Plano Hopes New Treetop Zipline Will Become Regional Attraction
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PLANO (CBS11) - If you don't think of the suburbs as a place for adventure, Plano has a new attraction that could change your mind. The city is working with a zipline company to put the finishing touches on a treetop course set to open in a few weeks.
Construction just finished within the last few days, so you can already get a sense of what it will be like when it opens to the public. The platforms and the cables up in the treetops have been a curious site for park visitors since construction began last December.
"I love the idea of having it here," Randy Comer said.
Comer walks the park almost every day. He says he can't wait to try out the new zipline course.
"I think the fun is the zipline, but I'm trying to figure out all the "X's and O's" of where you walk and how the safety part of it obviously with some of the kids," Comer said.
Park visitor Charlie Prenzi is happy to see the project take shape without leaving too big of a footprint.
"I thought it was well done. It's nice. It doesn't feel like it just took over the park. It still feels like a natural environment," Prenzi said.
When it opens, the Plano course will be similar to others the builder, Go Ape USA is putting up around the country as the popularity of zip lines takes off.
"You get a unique aspect of looking at the park whenever you're up in the trees. It's not something you always get to do when you're just walking around the park like normal," Go Ape operations manager Justin Hall said.
The city has high hopes for the attraction as a way to draw new visitors to the 800-acre Oak Point Park especially as the city's population continues to grow and people look for a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
"People not just from Plano are going to come. I anticipate people from all over the region are going to come and experience this challenge course," Plano Recreation Superintendent Ron Smith said.
The course is set to open to the public on March 5 with a grand opening planned one week later.
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