courtesy photo
“ She thought I was nuts,” Bartels said with a laugh.
But his efforts and ingenuity have paid off: Ziplining now accounts for 40 % of the camp’ s revenue, far ahead of any other activity.
Zipline tours start at $ 25 and last at least 45 minutes but can take more than 2.5 hours and include rappelling and a free fall to a landing mat.
People who want to feel the brush of fresh air and see the burst of color in the Brown County hills meet at a cabin where they gear up before they’ re driven to the jumping off points.
Camp guest Kristopher Tate, 43, of Zionsville, recently rented a cabin at the camp with his wife and two kids. The whole family thoroughly enjoyed its zip tour. Even Tate, though he said he is afraid of heights.“ It was a blast,” he said.
The zip tours run even during the winter, so long as temperatures exceed 25 degrees Fahrenheit, though Bartels said spring and fall are the busiest zipping seasons. For an interesting twist, the camp offers zip tours at night, with the canopy illuminated only by headlamps, tiki torches, and moonlight.
Tate visited Brown County for a spring break getaway. He thought about driving to Nashville, Tennessee, but settled on Brown County in part because of its proximity.“ Feels like you are in a different place,” he said. The family brought hot dogs, hamburgers, and other food, and Tate said he enjoyed the change of pace from cookouts to riding all-terrain vehicles through the hills of Brown County.
On a recent sunny afternoon, Bartels advised
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May / June 2021 • Our Brown County 45