Revelstoke's newest tourist attraction has officially opened 鈥� with free admission for locals for a month 鈥� and the city's mountain resort anticipates its easy access and elevated views could quickly make it one of the most popular sites on Mount Mackenzie.
The Revelstoke Highline viewing deck and suspension bridge opened their gates to the public Friday, Aug. 22, on the slopes of Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR), following an exclusive preview Thursday, Aug. 21, that Black Press Media attended.
The Highline, located 1,250 metres above the Arrow Lakes valley, offers visitors access full-screen views of the Columbia River and Monashee Mountains. It's accessed from the top of Revelation Gondola via a 300-metre wooded trail and features a steel deck anchored on the mountainside with cantilevers, as well as a 75-metre bridge stretched between two rocky outcrops.
At the Thursday preview, RMR communications manager Laura Meggs said visitors can expect to see further enhancements to the Highline experience as the summer progresses. This will include a booth for printing professional photos taken from the deck and bridge, and fresh beds of grass and flowers along the walkway leading up to the forest.
"Our team has worked really hard to make (Highline) ready for tomorrow," Meggs said. "I personally want to say it's one of the best views in town."
While RMR doesn't recommend Highline for persons relying on mobility devices such as wheelchairs 鈥� and bicycles aren't permitted along the trail 鈥� a highlight of the project was repurposing the rock and asphalt that was removed during the rerouting of Camozzi Road to create the pathway.
Peter Nielsen, RMR's vice-president of operations, told Black Press Media that construction on the Highline transpired over the course of two years, and planning went back about five. Previously, the site was informally known as the "Revelstoke view" with nothing but a railing along the edge.
"Our operations team kind of scouted it out," he said. "We kind of got inspired by that, our operations team had a dream, and they made it happen."
But the name wasn't always planned to be "Highline," Nielsen said 鈥� "it started off as the 'cliff walk.'" Yet, that may not have captured the sheer elevation from which the attraction overlooks Revelstoke.
"You're a serious height above the ground, but it feels like you're fully above the valley floor," he described.
Despite the Highline's limitations for mobility devices and bikes, Nielsen called it "99 per cent accessible" for visitors.
"You're getting the feeling that you get when you go skiing," he continued, saying it channels the same "big mountain energy" and provides a "real alpine experience" for people who aren't necessarily outdoorsy or lack much time for an outing.
According to Nielsen, given how "approachable" the Highline is for visitors, it could quickly become the next big thing, and even a premier attraction, for RMR.
Access to the Highline is included in the price of a gondola ticket. However, Revelstokians interested in catching the views can visit for free on RMR's locals' day Saturday, Aug. 30, granted they provide proof of address at the resort's guest services. A barbecue, refreshments and other festivities at the top of the gondola will take place to celebrate the feature's opening.
As well, any holders of RMR's Sightseeing & Hiking Lift Pass or Adventure Pass can access the Highline gratis for the rest of summer, and locals able to provide proof of address can continue to enjoy free access too from Aug. 30 to Sept. 29.
