Voodoo Zip Line Will Soon Soar Over Vegas

Opening in November, the Voodoo Zip Line will connect two towers at Las Vegas’ Rio casino. Starting at the 50th floor of the Masquerade Tower at the VooDoo Steakhouse, riders will travel a third-mile to the 20th floor of the Impanema Tower in about 70 seconds. Riders soar nearly 500 feet above Las Vegas at 33 miles per hour.

Need more zip line? Voodoo Skyline is not the only one in Vegas. Slotzilla, located at the Fremont Street Experience, lets riders take off from a 12 story high slot machine-like platform just below the Viva Vision canopy. Flying at a choice of either 70 or 110 feet above Fremont Street, this one looks to be a tamer version of the Voodoo Zip Line. Interesting, but a one-way ride.Riders on the Voodoo Zip Line will travel 845 feet from tower to tower then make a return trip via a motorized pulley system, traveling backward at 25 mph.

Gadling Exclusive: Downtown Vegas zipline to open Friday

They’ve made it possible for you to fly over the ocean off the Haitian coast, through the scenic Pacific Ranges of Canada and the the Wild Animal Park in San Diego. And this Friday, Greenheart LLC opens its latest zipline above a different sort of native habitat, that of the Vegas Party Animals.

By the end of this week, tourists are expected to able to shoot across steel lines above the crowds milling about at the Fremont Street Experience, the five-block-long pedestrian plaza in the downtown section that is capped by a metal canopy. The underside of that canopy is the world’s largest outdoor LED screen projects light shows at the top of each hour.

The Fremont Street Experience

At the Fremont Street Flightline, passengers will leap from a platform 60 feet high and glide 800 feet down one of four lines at speeds of up to 25 mph to a 14-foot-high landing near the performance stage. As with other ziplines, including the ones Greenheart has built in Haiti, Whistler, Canada, San Diego and 30 miles away in rural Boulder City, Nev., riders hang from the steel line in a harness and can speed up or slow down depending on their body position. Precautions are being devised to keep riders from dropping loose items on revelers below.

“The reality is, the world’s most spectacular trails are all in the air,” said Ian Green, co-owner of Greenheart, which also opens a series of four 100-foot-high bridges in the Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda. “They’re trails that give you a very different experience. The experience of flying through something is a lot different.”

Fremont Zipline plans to charge $20 per rider from 6 p.m. to midnight, $15 from 2 to 6 p.m., and $10 per re-ride, although that structure could change.

The zipline landed a 90-day permit on Monday from the city’s building department and must get Las Vegas City Council approval to build a permanent structure after that. Green, who has plunged $150,000 into the temporary towers and lines, hopes to elongate the attraction to the entire length of the Fremont Street Experience – more than doubling the length – if that comes to pass.

The world’s most spectacular trails are all in the air. The experience of flying through something is a lot different.

“If it works the way we think it’s going to work, then we would absolutely consider making it bigger and better and longer and permanent,” said Fremont Street Experience president Jeff Victor, who was approached just one month ago by Gree about the idea.

Downtown Las Vegas has been particularly depressed by the lousy economy and competition with the flashier Strip, so the addition of an exciting new offering may be a significant shot in the arm. Green said he expects to hire a dozen workers, which is good news for a city facing more than 14 percent unemployment.

“A lot of people in this town really love this area because it’s historic, so what we’re doing is providing a fantastic attraction to an entire area and try to bring money in to keep this place going,” said general manager Max Margolis.

Green rushed to get this up and running this week because he’s already got his first promotion in mind: The International Broom Racing Championships. Details are sketchy so far, but the plan is to have contests for best broom, fastest zipline time and most creative contest and to time it with October Frightfest, the FSE’s Halloween events.

The Fremont Street Flightline will be a bit more genteel than Greenheart’s others, which have longer lines and go at faster speeds with steeper drops. But Green hopes the location will increase his company’s visibility and pique interest in their four-line system in Boulder City, the town on the way to the Hoover Dam where riders can get up to 50 mph and see the Vegas skyline.

And speaking of the Vegas skyline, that’s his next target. Greenheart has been in talks for more than a year with the Excalibur casino on the Strip about a zipline that would scale the famous themed casino’s castle towers.

“The good thing with Fremont is we’re still a small company, we are still unknown,” he said. “So the opportunity to do Fremont is the opportunity to be known. The great thing about Vegas is anything’s possible.”

10 great zip lines from around the world (videos)

Roller coasters and other such thrill rides are fun, but imagine reaching speed of up to 100 miles per hour on a metal cable, with nothing more then a harness, a helmet… and the air below you.

Around the world, zip lines have become an adrenaline seeker’s favorite, literally allowing you to hurtle through awe-inspiring landscapes at jaw-dropping speeds. In some cases, the mere presence of a zip line can be a decision-maker between two competing travel destinations. Not sure about all this? Strap in and enjoy the ride on these videos, which feature some of best zip lines in the world.

At a height of 918 feet, speeds of up to 100 mph, and spanning just over a mile, Sun City, South Africa boasts the steepest, fastest, tallest zip line on the globe. On this particular line, the rider zips down the cable while flat, rocket-like. This particular zip line gives the rider the experience of being able to fly like a bird… well, like a very, very, very fast bird.


Glide through rain forest terrain and enjoy the breathtaking view of the local volcanoes in Costa Rica, one of the world’s most popular zip line destinations. This particular video showcases just a fraction of a full zip line tour that’s a total of 1.7 miles — and because of its amazing first-person perspective, it’s un-miss-able.

Pro tip: This particular company also has night tours offering the possibility of seeing volcanic eruptions and nocturnal rain forest creatures (like vampires!).

Riders can enjoy the aerial view of Alaeloa Valley in Hawaii from a zip line. The scenic ride is 2,000 feet long and is fantastic for adventurers seeking a different perspective of the beautiful island landscape.

Forget hiking from one mountain to the next! This zip line offers riders a quick and exhilarating alternative. In Vancouver, British Columbia, this line ranges from Dam Mountain to the peak of Grouse Mountain, and zooms along at up to 49 mph. Not only does the line offer riders excitement but, of course, there’s also a wonderful view.

Labadee, Haiti is home to a 2,650-foot-long zip line that glides over crystal clear waters. The line begins on the top of a mountain and cruises over a stretch of ocean giving riders a spectacular view of the surrounding scenery. Towards the end of the line, the rider sails almost within reach of the gentle waves below.

On the longest zip line in the United Kingdom — located in Stirling, Scotland — riders can observe the gorgeous mountains nearby. This zip line offers riders the chance to travel on a cable that spans 1,397 feet and flies above lush, forested terrain.

Hoonah, Alaska is the self-proclaimed home to the tallest and longest zip line in the United States. The zip line reaches speeds of 60 mph, spans a mile of Alaska sky, and hurtles ocean-ward from a height of 1330 feet high. Watch this video, and you’ll know immediately why the town is called HOONAH!!!

Visitors to the Great Wall of China have an insanely fun way to get to a lower section: an intense zip line ride. Fly over blue waters and get amazing (albeit short) views of The Great Wall.

Shoot through a rain forest canopy on this zip line in Puerto Rico. With the trees whizzing within arm’s reach, riders get a quick view of the lush native rain forest and a fun adrenaline rush.

At the Moaning Caverns in California, visitors can get an overhead view of the area at speeds of around 40 mph. The cable stretches 1500 feet and is a great thrill for adrenaline junkies.

So… where are you headed first?