It’s the day after Thanksgiving and the family is restless. Going to the mall or the movies is an option, but “Black Friday” is hardly an escape with the crowds and parking hassles.
Instead of shopping lines on Nov. 25, why not get away to ziplines instead, where soaring through the trees in the fresh mountain air will benefit local environmental organizations.
It’s all part of a new fundraiser called “Green Friday,” in which Asheville-based Adventure America Zipline Canopy Tours is donating half of tour fees at four of its ziplines to raise money for tree-planting and other projects in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.
The tree fund at Asheville GreenWorks, the Keep America Beautiful affiliate formerly called Quality Forward, will benefit from tour fees collected at Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures, located adjacent to the Crowne Plaza near downtown Asheville, and at Pigeon River Canopy Tours, 50 minutes from Asheville off of I-40 on the North Carolina/Tennessee line in Hartford, Tenn.
The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River (WATR), an organization working to improve the water quality and habitat of the Tuckasegee River Basin, will receive donations from funds raised at Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours, near Bryson City.
Headed to Grandma’s house in South Carolina for Thanksgiving? You can zipline there, too. An organization that has planted more than 2,200 trees in Greenville County since its founding in 2005, TreesGreenville, will benefit from zipline tours at Chattooga Ridge Canopy Tours in Long Creek, S.C.
The goal of “Green Friday” is to raise $10,000 to benefit the three environmental organizations.
Zipline canopy tours at each location last about two-and-a-half hours and include spectacular views and experiences from treetop platforms in oaks, pines, hemlocks, poplars and sycamore trees. The ziplines can be enjoyed by all ages, from 10 and older. Each tour, escorted by canopy rangers, can accommodate up to 10 guests.
Thanksgiving weekend is the last opportunity this season to enjoy zipline canopy tours at the Pigeon River, Nantahala Gorge and Chattooga Ridge – all three locations will close after Nov. 27 and reopen next spring – so there’s an even better reason to spend time zipping with family and friends on Green Friday (only Asheville Zipline Canopy Adventures is open year-round).
