Safety & Policies

Every cable, platform and bridge is inspected each day before tours begin. More extensive course inspections are completed weekly and monthly by Buffalo Mountain Ziplines, with a comprehensive annual course inspection performed by a licensed inspector. An annual inspection of the trees associated with the course is also performed by a certified arborist.

All safety equipment is regularly inspected, including an inspection before and after each use.

Two certified zipline guides accompany every group—a sending guide and a receiving guide.

All participants, including guides, wear safety equipment provided by Buffalo Mountain Ziplines. Personal safety equipment is not permitted. Except when participants are on the ground, they remain connected to a cable with at least one safety connection at all times, including on platforms and skybridges. While riding the ziplines, each participant is connected to the cable at a minimum of two points using safety lines, carabiners and pulleys.

Before beginning the course, every participant receives required safety and riding instruction on our demonstration line outside the office, including proper riding position, braking technique, hand signals and course procedures.

The tour begins with the “Bunny Hop,” a short, slower zipline that allows guests to get comfortable with riding and braking. Guides review riding and braking techniques with each guest before they ride and provide additional coaching when needed. The Bunny Hop is followed by two additional acclimation lines that gradually increase in length and speed, allowing guests to build confidence and experience before progressing to the longer and faster ziplines.

Participants must follow all safety rules and guide instructions throughout the tour.

Age

Minimum age is 3. Children ages 3–12 must be accompanied on the tour by a responsible adult. Participants ages 13–15 may zipline without an adult accompanying them on the tour, but a responsible adult must remain onsite. Exceptions may be made based on the participant’s individual maturity, zipline experience, and other circumstances.

Weight Restrictions

Maximum weight is 275 lbs. There is no minimum weight.

Physical Restrictions

Participants must be physically able to safely navigate the course and operate required safety equipment. Participants must be able to walk up a flight of stairs and have sufficient mobility and upper-body strength to raise at least one hand to the braking system and apply the downward pressure necessary to brake.

Pregnant guests and guests with current seizure disorders are prohibited from participating.

Guests with injuries, physical limitations, medical conditions, or other special needs should call or text 540-200-5234 before booking so we can discuss the participant’s individual abilities and determine whether reasonable accommodations can be made while maintaining safety. We strive to be as inclusive as possible while maintaining a safe experience for everyone.

Participants who use the braking system must demonstrate the ability to use it safely before progressing to the longer and faster ziplines. If a participant is unable to safely master the required braking technique, they may be required to exit the course.

Waiver Requirements

An online waiver/release form is required for every participant each time they take a tour. Adults must complete their own waiver unless they are under a legal conservatorship that authorizes another adult to act on their behalf.

The waiver link is provided in the booking confirmation email and may be forwarded to other participants included in the booking. Everyone in the booking uses the same waiver link, which is specifically associated with that booking.

For participants under 18, only a parent or court-appointed legal guardian may complete the waiver for the minor. Stepparents, foster parents, grandparents, other relatives, teachers, scout leaders, or other accompanying adults who are not the minor’s parent or court-appointed legal guardian cannot complete the waiver for the minor.

If the parent or court-appointed legal guardian will not be accompanying the minor, the waiver may be completed online in advance. A copy of the photo ID of the parent or court-appointed legal guardian who completed the waiver must be shown at check-in. A photo of the ID on a smartphone is acceptable.

Not sure who has already completed a waiver? A list of completed waivers appears at the bottom of every waiver form, so anyone with the link can check which participants still need to submit theirs.

Communication

Participants must be able to understand and follow safety instructions in English or be accompanied by someone who can interpret for them.

Dress Code & What You Can Bring on Tour

Secure, sturdy, closed-toe shoes are required. No sandals, toe shoes, or sock-like footwear.

Participants wear a full-body harness, so please dress accordingly. We strongly recommend clothing that covers the areas where the harness straps typically rest—shoulders, thighs, chest, and waist or just above the waist. Thick harness straps resting directly against bare skin can cause uncomfortable rubbing or chafing, especially in hot weather. Tank tops, camisoles, spaghetti straps, halter or crop tops, and very short shorts may leave skin exposed beneath the harness.

Extremely loose, baggy or oversized clothing may not be permitted if it could interfere with the harness or become caught in zipline equipment. This includes tops with excessively large neck openings or sleeves and shirts or other garments worn open or unbuttoned. Loose clothing may need to be secured, covered or replaced before participating. Buffalo Mountain Ziplines has T-shirts and sweaters available to loan when needed.

If wearing a dress, shorts or tights should be worn underneath.

Long hair should be secured. Scarves, long necklaces and dangling jewelry should be removed before harnessing. Hair clips, buns and knots may interfere with the wearing and tightening of required helmets.

Backpacks, fanny packs, belt holsters and similar items are not compatible with the harness and cannot be worn on the course. Items also cannot be clipped or attached to the inside or outside of pockets or clothing.

We provide a small mesh gear pouch that is limited to four personal items: a cell phone, small water bottle, sunglasses and a regular wallet without sharp edges or clips. Exceptions are made for medically necessary items such as an EpiPen or inhaler. Keys, key fobs, key rings and other hard, sharp-edged or snag-prone items are not permitted in the gear pouch. We provide a secure place in the office for personal items that cannot be taken on the course.

Cell phones may be used for photos and videos while on platforms or on the ground but must be returned to the gear pouch and secured before riding. Phones and cameras may not be worn around the neck or across the chest, and selfie sticks are not permitted.

GoPro and similar action cameras may be used while ziplining only when securely mounted to the helmet.

Hands must remain free while riding for braking and maintaining proper riding position.

Tobacco and vaping products are not permitted on the tour and must be left behind before starting the tour.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Participants will be immediately removed from the tour for any of the following:

• Being under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Smoking or vaping
• Refusing to follow guide safety instructions
• Unclipping carabiners or tampering with safety equipment
• Abusive behavior toward guides or other guests
• Deliberately engaging in unsafe actions, including jumping from platforms, riding upside down, intentionally spinning, riding without the required hand position, or using a phone while traveling on a zipline

Safety is our top priority, and these rules are strictly enforced.

Arrival Time & Late Arrivals

Please arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled tour time with your entire party ready to check in together at the office. Your scheduled tour time is when your group should be ready to begin the actual zipline course—not your arrival or check-in time.

Please do not remain in the parking lot, take photos, or otherwise delay coming to the office on time after you arrive. We check in the entire group together and need everyone present for important pre-harnessing instructions. During check-in, we verify that each participant has the appropriate waiver completed by the correct person, weigh each participant, review participant requirements, check footwear, and provide instructions such as using the restroom before harnessing, securing long hair, and removing or securing personal items.

After check-in and pre-harnessing instructions, participants are fitted with harnesses and helmets, equipment safety checks are completed, and the group completes the required ground school safety and riding orientation on our demonstration line. All of these steps must be completed before the group is ready to begin the course at the scheduled tour time.

If you arrive late, we will do our best to accommodate you, but your tour may need to be abbreviated so that later tours can remain on schedule. If you arrive too late to participate, you are not eligible for a refund or voucher.

Larger groups may be asked to arrive earlier than 30 minutes. The lead booking contact will receive specific arrival instructions when additional time is needed.

What to Expect for Young Children

At Buffalo Mountain Ziplines, we understand that young children may need a little extra time and encouragement to get comfortable with ziplining. The tour begins with our gentle “Bunny Hop,” followed by two additional acclimation lines that gradually increase in length and speed. Our certified guides provide support and encouragement along the way, including tandem rides with a guide when needed.

We recommend that parents prepare children for the experience by being positive and encouraging while allowing our guides to explain how the ziplining, equipment, and safety procedures work.

Our demonstration line outside the office is used to demonstrate riding position, braking, and other basic skills before guests begin the course. After harnessing, nervous children may also be clipped onto the demonstration line and gently moved back and forth, giving them an opportunity to feel what it is like to be suspended from the cable and experience riding on the line before beginning the tour.

For the first few lines, we recommend having one parent or familiar adult zip ahead of the child and another follow behind whenever possible, so the child has someone they know and trust with them on each platform.

Once you arrive, we ask parents to allow our guides to provide the ziplining and safety instructions directly to their children. Our guides know the course, equipment, and safety systems and are experienced in explaining what will happen at the appropriate time as children progress through the experience. Repeating, rephrasing, or adding to the guide’s instructions while the guide is speaking can be confusing or distracting for a child.

When a child is nervous, we especially ask parents to give our guides the opportunity to work directly with them. Allowing the guide to calmly explain what will happen, answer the child’s questions, and build trust with them is often more effective than having several people giving instructions or reassurance at the same time. We also ask parents not to pressure a frightened child to participate or make promises about what the guides or equipment will or won’t do. Our goal is to give the child a calm, supportive opportunity to decide whether they are ready to ride safely.

Guests under approximately 75 lbs. ride tandem with a certified guide on our longest zipline because sufficient weight and momentum are needed to travel the length of the cable. For safety reasons, tandem rides on our course are only permitted with a certified guide. Our course and equipment are not designed for parent-child or guest-to-guest tandem riding. While some zipline courses use equipment and systems designed for that type of tandem ride, parents, family members, and other guests may not ride tandem with a child or another participant at Buffalo Mountain Ziplines.

Children who are close to 75 lbs. may be permitted to ride the longest line solo if they are athletic, demonstrate good braking technique and proper riding position on the earlier ziplines, and there are no strong winds. The guides make this determination for each individual participant.

If Buffalo Mountain Ziplines cancels your tour because of weather conditions or an internal issue that prevents us from providing the tour, you may reschedule or receive a full refund.

We have a 48-hour cancellation policy. If you cancel more than 48 hours before your scheduled tour time, you may receive a voucher for the full amount paid if you plan to rebook soon, or a refund less a $10 per-person cancellation fee.

The cancellation fee also applies to cancellations resulting from guest booking errors, including accidental or duplicate bookings. Third-party booking and payment processing fees are charged when a booking is made and are not refunded to Buffalo Mountain Ziplines when the booking is canceled.

Cancellations made within 48 hours of the scheduled tour time are not eligible for a refund or voucher.

Guests who arrive late may have their tour abbreviated so that later tours can remain on schedule. Once the group orientation has begun, late arrivals cannot join the tour. Guests who arrive too late to participate are not eligible for a refund or voucher.

Our maximum participant weight is 275 lbs. Guests who exceed the course weight limit are not eligible for a refund or voucher. Please review participant requirements before booking.

Tour capacity is limited, and staffing and other expenses are committed in advance based on bookings. Short-notice cancellations are often difficult to refill, and your booking may have prevented us from accepting other guests who wanted to book that tour time. For these reasons, we are unable to make exceptions to the cancellation policy.

Mountain weather can be unpredictable, particularly during the spring and fall, but tours often still operate in light to moderate rain, cold temperatures, non-accumulating snow, and moderate winds. Please dress appropriately for changing mountain weather conditions.

We closely monitor weather conditions and will contact guests if we have concerns about potentially severe weather that could affect their tour. We typically wait until closer to the tour, when forecasts provide more reliable information about the timing, amount, and type of precipitation and other weather conditions. When appropriate, we may discuss adjusting the tour time or other options, including rescheduling.

Despite concerning forecasts, the majority of tours are still able to proceed as planned. We use professional radar and local weather monitoring to track conditions in real time. When possible, we may slightly delay a tour to allow a rain shower or other weather to pass, but drizzle or light rain that cannot be avoided is generally not a reason to cancel a tour. We also rely heavily on forecasts and forecast discussions from the National Weather Service office in Blacksburg and contact their office directly for additional guidance when needed.

We reserve the right to delay the start of a tour or temporarily pause a tour for up to one hour to allow unsafe or unsuitable conditions to pass. This may include heavy fog during early morning tours or isolated afternoon thunderstorms that develop and move through the area during the summer. Once conditions improve, tours may proceed or resume.

Management reserves the right to cancel tours because of unsafe weather conditions, including high winds, heavy rain, accumulating snow, lightning, or sustained thunderstorms. If Buffalo Mountain Ziplines cancels a tour because of weather before the tour begins, guests may reschedule or receive a full refund. Guests who choose not to participate because of weather when Buffalo Mountain Ziplines is still safely operating are subject to our regular cancellation policy.

If weather conditions become unsafe while a tour is in progress, the group may be temporarily paused in a safe location or evacuated from the course and escorted back to the office, depending on the conditions. If conditions improve within a reasonable period—for example, after an isolated thunderstorm has passed with no additional inclement weather approaching—the tour may resume. If conditions do not improve enough to safely resume the tour, management may offer a rescheduled tour or partial refund depending on how much of the course was completed.

Buffalo Mountain Ziplines has a dog runner line where dogs may remain while their owners are on tour. Space is limited to three dogs at a time, and advance booking is required. The dog runner line is located along the treeline but portions of the area may receive direct sunlight during the afternoon. A water bowl is available. Buffalo Mountain Ziplines staff do not supervise dogs while guests are on the tour.

The dog runner option can be added during the online booking process. Guests bringing a dog must arrive at least 40 minutes before their scheduled tour time. Dog runner arrangements, including completing the dog runner agreement and waiver and getting the dog safely situated on the runner line, must be completed before the regular 30-minute tour check-in period begins.

Dogs must meet the following requirements:

1. Have a current rabies vaccination.
2. Weigh 125 lbs. or less.
3. Wear a secure, properly fitted collar that the dog cannot slip out of.
4. Be able to remain safely tethered for the duration of the tour.
5. Be friendly with people and other dogs and have no history of biting.
6. Not have separation anxiety or other behavior that makes tethering unsafe. Dogs that aggressively pull on the lead or repeatedly wrap themselves around the line will need to be removed from the runner line.

Dogs must be kept on a leash and under control at all times while on the property. Pet dogs are not permitted inside the office or on the main patio seating area due to insurance restrictions. Trained service dogs are permitted in these guest areas in accordance with ADA requirements but cannot enter the harnessing area, where guides need unobstructed access around each participant to properly fit and check their equipment. Dogs cannot accompany participants on the zipline course.

In areas of the property where pet dogs are permitted, they must remain under control at all times. Dogs that are jumping on or interfering with other guests, barking excessively to the point that it interferes with our safety orientation or other guest communication, or otherwise cannot be kept under control may be required to leave that area.

Buffalo Mountain Ziplines reserves the right to refuse or discontinue use of the dog runner line if we determine that a dog cannot be safely tethered. If your dog must be removed from the dog runner line, someone in your party will be required to remain with the dog, even if that person must leave or be unable to participate in the tour.