I recently spoke with Ian Teal, Elder class of 1991.

Ian is the owner and operator of Red River Gorge Ziplines down in Kentucky in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

The Red River Gorge Zipline complex is about two and a half hours away from Cincinnati. “Our biggest pull of tourists are those from Cincinnati,” said Teal. The drive to the gorge is a total flip of the switch when it comes to beauty of the land. The Red River Gorge Landscape is full of cliffs and valleys with plenty of spots for a great view of the scenery. The zipline that is owned by Teal is the only one in the gorge.

The Zipline has been in operation for twelve years. Through those the years they have seen thousands of people. Teal enjoys “seeing people happy and getting over their fears.” I have been ziplining a couple of times and being afraid is one the things that I had to deal with. Luckily for me I was able to conquer those fears and enjoyed it. A review on the website reads as follows, “So much fun to do. Even if you are afraid of heights. The guides were on point and informative.”

Red River Gorge Covers 29,000 acres in the heart of the Bluegrass State. “April and October are my favorite times of the year to go ziplining,” says Ian. Like many non-essential businesses, Ian was closed during April and May at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Kentucky started to lift forced closures of non-essential businesses, ziplining in the gorge returned as well. The summer was not ideal for Teal, but hopes that tourism picks back up next spring and summer to make up for a rough 2020.

As I said earlier, The Daniel Boone National Forest, where Red River Gorge Zipline is located is about two and a half hours away from Cincinnati. Give this video a watch for a better perspective and plan a trip to go down to the gorge and support a fellow Panther!