other challenging and fun obstacles situated more than 40 feet in the air. All Go Ape courses are designed to allow for a wide variety of skill levels, offering a balanced mixture of challenge and fun.
The Go Ape Oak Point Park course is made up of numerous rope ladders, 39 exciting crossings, including the Pirates Crossing, Fisherman’s Trap, Bosun’s Chair, two Tarzan swings and five zip lines. Overall, there will be five individual sections within the course, each section taking adventurers higher into the forest canopy and finishing with a zip line more exciting than the previous one! This unique outdoor experience offers participants a full 2–3 hours of outdoor fun and exercise and costs just $38 for Baboons (children aged 10–15) and $58 for Gorillas and Orangutans (aged 16 and over).
“We’re thrilled to have this partnership be our first in Texas,” says Go Ape Managing Director Dan D’Agostino. “This will be a unique outdoor experience for residents and visitors alike. It’s ideal for friends and family outings, corporate team building, and anyone who enjoys a challenge. We hope to get all Texans up in the trees.”
This is the company’s thirteenth course in the United States, which began construction in December 2015. With a 100% capital investment from Go Ape to build the Treetop Adventure course at Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve, Plano Parks and Recreation will share in the revenue derived from all ticket sales. Go Ape estimates that approximately 70 percent of its guests are new park visitors, and that park partners generally see an increase in visitors by as much as 25 percent.
“This partnership represents the exciting new ways that we’re working to grow the local and regional attendance at our parks,” said Amy Fortenberry, Director, Plano Parks and Recreation. “The adventure course will give residents and visitors an opportunity to get outside and enjoy one of our beautiful parks, experiencing views from an otherwise unobtainable vantage point.”
Go Ape Treetop Courses offer a first-hand forest ecosystem experience, while also providing exercise, team building and personal confidence building skills. Participants gain access to forest canopies in a low-impact way, allowing them to experience and gain an appreciation for the forest’s richly diverse ecosystem.
Additionally, Go Ape Treetop Adventure courses support the park and local communities in which they are based by taking part in park cleanups, non-native invasive plant removal, and by donating free and discounted tickets to underserved and special needs groups. Last year, Go Ape donated more than $620,000 in free and reduced-price tickets to local community groups.
Go Ape, Plano
Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve
5901 Los Rios Blvd
Plano, Texas 75074