EAGLE CANYON ADVENTURE
We began our day trip at Done-Rite Tire & Auto on Carrick Street. We headed to the Harbour Expressway and hung a left. We continued on the Harbour Expressway until we reached Highway 11/17, at which time, we turned right. We stayed on Highway 11/17 for roughly 75 kilometres until we reached Valley Road. We turned left on Valley Road and stayed on Valley Road until we reached Eagle Canyon Adventures.
Fun Fact: Eagle Canyon is the home of Canada’s longest suspension bridge and Canada’s longest zip line.
When you arrive at Eagle Canyon, you will see signage advising you to park your vehicle and head into the Eagle Canyon Store.
This is where you pay for your admission into the Canyon. You can also purchase snacks, drinks and souvenir items from the Shop. The admission fee is $20 per person, however children under 8 are free. You will be asked to sign a waiver before you embark on your journey. That may give you an uneasy feeling, but try to think of it as paperwork, just like when you check into a hotel.
We paid our admission fees, signed our waivers, and moved our vehicle to the other side of the gate. We put on some additional sunscreen, made sure we had our phones, hats and water, and off we went.
The journey began with an intense walk up a rather steep hill.
If you have any physical impairments, you may find this initial walk difficult. You will also want to ensure you wear good running/hiking shoes, not sandals.
After the initial hill, the remainder of the walk was low intensity. It took less than ten minutes to reach the first suspension bridge.
Another Fun Fact: The first suspension bridge is 300 feet across and 125 feet from the bottom of the canyon.
We were excited to face our first challenge. We looked it in the eye, took a deep breath and got ready to take our first step.
When you take your first step onto the bridge, you will likely feel a surge of adrenalin. It reminded me of the way I felt when my vehicle used to slide on ice (of course that was before I purchased proper winter tires from my friends at Done-Rite Tire & Auto).
At about the mid-way point of crossing the bridge, my fear subsided and I began to take in the beauty of the canyon. It truly is breathtaking. Like the brochure says, you get to see the view from the perspective of an eagle.
Once we got across the first bridge, we congratulated ourselves and rested for a few minutes. We were then ready to push on to bridge number two.
The second bridge is significantly longer and higher.
It’s 600 feet across and 152 feet from the bottom. When you begin walking across, you will feel the bridge swaying. You will also feel the bridge’s tension in the balls of your feet.
My eldest daughter gave me heart palpitations while crossing. Every time I looked back at her, she was on the edge of the bridge taking photographs.
I’d be lying if I said I “enjoyed” the second bridge. I found it thrilling, but not necessarily enjoyable.
Another Fun Fact: Typically you would have the option of braving Canada's longest, highest and fastest zip line! At half a mile long, 175 feet high and reaching speeds in excess of 45 mph, zip down the centre of the canyon for an exhilarating 60 second thrill ride.
Once we got on solid ground, we took a short pitstop at the gazebo on the other side of the bridge. We hydrated and got ourselves ready for the next phase of our adventure, walking the staircase to the bottom of the canyon.
The stairs are very well constructed and easy to walk.
Once at the bottom, we took our time checking things out.
We walked the shoreline at a nice, leisurely pace and tried to take in every bit of nature that was around us.
The entire adventure from beginning to end was roughly an hour, but the thrill it gave us will be with us forever.
We give this day trip a 10 out of 10!
