Miami's Aerial Park Is A Family-Friendly Florida Adventure Paradise With Zip-Lining And Fun Obstacle Courses

Although Miami is mostly known for its wildlife, the city is also a great destination for family-friendly travel. Parents enjoy taking their kids to places like the calm and uncrowded Virginia Key Beach Park, the beautiful Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, or the interactive Frost Science Museum. If you want something a bit more thrilling, however, plan an adventurous day at Treetop Trekking Miami. This aerial obstacle course will have you facing your fear of heights with experiences that go from three to 55 feet above the ground. Located inside Jungle Island — a children's park with animals and playgrounds — Treetop Trekking is organized as an upward spiral connected by thick wooden towers. You'll start closer to the ground and work your way up through a series of vertigo-inducing obstacles like ziplines, balance logs, Tarzan swings, and hanging bridges.

You can choose from four exciting experiences. The Discovery Course is meant for five to nine-year-olds, with a maximum height of seven feet, that still has two ziplines and age-appropriate obstacles. Children over nine and adults can access two experiences that are much more challenging. Those who don't want to go all in can do the Explorer Trek, which takes you through two courses with 17 obstacles reaching a maximum of 25 feet. Want a real adrenaline rush? Complete the Thrill Seeker Trek to get to 55 feet in the air by going through four courses, 37 obstacles, and five ziplines. You can go even more extreme with the three-course night trek.

Although Jungle Island caters mostly to families, the aerial course attracts different types of people: from adventurous solo travelers to couples looking for a less traditional date night, and corporate groups doing team-building exercises. The best experience for you depends on who you're with and what you want from the challenge.

Families with small children have to do the Discovery Course, which is safe and easy enough for kids to complete by themselves while you cheer them on from the ground. This experience costs $50 and, as the website states, is a great way to "boost a child's confidence." Older children and adults who aren't particularly fond of heights usually do the Explorer Trek, which costs $60. The first obstacles seem easier, but the course gets harder and harder as you get higher. If your gut and wallet allow it, we'd highly recommend going all out and choosing the Thrill Seeker Trek. This $85 experience will have your legs shaking and hands sweating, but it will all be worth it for the incredible sense of accomplishment you'll feel once you cross over the last bridge — which flips right in the middle. You'll also get sweeping views of Jungle Island, Biscayne Bay, and Miami. The night experience costs $100 and is great for anyone who wants even more of a challenge. Although this trek doesn't go up to the highest course, you'll still get to zipline while overlooking the glistening city lights.

When doing anything adventurous (especially with kids), safety is at the top of everyone's mind. Customers can rest assured that the safety clips and harnesses will keep them from falling at any point during the course. There will be staff members at the connecting stations between courses who are there to help if anything happens. During our experience, the staff was very helpful, but it's worth noting that an alarming number of TripAdvisor reviews complain about being treated rudely. One thing we'd recommend would be to book any of the day experiences as early as possible. Miami heat can be very intense, even in the "winter," so it's best to go early and avoid the afternoon sun.

After you've finished your course, relax by exploring Jungle Island, whose general admission is included in the Treetop Trek ticket. Walk around to see animals like capybaras, monkeys, iguanas, lemurs, and different bird species. Word to the wise: Bring your own food and drinks. The food you'll find here is expensive and underwhelming.

Treetop Trek Miami is exciting because there's nothing in the city like it, but another one of its winning attributes is that it's close to many other attractions. Jungle Island is located on Watson Island (we know, it's confusing), which is under the bridge that connects Downtown Miami to South Beach, Miami's trendiest neighborhood. You'll also be close to some of the city's best restaurants, many of which are amongst Florida's Michelin-starred establishments.