Zip line over Snake may open

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – A motorized zip line that propels riders 3,000 feet at up to 55 mph could open near the Snake River Canyon in February as part of a proposed thrill park.

“You’ll fly like a bird,” says Martin Tilley, the project’s engineer. “There’s nothing like it in the world.”

The already completed zip line, called the Flight Stimulator, is part of the proposed Devil’s Corral Adventure Park that may eventually have 12 of the motorized zip lines.

“This is not a typical zip line,” says Denis Huntting, owner of Meridian-based Flight Stimulation. “This is an electric trolley cable running on a zip line. It’s the world’s first powered zip line.”

Zip lines typically rely on gravity, but Tilley’s design can propel people across flats or even uphill, Huntting says.

He says he’s been looking at sites for similar projects in Oregon, Washington, Nevada, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Missouri.