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The 100-acre, man-made Mega Cavern, located beneath the Louisville Zoo, is the world's only underground zip-line course.
(Louisville Mega Cavern)
By Wendy Pramik
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – I’m preparing to jump off a 70-foot cliff into a pit of darkness, or as they like to call it around here, “Hell.”
I’m shivering slightly. I’m not sure if it’s fear or the chill that’s in the air, 100 feet beneath the city, where it’s a constant 56 degrees. I only know I’m glad to have my sister, Amy, by my side. She’s more excited than I am to try the world’s only underground zip-line course, located at the Louisville Mega Cavern.
Zip-lining underground
is located inside the Louisville Mega Cavern at 1841 Taylor Ave., Louisville, Ky. Because it's underground, the attraction operates year round, no matter the weather.
Cost to zip is $59-$79 per person. Participants must weigh between 55 and 285 pounds. Children as young as age 8 can participate, and those ages 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Reservations are suggested.
Additional attractions inside the Mega Cavern include a historic driving tour called the Mega Tram, an underground ropes course called Mega Quest, and an underground holiday display called Lights Under Louisville, open November through January.
For more information, call 1-877-614-6342.
“It’ll be fun,” says Jordan Wheately, our tour guide. “Good times.”
Wheately should know. The young man has zipped off this cliff, on a stretch of the adventure known as the “Zip Line to Hell,” hundreds of times since Mega Zips established the thrill ride in July 2011. He’s also lived to tell about it each time. I hope I’ll be so fortunate.
Offering underground fun has made Mega Zips the No. 1 attraction in Louisville, according to TripAdvisor, besting the likes of Churchill Downs and the Louisville Slugger Museum. The 100-acre, manmade Mega Cavern is located beneath the Louisville Zoo.
The cavern was created by the mining of limestone for road construction from the 1930s to 1970s. During the Cuban missile crisis it was reserved as a bomb shelter, capable of temporarily housing up to 50,000 people.
Louisville Mega Cavern opened in 2009. Established by co-owners Jim Lowry and brothers Don and Tom Tyler, it’s the only underground zip line in the world. Besides the zip line, offerings include historic tram tours, an underground Christmas lights display and, soon to open, the world’s first underground ropes-challenge course, called Mega Quest.
Mega Zips’ six lines and three “challenge” bridges vary in height, from being near the cavern floor to rising 10 stories above it.
“The cool thing about this experience is we’ve taken all the stress out,” says Dave Hughes, our second tour guide. “You’re basically gonna go up there, sit in your harness and zip. We handle all the gear.”
Amy and I check in 45 minutes before our tour time. We sign a waiver, suit up for our brief training session and sample a small zip line, called the “Bunny Zip,” in a well-lit portion of the cave. The tour, which averages a dozen people per outing, is designed for people of average strength and mobility and those who are in reasonably good health.
We’re fitted with a full-body harness, trolley system and heavy-duty lanyards with safety clips.
“The handle bars are to keep you going down the zip line straight,” Hughes says. “Everybody has a natural tendency to twist their body while going down the zip.” Hughes instructs us not to touch our equipment. “Let us handle that. We wear gloves. That way we make sure everything is hooked up correctly and taken off correctly.”
I'm wearing jeans, a jacket and tennis shoes. Participants shouldn’t wear open-toed shoes, and it’s a good idea to wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants because of the crisscrossing belts of the harness.
“Now did everybody sign their waiver?” asks Hughes, assuring us that the guides will get us through our experience safely. “Do you guys have any questions?”
We all stand silent, awaiting his instruction, the rays from our miner’s helmets about as effective as shining a flashlight at the moon. I can feel my adrenaline building.
After tucking away our valuables in secured pouches, we prepare to zip in the dark. Surprisingly, there’s Wi-Fi down here so you can post photos on Facebook. (That almost makes up for the “no potty breaks” rule.)
Hughes reminds us to hold the handlebars and not worry about stopping – the guides will put pressure on the line to stop us. One guide heads out first and waits for the zippers, with the second guide going last.
Others in our group begin to make their way down the steel cable, making a sound that reminds me of the mysterious Smoke Monster on the TV series “Lost.”
Participants wear full-body harnesses with an assortment of attachments and safety clips at Louisville's Mega Cavern, home of the world's only underground zip-line tour.
When it’s my turn, I inhale and jump. I glide through the shadowy cavern, exhaling. This is fun, I think, and not as scary as I envisioned. The cave is wide, open and fascinating.
I worry less about heights and more about smacking my rear end on a rock, especially when dropping off the cliff for the “Lake Canyon Zip,” which extends the length of three football fields. Thankfully, nobody’s bottoms are injured on our journey.
We learn a thing or two about geology as we await subsequent jumps. For instance, the local limestone is truly important because it’s required to filter Kentucky bourbon. Now that’s educational.
“Up here we have some stalactites and down there we have some stalagmites and they’ll meet in the middle for an epic stalag-fight for dominance in about 1,000 years, so come back for that,” Wheatley says.
Humor takes my mind off the final racing zip. My sister challenges me to a duel.
“When you get near the bottom of the zip you can go as fast as you want because we’re going to stop you,” Hughes says. “You don’t have to worry about slowing down. Pull your legs up really high and get into a cannonball like when you were a kid, jumping into the swimming pool, that way you’ll fly down these lines as fast as you want to go, which is super cool.”
Amy and I race like thoroughbreds in the Kentucky Derby. She becomes a human cannon ball and zooms in front of me. I try to catch up, reaching a speed of 40 miles per hour.
She beats me by a nose. Good times.