Just For KIDs... o F ALL A ges

Outdoor Exploration

Adventure Inspiration

By Alyssa Onisick

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Mini–tree houses with mountain views, connected by a series of suspension bridges. A nature-inspired sensory experience complete with a sapphire hunt. A full ropes course for adventurers younger than six years old.

This summer, just steps away from Shed®, Paws Up's youngest guests will have two new areas of exploration, designed just for them. Influenced by his own childhood and interactions with The Resort's guests, Wilderness Outpost General Manager Will Smith has dreamed up two big projects for the little ones.

"So much of being a kid is going and exploring," Smith says. "Both of these spaces stem from the same idea of, ‘How do we do something that’s Paws Up and uniquely us, and fits what we’re trying to accomplish at Wilderness Outpost?’"

Treetop Village

While their parents relax in the outdoor dining area, young explorers can wander through a treetop village above the grownups' heads. Suspension bridges connect the tree houses together, and the houses themselves will be built around existing trees. Eventually there may be binoculars provided to see nearby mountains, a communication system between tree houses and maps.

But kids won’t only be looking up and out. They can also look at the action taking place beneath them in an exploration area. Boulders, rocks and tree stumps will provide the tools for imaginative play. And eventually, there will be a Kids Corps of Discovery favorite: sapphire hunting. Gravel hauled in from nearby Philipsburg provides hours of fun for campers to sift through looking for sapphires, and Smith is excited about the possibility of bringing that energy to this new space full-time.

"Something like this, I can see us creating it and then adding to it, and adding to it," Smith explains, noting that the project is expected to be complete by June. "That’s my favorite part of stories in general: They all start somewhere, but from there you can add color to them."

New Sky Line Course

Immediately following the completion of the treetop village, work will begin on a new course at the Sky Line™ Aerial Adventure Park. Designed for adventurers who are too small for the Canopy Course and Challenge Course, the new course will be built just one or two feet off the ground. But if being closer to the earth sounds like less of an adventure, think again. The course is designed so that once you reach each of the 15 or so platforms, you can choose to go in either of two directions.

The course is designed to have the same look and feel as the larger courses, so young guests feel like they’re tackling the same obstacles as the rest of the family, Smith says. This new aerial course will also be folded into the Kids Corps of Discovery program.

"This is going to be one kids are going to love; I think they might even want to do that for an entire day," Smith says. "The options on it are endless, so I think it can be special."

“So much of being a kid is going and exploring, and when you can climb up into tree houses at different heights with different bridges and platforms in the treetop structure, that’s the idea: to discover and go up and round.

—Will Smith