Total cable length
More linear feet of zipline means more time in the air per visit — and dual lines mean you ride next to a friend, not behind them.
Highline News · California zipline comparison
The Best Zipline Parks in California: A 2026 Comparison GuideCable length, speed, height and what else there is to do — five California zipline parks compared on their own published numbers.
California has no shortage of places to clip in and fly, but not every zipline park delivers the same ride. Cable length, top speed, how high you climb before launch, the scenery and what else there is to do all vary from one park to the next. If you're deciding where to book, this guide compares California's best-known zipline parks on their own published figures — and makes the case for the Highline Adventures zipline tour in the hills south of Buellton and Solvang.
How we compared
What Actually Makes a Zipline Park "the Best"?
Before comparing parks, it helps to know what separates a good zipline experience from an unforgettable one. The best zipline parks in California tend to share five traits:
Top speed
Parks that combine a steep pitch with long spans produce faster, more adrenaline-heavy rides.
Height and views
Lines over dramatic terrain — a valley, a canyon, the ocean — make for a more memorable ride than a short hop through the trees.
Engineering and safety
Who designed and built the course, how it brakes, and how often it's inspected. Ask — the good parks are happy to tell you.
What else there is to do
The strongest parks pair the zipline with other activities, so a day trip doesn't end after 90 minutes.
Side by side
California Zipline Parks Compared
Five parks, the figures each one publishes. Where an operator doesn't publish a number, the cell says so.
| Park | Lines | Cable | Top speed | Height | Tour time | From | Beyond the zipline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highline AdventuresBuellton · Santa Ynez Valley | 3 dual | Over 1.5 miles total | Up to 50+ mph | 1,000 ft of vertical, by 4×4 to the summit | About 2 h on course (plan 2.5) | $139 · varies by date | Ropes course, net playground, night zipline, hike & fly, protea tours, 4×4 Bronco tours |
| Zip Zoom ZiplinesPauma Valley · San Diego County | 3 | 1,500 to 2,700+ ft per line | Up to 55 mph | Not published | 1 h 30 | $129 | Tribal park grounds |
| Margarita AdventuresSanta Margarita · SLO County | 6 | About 4,500 ft combined (third-party listings) | Not published | Not published | About 2 h (listings) | Not published | Working vineyard and ranch |
| Catalina Zip Line Eco TourAvalon · Catalina Island | 5 | Short consecutive runs (longest 1,100 ft) | About 40 mph | 300 ft above the canyon floor | 2 h 15 | $149.95 + ferry | Island day trip |
| Sonoma Canopy ToursOccidental · Sonoma County | 2 courses + night tour | Not published | Not published | Not published | 2 h 30 | Not published | Redwood canopy, sky bridges, rappel |
Figures from each operator's website or a syndicated AAA listing, checked October 2026; prices are the operators' "from" prices and change seasonally. Two parks that still appear in older "best zipline" roundups — Moaning Cavern Adventure Park (Calaveras County) and Yosemite Ziplines & Adventure Ranch (Mariposa) — no longer run ziplines and are left out on purpose.
Our pick
Highline Adventures — the Biggest and Fastest Ziplines in California
Set in the hills south of Buellton and Solvang, the Highline Adventures Zipline Tour is the one we'd book first, and the numbers make the case:
- Over 1.5 miles of cable across three dual ziplines — each one faster than the last
- 1,000 feet of vertical climbed by 4×4 Humvee to the summit before you ever clip in
- Speeds up to 50+ mph, in the same top band as any zipline in the state
- Designed and constructed by Skyline Ziplines Ltd., with a redundantly fail-safe brake system and guides who pass in-house training plus CPR and First Aid certification
- A full day on one ranch — ropes course, net playground, flower-field tours, night ziplines and more (below)
The tour takes about 2 hours on course with a full group of 8 guests (plan for at least 2.5 hours), starts with a 15-minute ground school, and is priced from $139 per person depending on the date. For anyone driving from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara or the Bay Area, it's the clearest answer to "where should I zipline in California?"
Park by park
How the Other California Zipline Parks Ride
Zip Zoom Ziplines at La Jolla Indian Adventure Park
On the La Jolla Indian Reservation in Pauma Valley: three big lines from 1,500 to over 2,700 feet, with the operator quoting speeds up to 55 mph over about an hour and a half. A fast ride and the obvious choice for San Diego County — but three single lines, no published height figure, and nothing else on site once you're done.
From $129 · 48 in minimum height · 65–250 lb
Margarita Adventures
Six lines over a working vineyard and cattle ranch between San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles; third-party listings put the combined length at about 4,500 feet with the longest run around 1,800 and the tour at roughly two hours. Pleasant and scenic, but the operator doesn't publish speed, height or lengths on its own site.
Vineyard setting · wine tasting on other tours
Catalina Island Zip Line Eco Tour
Five consecutive lines dropping from about 600 feet above sea level toward Avalon, up to 300 feet over the canyon floor at speeds pushing 40 mph, over 2 hours 15 minutes. The ocean backdrop is the draw; the runs are short (the longest is 1,100 feet), and the ferry adds real time and cost to the day.
From $149.95 · ages 10+ · 80–240 lb · 55 in minimum · ferry from Long Beach / San Pedro / Dana Point
Sonoma Canopy Tours
Two two-and-a-half-hour canopy courses in old-growth redwoods near Occidental — the original Forest Flight for first-timers and the taller, longer, faster Tree Tops — plus a night version. Zips, sky bridges, a spiral staircase and a rappel to the forest floor: sightseeing first, adrenaline second. The operator doesn't publish lengths, speeds or heights.
Occidental · about 1.5 hours north of San Francisco
Beyond the zipline
Why Highline Adventures Wins the Full Day
Several of the parks above are single-activity destinations — you fly the line, then you leave. Highline Adventures is built as a full day out, all at one ranch:
Adventure Park
A harnessed treetop ropes course in the old-growth oaks: two levels, four routes from easy to very hard, 60+ elements.
Explore the park →
Skynet Playground
A harness-free suspended net playground for ages 2 and up — bounce, climb and crawl through the oak canopy.
See the nets →
Protea Walking Tours
A guided walk through 8 acres of prehistoric protea flowers — the fields the ziplines cross.
Walk the fields →
Moonlight Zipline & Hike & Fly
The same lines under the full moon, or earn the view on foot with Hike & Fly — plus 4×4 Bronco tours of the ranch.
Night flights →None of the other parks on this list offers that kind of range in a single location.
Decide fast
How to Choose the Right Zipline Park for You
Want the most cable, the most vertical and a full day?
Highline Adventures — three dual lines over 1.5 miles, 1,000 feet of vertical by Humvee, and five other adventures on the same ranch.
Live in San Diego and want something close?
Zip Zoom Ziplines is the regional option: three long single lines and a published 55 mph top speed.
Chasing ocean views over raw speed?
Catalina's eco tour delivers the scenery with shorter runs — budget for the ferry.
Wine country on the Central Coast or redwoods up north?
Margarita Adventures (vineyard) and Sonoma Canopy Tours (redwood canopy) are scenic, sightseeing-first courses.
California zipline FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the biggest zipline in California?
By total cable, Highline Adventures in Buellton: three dual ziplines across more than a mile and a half of line, reached by a 4×4 Humvee ride up over 1,000 feet of vertical, at speeds up to 50+ mph. The other California parks compared here publish single runs of up to about 2,700 feet or combined courses of roughly 4,500 feet.
What is the fastest zipline in California?
Highline Adventures' lines run at speeds up to 50+ mph. Zip Zoom Ziplines in Pauma Valley quotes up to 55 mph on its longest single run. Both are at the top of the state; Highline pairs its speed with far more total cable, 1,000 feet of vertical and a 4×4 ride to the summit.
How much does a zipline tour in California cost?
Highline Adventures' Zipline Tour is priced from $139 per person and varies by date — about 2 hours on course with a full group of 8 (plan for 2.5 hours). Zip Zoom lists tours from $129 and Catalina's eco tour from $149.95 plus the ferry; Margarita Adventures and Sonoma Canopy Tours don't publish prices on the pages we checked.
Which California zipline park is best for a full day out?
Highline Adventures. Besides the zipline it has a two-level Adventure Park ropes course, the harness-free Skynet Playground, Protea Walking Tours, a Moonlight Zipline, Hike and Fly, and 4×4 Bronco tours, all at one ranch between Buellton and Solvang. Most other parks are single-activity stops.
Are the Moaning Cavern and Yosemite ziplines still open?
No. Moaning Cavern removed its zipline in 2019 and now offers cave tours only, and Yosemite Ziplines and Adventure Ranch in Mariposa is listed as permanently closed. Both still show up in older roundups, which is why this guide leaves them out.
Who can ride at Highline Adventures?
Our suggested minimum age is 10 years old, and all participants must weigh between 75-275lbs. Guests are discretely weighed at check-in. Those not meeting our requirements may not be able to participate and are ineligible for a refund.
More answers on the full FAQ page · adrenaline activities in California, ranked · directions to the ranch.
Plan your visit
Not all California zipline parks are built the same.
Highline Adventures combines the most cable, 1,000 feet of vertical and speeds up to 50+ mph with a full slate of activities at one ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley — 45 minutes from Santa Barbara, 10 minutes from Solvang. Check the FAQ for what to expect, get directions from wherever you're starting, and book your zipline tour.