Conquer Climb UPton’s Aerial Ropes Course 

Climb UPton

Ascending 40 feet off the ground with 90 built-in elements on three levels, Climb UPton was formally unveiled at Upton Hill Regional Park with a fitting flourish: the ribbon-cutting was executed mid-air by the ropes course manager as she plunged from a free-fall platform known as “Tarzan” — roughly as high as a three-story building. That energy defines the experience from first harness clip to final zip line: Climb UPton is not a casual stroll. It is a genuinely adrenaline-generating aerial adventure built from German engineering, and it ranks among the most ambitious recreational facilities NOVA Parks has ever constructed — the nearest comparable course built with the same technology is in Franklin, Tennessee. Features across the three color-coded difficulty levels include zip lines, a zip sled, tunnels, ladders, a surfboard balance element, a cargo net, and a “hanging picnic table” suspended at the very top of the structure  — which has become something of a bucket-list moment for Arlington families. You can attempt elements in any order and combination, which means repeat visits feel entirely different from the first.

The course was built based on NOVA Parks surveying community members after a mobile climbing wall introduced at Upton Hill in 2015 received an overwhelmingly positive response — and about $4 million and six years of planning later, the park authority delivered one of the few climbing towers of its caliber built anywhere in North America.  Tickets (as of this writing) are $19.95 to $49.95 depending on age, with sessions lasting two hours. All climbers must be at least 48 inches tall; children under 8 must be accompanied by a paying adult; maximum weight is 265 lbs. The proprietary clicket safety system keeps at least one harness clipped in at all times, which means climbers cannot fall off the structure — a genuine reassurance for nervous first-timers and cautious parents watching from the ground-level viewing deck. Birthday party packages are available with an exclusive briefing and reserved party space. Climb UPton is open weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with daily operation beginning in late March through November. Book in advance at novaparks.com — popular weekend sessions sell out.