By Kate Bartlett
Sky High Adventure Park at Holiday Valley Resort provides action all summer long on the slopes. Take in the fresh mountain air as you take on a variety of challenges. Sky High Adventure Park is made up of a variety of different outdoor adventure activities, including an Aerial Park, Climbing Forest, a Mountain Coaster and Gem Mining plus chairlift rides and mountain biking. The Aerial Park is the largest in New York State and 3rd largest in the United States, satisfying their quest to become a more fulfilling four-seasons resort.
Jaimie Woodarek has worked at Holiday Valley Resort since the 2004/2005 winter season. She began working at Sky High Adventure Park when it opened for the summer in 2011 and is currently the Sky-High Harness Shop Coordinator. “I have lived in Ellicottville my whole life, and Holiday Valley has always been a home away from home for me.”
“The Aerial Park is the main attraction.” Says Jaimie. “With our 13 courses, and 5 levels of difficulty there is plenty to do and you’ll definitely want to come back to try more! The Park is a series of platforms, obstacles, bridges and ziplines built in a 5-acre section of the woods and the challenge is to navigate through all the platforms of a course. Each activity provides fun and at times will challenge you in ways you didn’t expect. Sky High Adventure Park is a great place to go with your family and friends.”
Since opening in 2011, Sky High has seen some major changes. The Grand Rapids zip line was added in 2012 as a feature to take climbers back to the Tannenbaum Lodge. The Climbing Forest was added in 2015. 2018 brought the Happy Mining Gem experience and Fall Chairlift rides to Spruce Lake. “Due to chairlift popularity, we increased the Spruce Lake chairlift operations to every weekend throughout the summer and fall in 2020. In 2019 we added the e-bikes and in 2021 we added mountain bike rentals and the bike carriers were installed on the Spruce Lake lift.” Almost every year modifications are made to the adventure courses to make the routes different from the previous year. The most recent course is the Black Widow course in 2014. “It’s an incredible course that takes both strength and strategy. Definitely something to aspire towards once you’ve mastered the other courses.”
Jaimie’s favorite experience is The Gem Mining; “it caters to our youngest and our oldest guests. It’s really fun for EVERYONE! It’s great to watch people get excited about what they might find in their bag, and to try to identify them after. It’s a remarkable experience for everyone because it provides fun and learning together at the same time.”
“What makes Sky High unique is that every activity we offer is interactive. We really try to engage our guests to participate actively in what they are doing and allow them to customize their experience. Whether you’re experiencing Sky High for the first time or the 20th time, the course doesn’t get old. There are so many exciting and different ways to challenge yourself while you’re out there; we’re very proud of the aerial park. It’s something that should not be missed when you visit Ellicottville.”
Sky High is now open daily from 9am-6pm through September 5. It will be open Friday – Sunday from September 9 – October 16. October 22 – 30 will be Saturday & Sunday from 11am-Dusk. June 28 and August 23 are the Cabin Fever special dates. Pick up a voucher from Gear for Adventure (Hamburg and Amherst locations), the North Face in Victor, NY or Jamestown Cycle Shop to get $30 off a 3-hour climb. Must call to reserve, 716-699-4444 and present your voucher at check in.
Visit online https://www.holidayvalley.com/summer/sky-high-adventure-park/ follow on Facebook @ SkyHighHV IG and twitter @ holidayvalley
Caption: The Aerial Park, with 13 courses and 5 levels of difficulty, is the largest in New York State and 3rd largest in the United States, satisfying their quest to become a more fulfilling four-seasons resort. The Park is a series of platforms, obstacles, bridges and ziplines built in a 5-acre section of the woods and the challenge is to navigate through all the platforms of a course.