The Adventure Park In West Bloomfield: An Obstacle Course Hung In The Trees

WEST BLOOMFIELD (WWJ) How would you like to play outside in the woods ... up in the trees?

That's the concept of The Adventure Park, now open in West Bloomfield.

Just don't call it an amusement park, said Manager Chris Knuth. "You might call this an obstacle course hung in the trees."

There are 10 aerial courses to choose from. They range from the purple course, which is good for kids and the faint of heart, to the double black course, which is for the very fit and the most daring. The courses feature obstacles like walking on wires, on logs that turn, through a maze and crawling through a tunnel. Every trail ends with a zipline to the ground.

Tyler Smith of Livonia tried the second-hardest trail and said it was "very fun, but tiring." Which was the hardest obstacle? "It was walking on blocks that were flat," said Smith. "but they spin. It was really easy to fall off if you didn't have good footing."

The course is a rush that can build confidence. It is safe, with a locking system that makes sure you're rigged up with two large hooks, one of which is locked all the time.

Those who become frightened can ask for the park's aerial crew to rescue them. They rig up a rope that can whisk the climber to the ground in a hurry. "But most of the time when people are hung up on an element, we can coach them through it," said Knuth. "It's just a matter of a staff person....telling them, 'put your left hand here, your right foot there...'"

While I found the challenge exhilarating, not everyone was as impressed. High schooler Eric Bixby said he liked it, but he won't be back any time soon.

"It was fun," Bixby said, "but it was scary because I don't like heights."

The park is open Thursday through Sunday in the spring, but will expand to six days next month. Get more information HERE.