Best of the Blue Ridge 2026

If you love the outdoors, you know this feeling. You find a place that makes you grin the whole time. You tell your friends. You go back again. That is what the Best of the Blue Ridge awards are all about. Real people vote for the places they actually enjoy.

The Gorge Zipline in Saluda, North Carolina earned Runner Up for Best Zipline in Blue Ridge Outdoors’ 2026 Best of the Blue Ridge Winners list.

Our team at Challenge Design Innovations (CDI) designed and built this zipline experience. So yes, we are proud. And we are also grateful. A build like this takes a great client, a great crew, and a lot of teamwork.

Blue Ridge Outdoors runs a big reader-voted awards list each year. It covers many outdoor categories. People vote for their favorites across the region.

So when a zipline shows up as a winner or runner up, it says something simple. Guests had a great time. They remembered it. They told others. That is the kind of “review” you cannot fake. You earn it.

First, a big congrats to Buffalo Mountain Ziplines in Floyd, Virginia for winning Best Zipline. We love seeing outdoor businesses get recognized. When one place wins, it lifts the whole industry. It also helps more families and groups try a zipline for the first time.

Now, let’s talk about our client. The Gorge Zipline earned Runner Up in the Best Zipline category.

Runner Up might sound like “second,” but it really means “top of the pack.” Think of it like this. A class has a bunch of strong students. Runner Up is still on the honor roll. It still stands out. Plus, the Gorge has won dozens of awards over the years!

And for us, it is personal. We helped bring this course to life. We worked with the Gorge team to shape an experience people would love, and guides would feel proud to run.

The Gorge Zipline calls its tour steep, fast, and beautiful. Guests start on the rim of the Green River Gorge. Then they drop into the forest for 11 ziplines, an epic sky-bridge, and three big rappels. The course drops about 1,100 vertical feet as you move through it.

That mix creates a full adventure. It is not just one zip and done. It feels more like a journey, with different moments that keep guests saying, “Wait, what’s next?”

The best ziplines do something more than move you from point A to point B. They build a “story” as you go.

In a good story, each chapter has a purpose. One zip sets the tone. Another zip opens the view. A bridge slows you down so you can look around. A rappel adds a new kind of challenge.

That variety helps people stay present. It also helps groups with mixed comfort levels. Some guests want speed. Others want scenery. A well-planned course gives both.

A zipline is like a kind of like a roller coaster made of trees (or telephone pole) and cable. The ride is real, but the setting is the magic.

When you build in the mountains, you already have a gift. But you still have to use it well. You want guests to see the best parts at the right time. You want a safe path through the trees. You want platforms in places that feel solid and calm.

That takes planning. It takes walking the land. It takes lots of “what if” talk. What if the line is too long for first timers? What if the view is blocked? What if the group backs up and has to wait too long? These are design questions, not just operations questions.

People often ask us, “What makes a zipline great?” There is no single trick. Great builds come from lots of small choices that add up.

Here are the big pieces we focus on when we design and build a zipline tour.

- A clear plan for the guest experience
- Smart use of the land and views
- Good pacing, so groups keep moving
- Quality construction, built to last
- Training and support, so staff can run it well
- A solid management team to operate the business - great staff make the build come to life. Course design and build must have a great staff operating it or it will be merely adequate. We are grateful the the Applied Adventure team managing and operating The Gorge!

If you have ever built a treehouse, you know the tree “decides” a lot for you. A zipline is the same. The land shapes the design.

Steep land can create big excitement. It can also create big problems if you do not plan carefully. You have to think about where people walk, where they rest, and how guides move groups safely.

At The Gorge, the land is part of the identity. The tour starts high and moves down through the forest. That is a bold design choice, and it creates a strong feeling of travel.

A guest should not feel lost on a tour. They should feel guided, even before the guide says a word.

That is where layout matters. You place platforms so people can see where they are going next. You design transitions that feel natural. You avoid awkward “backtracking” when you can.

When the path is clear, guests relax. When guests relax, they smile more. And when they smile more, they tell their friends.

Good gear matters. But gear alone does not make a great zipline. The guest experience does.

We think about simple questions. Where do people put their feet? Where do they put their hands? Do they have a moment to breathe before a big step? Can the guide talk to the whole group without shouting?

It is like building a kitchen. Sure, you need good appliances. But if the fridge blocks the oven, you will hate cooking there. Flow matters.

A lot of guests are first timers. They may feel excited and nervous at the same time. That is normal.

So we test designs with that in mind. If a first timer can understand the next step, the design works. If a first timer can stand on a platform and feel steady, the design works. If a first timer can finish the tour and say, “I want to do that again,” the design really works.

Guides do a lot. They teach. They check gear. They coach nervous guests. They keep energy up. They also watch the whole group.

A smart design supports that work. It puts groups in the right places. It gives guides good angles to see. It avoids tight spots where people bunch up. It creates natural “pause points” so the guide can reset the group.

Think of it like a good stage. If the lights and sound work, the performer can focus on the show. If they do not, the performer has to fight the setup all night.

A course can look perfect on paper. But the real test is this. Can staff run it day after day? Can they teach it clearly? Can they keep guests safe and happy?

That is why training matters. We support clients with training so their team feels ready. We help build the habits that keep tours smooth, even when things get busy.

When design and training work together, guests feel it. The tour feels calm, even when it is exciting.

The best projects feel like a true partnership. The owner and operator knows their land and their guests. We bring deep build experience and a focus on long-term success.

We listen early. We ask a lot of questions. What kind of guests do you want most? Families? Thrill seekers? School groups? What season will be busiest? What does a “great day” look like for your guides?

Then we build around those answers. Because a zipline is not just a structure. It is a business. It is also a memory machine. People will talk about it for years.

Builds like The Gorge take a lot of hands and a lot of skill.

Designers shape the flow. Builders make it real. Crew leaders keep work safe and organized. Everyone solves problems as they pop up. Because on a mountain site, something always pops up.

We are proud of the work. We are proud of the craft. And we are proud that our team helped create an experience that earned Runner Up in a major regional award list.

We are thrilled to celebrate two things at once. We celebrate Buffalo Mountain Ziplines for winning Best Zipline this year. And we celebrate The Gorge Zipline for earning Runner Up in the same 2026 awards list.

Most of all, we celebrate the people behind the scenes. The owners who invest. The guides who lead with care. The builders who sweat the details. That is how you create a place guests will vote for, talk about, and come back to.

1) What does “Runner Up” mean in the Best Zipline awards?
It means the zipline placed just behind the winner in reader voting. It is still one of the top choices in the region.

2) Where is The Gorge Zipline located?
It is in Saluda, North Carolina.
166 Honey Bee Dr, Saluda, NC 28773
https://thegorgezipline.com/

3) What will guests do on The Gorge Zipline tour?
The Gorge describes 11 ziplines, a sky-bridge, and three rappels, with a big drop in elevation during the tour.

4) What makes a zipline feel “high quality” to guests?
Clear flow, great views, smooth pacing, strong guide support, and a design that works well for first timers.

5) If I want a zipline on my property, what is my first step?
Start with a simple talk about your land, your goals, and your guest type. Then you can build a plan for layout, budget, schedule, staffing, and training. Contact us.