The Gorge Llc

What The Gorge Llc does

The Gorge LLC, operating as The Gorge Zipline, is a privately held, single-location adventure tourism company founded in 2013 in Saluda, North Carolina. The company designs, operates, and sells guided zipline canopy tours through the Green River Gorge, anchored by a flagship 3.5–4 hour experience that spans 1.25 miles, descends 1,100 vertical feet, and combines 11 ziplines, 3 guided rappels, and 1 sky bridge across old-growth forest overlooking 18,000 acres of protected Green River Gamelands. The core technical stack is physical infrastructure (engineered zipline cables, platforms, and anchor systems) paired with a guide-operated safety braking architecture that shifts speed management from guests to trained Canopy Guides, allowing 8–10 participants per departure to fly without controlling their own braking. A complementary Quick Flight product offers a 1–1.5 hour, 3-zipline abbreviated experience, and ancillary revenue is generated through photography add-ons and holiday gift certificate sales.

The business runs a direct-to-consumer model with a third-party booking platform (Singenuity) and phone reservations, targeting families, individuals, corporate groups, schools/camps, and bachelor/bachelorette parties within driving distance of Asheville, Hendersonville, and the Greenville/Spartanburg corridor. Pricing is structured as per-person unit pricing: $139 for the full canopy tour ($129 for groups of 8+), $69 for Quick Flight, with photo packages and promotional gift certificates layered on top. Distribution is regionally concentrated and supplemented by earned media (USA Today 10Best, Newsweek, Travel + Leisure), content marketing (blog, YouTube, email), and an annual ZipToberfest co-branded event with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. The company was disrupted by Hurricane Helene in October 2024, temporarily suspended tours, and reopened in November 2024 first with Quick Flight, then the full canopy tour.

Name

The Gorge Llc

Legal name

The Gorge Zipline

Website

https://thegorgezipline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Gorge Zipline operates a single-location guided zipline canopy tour business in Saluda, NC, selling 11-zipline, 3-rappel, 1-sky-bridge experiences and a shorter Quick Flight tour to families, groups, and regional tourists in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerial Adventure Park / Adventure Tourism

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

akta.pro primary industry

Zipline & Canopy Tour Parks (THAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Zipline, Ropes Courses & Aerial Adventure Parks (THAJABAC), Adventure & Aerial Parks (Ropes Courses, Zipline Parks, Climbing Parks) (THAJAEAI), Adventure Parks & Aerial Courses (Zipline, Ropes, Canopy) (THAAAAAC)

Keywords

• Zipline canopy tours
• Aerial adventure parks
• Guided zipline experiences
• Outdoor recreation services
• Adventure tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Saluda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Canopy Tour Tickets: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to the 11-zipline canopy tour experience. Priced at $139 per person (2026 inclusive pricing). Additional revenue from photo packages sold as add-ons during booking or at the outpost.
2. Quick Flight Tours: Shorter 3-zipline experience priced at $69 per person, offering an abbreviated adventure for guests with limited time.
3. Group Bookings: Discounted pricing for groups of 8 or more ($10 off per person). Revenue generated through coordinated multi-departure time bookings.
4. Gift Certificates: Sale of gift certificates at promotional discounts (up to 42% off during holiday sales), providing upfront cash flow and driving future bookings.
5. Photography Services: Guides photograph tours and sell photos as add-ons purchased online during booking or at the outpost following the adventure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Gorge Zipline sells guided zipline canopy tours through the Green River Gorge in Saluda, NC, anchored by a flagship 3.5–4 hour tour with 11 ziplines, 3 rappels, and 1 sky bridge spanning 1.25 miles and 1,100 feet of vertical descent. A shorter Quick Flight experience (3 ziplines, 1–1.5 hours) and gift certificates are offered as standalone purchases, with photography sold as an add-on. All tours are staffed by trained Canopy Guides operating the safety braking system.

Product overview

The Gorge Zipline operates as a single-location outdoor adventure company offering two distinct tour products: the full Zipline Canopy Tour (3.5-4 hours, 11 ziplines, 3 rappels, 1 sky bridge) as the flagship experience, and the Quick Flight Tour (1-1.5 hours, 3 ziplines) as a shorter alternative. Additional revenue streams include gift certificates and photo packages sold as add-ons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zipline Canopy Tour A 3.5 to 4-hour guided aerial adventure featuring 11 ziplines spanning 1.25 miles, 3 rappels, and 1 sky bridge, descending 1,100 vertical feet through old-growth forest in the Green River Gorge; priced at $139 per person (2026 prices, inclusive of taxes and fees). Suitable for guests age 10+ weighing 70–250 lbs.
• Quick Flight Tour A condensed 1 to 1.5-hour zipline experience featuring the first 3 ziplines of the full tour with Green River Gorge views, followed by a short hike back to the Outpost; priced at $69 per person standard.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 consecutive years as USA Today 10 Best Aerial Adventure Park winner (2015-2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 October 2024Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. partnered with The Gorge Zipline for the annual ZipToberfest event, providing free beer tastings as part of the event experience. Guests who completed the Quick Flight tour received a free Sierra Nevada branded pint glass and beer tasting, combining ziplining with craft beer appreciation in a fall-themed event.
• Green River AdventurescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen River Adventures is The Gorge Zipline's sister company, located in downtown Saluda. It represents 'what started it all' and offers additional outdoor activities in the area, including kayaking the Green River and rappelling at Big Bradley Falls. The partnership allows The Gorge to cross-promote multiple adventure activities for visitors looking to plan multi-day or multi-activity trips in the Saluda area.
• Singenuity (Booking Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe Gorge Zipline uses Singenuity's booking platform (book.singenuity.com) for all online reservations, ticket sales, gift certificate purchases, and photo package add-ons. This third-party booking system handles the entire reservation lifecycle including check-in management and customer portals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hawksnest Zipline: One of the largest zipline courses in the US, located in Seven Devils, NC. Direct competitor offering multi-zipline canopy tours in the same WNC region targeting families and groups with similar price points and tour durations.
• Soaring Eagle Zipline: Zipline canopy tour operator in the Southeast US with comparable multi-zipline guided experience, family/group focus, and similar ticket pricing in the $100–150 range.
• Scream'n Eagle Zipline: Zipline tour operator in the Georgia Mountains region offering guided multi-zipline canopy experiences with comparable tour duration, group pricing, and target customer (families, celebrations, corporate groups).
• Navitat Canopy Adventures: Zipline canopy tour operator located near Asheville, NC. Closest direct competitor to The Gorge — comparable guided multi-zipline canopy experience in the Western North Carolina market with overlapping customer base and similar pricing positioning.
• Adventure Park USA: Aerial adventure and zipline park operator in the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast US. Comparable business model combining ziplines, ropes courses, and aerial challenges with similar group/family pricing and ticketing structure.
• CLIMB Works Zipline Canopy Tours: Multi-location zipline canopy tour operator with sites in Gatlinburg TN, Asheville NC, and other destinations. Comparable guided multi-zipline experience with similar target customer (families, groups, corporate) and premium pricing model.
• Wahoo Zipline (Banning Mills): Zipline canopy tour operator at Historic Banning Mills in Georgia. Comparable multi-zipline, sky-bridge, and aerial adventure offering targeting the same family/group traveler segment with similar high-end positioning.

Others

• Singenuity (Booking Platform): Third-party booking platform used by The Gorge Zipline for all online reservations and gift certificate sales. Not a competitor but a key ecosystem enabler; understanding Singenuity's other zipline/aerial adventure clients gives a read on the broader operator universe.
• Green River Adventures: Sister company of The Gorge Zipline, also operating in Saluda, NC. Offers kayaking, rappelling, and other outdoor adventures — directly comparable operator in the same catchment but complementary (not competitive) offerings.

Regional players

• French Broad Adventures: Outdoor adventure operator near Asheville, NC offering rafting, zipline-adjacent activities, and guided excursions. Comparable WNC regional outdoor-adventure operator serving the same Asheville catchment with a different activity mix.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thegorgezipline
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCA_5Qjl2Fa4laq3GDx4lHzg
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheGorgeZipline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-gorge-zipline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Gorge Llc