Recently Redesigned Aerial Park Thrills Families

I rarely pass up a chance to try something new with my kids, so I jumped at the opportunity to check out the newly remodeled Aerial Park at Bellevue Adventures. But as our scheduled day crept closer, reality set in and so did the nerves. I’d never done a ropes course before and wasn’t entirely convinced I was aerial-park material. I also had my doubts about whether my 8- and 10-year-olds were ready for something so high up and intense. Despite my hesitations, we put on our brave faces and tackled the Aerial Park together. Fortunately, we not only walked away in one piece but with a renewed sense of courage, confidence and connection. 

An expanded ropes course filled with adventure 

Bellevue Adventures is an outfitter located on the South Bellevue Community Center campus. They offer zip line tours, a new two-sided climbing wall and the all-new Aerial Park. You can book the Aerial Park for two-hour, three-hour or all-day sessions and have free range of the course. You can try as many elements (challenges between platforms) as you want, as many times as you want, in your allotted time. 

The park was completely redesigned in April, doubling the number of elements, introducing a continuous belay system, adding a second level and making portions of the first level wheelchair-accessible. The course now features 27 thrilling elements, from cargo nets and swinging barrels to tightropes and wobbly bridges — including five designed for accessibility. There are two entrance points and three exits, including a high-flying hydraulic zip line.

Zip line tours and climbing wall 

In addition to the Aerial Park, Bellevue Adventures also hosts exhilarating zip line tours where you can soar up to 458 feet through the trees and stand on platforms up to 80 feet above the forest floor. Tours typically last one to three hours, depending on the group size, and can be booked as a combo package with the Aerial Park. As we explored the Aerial Park, we could hear people on the zip lines whizzing through the trees, followed by joyful shrieks echoing through the forest — it definitely sounded like an experience worth trying. 

The climbing wall completes the trio of thrilling activities now available at Bellevue Adventures. This 36-foot, dual-sided wall features four auto-belay stations and four traditional belay routes, including an exciting overhang for an extra challenge. It’s a great add-on for a group outing and can be booked in conjunction with the Aerial Park or a zip tour for a full day of adventure. 

Check-in and safety guidelines 

We arrived at the South Bellevue Community Center on a partly cloudy day at our scheduled time. We met at the check-in desk inside a converted shipping container, right near the parking lot. I had filled out our waivers ahead of time and we checked in with a friendly guide. We were fitted with some gloves (gloves are $5 but you can opt to bring your own; garden gloves work great) and then we were told to head up the steep hill through the woods to the Aerial Park. 

We hiked up to a clearing where the towering Aerial Park came into full view — an impressive structure that immediately sparked a mix of excitement and nerves. Off to the side, the massive climbing wall added to the thrill. As we waited for the rest of our time slot group to arrive (the course can host up to 30 people at a time), we began gearing up. Stations were set up with harnesses and helmets, and each of us stood at one as a guide walked us through the process. It was a bit tricky at first, especially for the kids, but the friendly guides were right there to help everyone get fitted and ready to go. 

We then did a quick tutorial on using the safety tethers. The Aerial Park now uses a continuous belay system — an upgrade from the previous course setup. Instead of disconnecting and reconnecting with a guide each time you want to try a new element, this system lets you slide your tethers at a transfer station to switch directions, staying safely connected the entire time. After reviewing the safety rules, we were free to enter the course and start exploring.

Confidence-building challenges 

My 10-year-old took off right away, confidently navigating the first level and quickly declaring the spiderweb as his favorite element. Ironically, that same element turned out to be my least favorite, as it was by far the most physically demanding. Let’s just say I was thoroughly humbled by my lack of upper body strength and almost couldn’t make it across. The kids, of course, made it all look effortless. Thankfully, the rest of the course felt much more physically manageable. My son then headed up to the second story, and I honestly couldn’t keep track of him from there. He was on a mission to master all of the elements, and I am pretty sure he did. 

My 8-year-old daughter stuck with me the entire time since the transfer stations come with a bit of a learning curve. Figuring out which direction to slide them can be tricky. She couldn’t quite manage them on her own, partly because they require enough height to see the top clearly, and she was just a bit too short to get the right angle. Even some of the teens on the course needed help, so she definitely wasn’t alone. I was happy to stick with her — she was a little more hesitant than my 10-year-old, and having me nearby gave her an extra boost of confidence. Though once she realized how safe (and fun) “falling” could be, she became much more adventurous. 

Looking back, I wish I had encouraged her to try hanging from her tether at the very beginning — I know it would’ve eased a lot of her nerves. While she was hesitant to tackle the harder elements, she had a blast on the easier ones. Her favorite was the tightrope with two ropes to hold on to, which she did again and again. She also loved crawling through the tunnel, scaling the cargo net, and balancing her way across the log. 

Birthdays and special events 

Our time slot was shared with a 13-year-old’s birthday party, and it looked like such a fun and meaningful way to celebrate with friends and family. With birthday party packages available, Bellevue Adventures is a great option for marking those big milestones — like that all-important step into the teen years. 

We spent our full two-hour time slot on the course (not counting the 30 minutes it took to gear up), and it felt just right. We had plenty of time to try everything we wanted, and by the end, we were ready to head down and grab some lunch. My kids left exhilarated and buzzing about all they had accomplished. As we walked back to the car, we could still hear zip liners shrieking in delight as they flew through the forest — and we all agreed on what we’d be trying next at Bellevue Adventures.