Ziplining (also called canopy touring) is a guided activity in which the participant wears a harness, clips into a wheeled trolley on a tensioned steel cable, and rides from one elevated platform to the next. Two commercial canopy-tour operators run year-round within driving distance of San Francisco. Both are detailed below with current published rates and requirements.
Active Bay Area Operators
Sonoma Zipline Adventures — Occidental
6250 Bohemian Highway, Occidental, CA 95465. About 90 minutes north of San Francisco, in second-growth redwoods near the Russian River. Run as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
Tree Tops Tour. Seven ziplines, two sky bridges, and a 45-foot rappel descent at the end. Longest line: 1,500 feet. Total course length: 2,907 feet. Maximum height above the forest floor: 250 feet. Top recorded speed: 40 mph. Duration: about 2.5 hours. Access requires climbing roughly 100 stairs. Price: $119 to $149 per person depending on date.
Forest Flight Tour. The operator's original course, run before the Tree Tops Tour was built. Includes multiple ziplines, sky bridges, a spiral staircase, and a rappel descent. Duration: about 2.5 hours.
Night Flight Tour. The Forest Flight course operated at sunset or after dark.
Operates year-round, rain or shine; cancellations occur only for high winds, lightning, or intense rain. Minimum age 10. Weight range 70 to 250 pounds. Riders must be willing to climb a 30-foot spiral staircase and rappel down at the end of the tour. Riders under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or adult. Closed-toe shoes required; sneakers or hiking boots are typical. Glasses must be on a retention strap. Skirts and dresses are not permitted. Reservations are refundable minus a $20-per-person fee with at least 7 days notice; under 7 days is a $25-per-person reschedule fee with no refund. Phone: 1-888-494-7868.
Mount Hermon Adventures Redwood Canopy Tour — Felton
17 Conference Drive, Felton, CA 95018. About an hour south of San Jose in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Redwood Canopy Tour. Seven ziplines. Maximum height above the forest floor: 150 feet. Duration: about 2 hours. Group size: up to 8 riders led by 2 guides; parties of 9 or more book through the group events line.
Per-person pricing varies by date and day of week:
- September 1 through April 30: $116 weekday, $126 weekend.
- May 1 through May 31: $136 weekday, $146 weekend.
- June 1 through August 31: $146 weekday, $156 weekend.
Operates year-round, rain or shine. Minimum age 10. Minimum height 52 inches (4 feet 4 inches). Weight range 75 to 250 pounds. The same operator also runs Sequoia Aerial Adventures, a separate ropes course at the same location with different elements and requirements. Phone: 831-430-4357.
Yosemite Ziplines and Adventure Ranch — Mariposa
4808 Highway 140, Mariposa, CA. About 3.5 hours east of the Bay Area. Listings differ on operating status as of late 2025: Yelp marks the business closed, while the operator's social pages indicate open by reservation. The historical published tour ran seven ziplines totalling 3,800 feet over about 2 hours, with a weight range of 60 to 250 pounds and no posted age minimum, for groups of 8 to 10. Confirm operating status by phone before planning a trip around this venue. Phone: (209) 742-4844.
Equipment and Mechanics
The rider's harness clips to a wheeled trolley that rolls on a tensioned steel cable strung between two elevated platforms. Both Bay Area operators use a two-trolley attachment (a primary trolley plus a redundant backup) and an automatic braking system at the landing platform, so the rider does not hand-brake.
A canopy tour is a series of these cable runs connected by short walking sections or sky bridges. A full Bay Area tour covers six or seven lines over two to two and a half hours; total time on the cable is a few minutes across all lines, with the remainder spent on platforms, walking, and at the safety briefing.
What to Wear and Bring
- Closed-toe shoes that stay on the foot. Sandals and flip-flops are not permitted at either Bay Area operator.
- Pants, jeans, or knee-length shorts. The harness sits across the hips and thighs.
- A long-sleeve layer for the redwood canopy, which runs about 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the surrounding valleys.
- Glasses on a retention strap, if worn.
- Long hair tied back.
Both operators provide harness, helmet, gloves, and trolley. Loose handheld items (phones, keys, wallets) are not permitted on the line and must be stored at the base. Both operators offer rentable helmet cameras for personal footage.
Ziplining and Tandem Paragliding
The two activities are searched in the same context but produce different experiences. A canopy tour consists of multiple short cable rides over two to two and a half hours; each ride lasts a few seconds to about a minute, and the rider does not steer. A tandem paragliding flight is one continuous flight under a fabric wing, typically 15 to 45 minutes in the air, with smooth turns and a launch altitude of 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the landing site. A paraglider can cover several miles laterally and change altitude in flight. Both accept first-time participants without prior experience.