Zoom Ziplines in Vernon is one of the few zipline tours in New Jersey and the only guided one--and trust me, you want a good guide when you you're strapping on that harness. They invited my husband and I and two of our friends for a tour to check out their service and we just loved it. The two-hour guided tour includes 4 ziplines from 200ft to 1500 ft in length suspended over a mountain lake. The scenery is gorgeous and the varying lengths of the lines (the 1500 is dreamy and peaceful and the 200 is like a heart-pumping amusement park) make for a varied experience--not to mention the exciting suspension bridge and ride in a Unimog all-terrain vehicle after the ziplining is done.

Our guides were stellar; they knew their stuff and took their job very seriously, which made us feel very safe--you know, as safe as you can feel when you're hanging from a wire 200 feet in the air. But that's the fun of it! I've been on ziplines before and the added excitement of the "The Brake" (a suspension 'spring' that has you going from 40 mph to 0 in 1 second) at the end of each line added to the fun of the ride.  In addition, the harness is probably the most comfortable of any zipline I've experienced; it definitely lends to the pleasure of the ride when you don't feel like you're sitting in a vice.

Obviously, this is an extreme sport, so there are a number of restrictions: guests must weigh between 60lbs and 270lbs and be at least 48" in height. You obviously have to sign a Release of Liability form and anyone under 18 years of age must have an adult co-sign.

There are only ten more days in the Zoom Zipline summer tours, but there's good news: Zoom operates year-round, so if you prefer zipping through fall foliage or wintry scenes, you're in luck. Check the website for pricing and general information.

Zip away, NJ!