The Adventure Park at Sandy Spring
4.8(1.7K)google
4.6(333)yelp
ziplineClimbingThrillingForestFamilyOutdooradventure
Overview
Recognized as the largest aerial forest adventure park in North America, this thrilling eco-destination features over 15 distinct trails and dozens of exciting ziplines woven through the forest canopy. Catering to various difficulty levels from beginners to advanced climbers, the park utilizes an innovative Swiss smart-belay safety system, allowing families and corporate groups to navigate rope bridges, cargo nets, and high-wire challenges safely.
Practical Info
Mon9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Tue9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Wed9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Thu9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Fri9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sat9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Sun9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Suggested Duration3.5-6 hours
Best TimeSpring (April to May) and autumn (September to November) provide the coolest, most comfortable weather for tackling the aerial ropes courses. For a truly unique experience, book a Friday or Saturday night 'Glow Climb' ticket from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM when the entire five-acre forest canopy is illuminated by neon LED fairy lights.
Getting ThereLocated in Sandy Spring with no rail transit nearby. Drive north from Silver Spring on MD-97 N (Georgia Avenue), turn right onto MD-108 E (Sandy Spring Road) at Olney, proceed 1.5 miles, and turn left into the shared entrance for Sandy Spring Friends School. Follow internal signage to the adventure park forest parking lot.
Travel Tips
- As the nation's largest aerial adventure park, all climbers must pre-sign digital liability waivers online 72 hours out; no paper waivers exist, and unregistered parties face booking cancellation.
- The high-ropes harnesses demand fully enclosed, high-traction athletic footwear; loose slip-on canvas shoes, lifestyle sandals, and Crocs are fully banned from the climbing platforms.
Photo Tips
Photo Spots
- High-ropes zip line tracks experience immense midday traffic with blinding sun flare; ground photographers should nest at the terminal landing zones using ND filters for fast motion tracking.
Reviews
Positive
- One of the nation's largest aerial forest ropes courses; featuring 16 sprawling treetop trails of varying difficulty that offer a stunning and wild forest view.
- Top-tier interactive adventure; packed with challenging rope bridges, swinging logs, cargo nets, and high-speed ziplines that keep adrenaline pumping.
- Outstanding safety management; every guest must complete a thorough harness briefing, utilizing premium interlocking smart-cliptiles that prevent accidental detachment.
- Great utility for the cost; a standard admission ticket grants a generous 3 to 4-hour window of unlimited climbing, with clean facilities and robust rental gear.
Heads up
- The ticket pricing is quite heavy on the wallet, and they enforce an incredibly rigid cancellation and rescheduling policy with strict financial fees.
- Suffers from bottleneck congestion on busy weekend afternoons; slower climbers on challenging trails can cause long, tedious delays on the high wooden platforms.
- The courses are physically grueling and demand serious upper-body strength; completely unfit guests or those afraid of heights will find it too exhausting.
- The ground paths consist entirely of exposed roots, rocks, and raw dirt, severely lacking ADA accessibility options for strollers or wheelchairs past the main lodge.