Vis-IT: Monkey Trunks in Chocorua, NH

Is laying on the beach not your style?  Looking for an adventurous destination where your family can have some fun but challenge themselves?  Look no further than Monkey Trunks, a high rope and zipline adventure park for the entire family!  Located in three different location s in New England, Monkey Trunks opened  in June 2008 at their Chocorua, NH  destination with just a Discovery Course (now the King Kong course) and a big vision to create an adventure experience that would be fun for everyone!  Monkey Trunks believes that age doesn’t stop people wanting to monkey around, so their courses are designed with adults in mind just as much as children.  They also have locations in Weirs Beach, NH and Saco, ME.  Depending on the courses you want to do and how long you plan to stay, admission ranges from $39 to $79, or $299 for an all day, all-inclusive pass for 4 people.

My whole family got to visit Monkey Trunks at their Chocorua, NH location in August.  The first thing I noticed is that Monkey Trunks puts safety first in everything they do, taking great care to recruit staff who will not only ensure you have a safe experience but make it a fun and memorable time for all the family.  We watched a safety video, were outfitted carefully with helmets and safety ropes and harnesses, and were guided each step of the way by their awesome Safety Patrol.  Even Evelyn, my three-year-old, was able to participate on the Mini Monkey course, which is 20′ high. We swung, jumped, zipped and climbed on 15 different challenges, giant swing and zip line, all on a continuous safety system.  Evelyn was a little nervous, but the Safety Patrol was there to help her along and talk her through some of the parts she found to be more scary.  After she did the zip line once, she wanted to do it again and again!  Julia (8) and Norah (6) found it fun and easy to climb around on this course by themselves and try out different pieces of it.  It was amazing to see them challenge themselves when they got nervous, overcome an obstacle and see the pride they felt.  My husband and I enjoyed it right alongside them!

After another short safety demonstration, my husband and Julia decided to try out the King Kong course, where there are 45 exciting elements set on 3 different levels up to 65′ with 3 zip lines and a giant swing for people 48 inches and taller. Though they didn’t try every feature, there are many different ones:  a tension traverse or crazy ladder, jumping platforms, swinging beams, climbing wall and even skateboarding on a tightrope. As you progress up the course, things get even more difficult!  I have to admit, my heart was in my throat as I watched my 8-year-old climb up three stories and zip line down from 65 feet.   She, however, loved every minute of it!

Later, Julia and my husband also decided to conquer the Jungle Course, which we were told was for real adrenaline junkies.  The Jungle Course has 15 of the toughest challenge,s traversing through the forest of the White Mountains. It begins with a 90 foot zip line into the forest and ends with the 40′ Leopard’s Leap. They had to cross rolling logs, walk on hanging tires and jump a huge leap, all at 65′ above the forest floor.   As there is no way back, the Jungle Course must be completed once you start it.   There was no place for us to observe, so as I watched Julia scramble up the first wall to zip line down 90 feet, I felt a huge pit in my stomach.  I knew she was safe, but I wasn’t sure she could do everything she’d face.  About 30 minutes later, she and my husband emerged from the forest, tired but victorious.  Julia had worked hard and struggled with some parts of the course, but she made it!  A very shy kid, I’ve been able to use this experience as an awesome jumping-off point for her.  When she gets anxious about something, I remind her of all she did that day, even though she was nervous.  It has undoubtedly given her more confidence in herself and a chance to see that the scarier things in life can be conquered with willpower and perseverance.

Experiencing this side by side as a family, encouraging each other and supporting each other was an incredible experience.  I loved that we were doing something different, daring and active, and showing our children that we could get right in there and do things with them.  Weeks later, my girls are still talking about the experience and telling their friends all about it.

Vis-IT: If you want high adventure and a chance to bond in a different way with your family, I highly recommend that you try monkeying around  at Monkey Trunks!

* We did not receive compensation for this review. We did receive free entrance from Monkey Trunks to facilitate this review.