Navitat Canopy Adventures

Navitat is the zipline outfitter locals point visitors to, and the setting is a big part of why: a 242-acre private mountain property called Moody Cove in Barnardsville, about 20 to 30 minutes north of Asheville, full of big trees, rare plants and long views toward the Black Mountains. There are several ways to fly. The Mountaintop Tour is the adrenaline option — three side-by-side, racing-style ziplines, the longest stretching more than 3,600 feet and running as much as 350 feet above the forest floor, so you and a companion can race down the mountain. The Treetop Express is the family pick: a 90-minute tree-based course of ziplines, sky bridges, a rappel and short leaps that suits beginners. The original Treetop Tour is a longer canopy experience, and for anyone who would rather keep their feet on something, the RTV Shadow Tour rides a rugged-terrain vehicle to the property's highest point and watches the zipliners. Seasonal extras include night tours and an October haunted zip-and-trail event. Expect professional, safety-first guides who keep groups small and the banter going. Honest notes: it is not cheap, it requires advance booking, there are age and weight requirements that vary by tour (check the policies page before booking for kids), and it operates seasonally — typically from early spring into the fall on a Thursday-through-Monday schedule — so confirm dates if you are visiting late in the year. Weather can force reschedules. Fit: outdoors and adventure travelers, families with kids old enough for the Treetop Express, and couples who want a shared thrill.

Navitat opened its first canopy tour here in 2010 and added the Mountaintop Tour a few years later, building a reputation as one of the most scenic zipline experiences in the Southeast. The property is managed with conservation in mind, and guides weave in natural history — the forest, the plants and the mountains on the horizon — between platforms.