When seeing Howlers Peak Ropes Course, my first thought was “wow, that is really high.” Second thought was, “And you are dangling up there by only a rope? Crazy!” Howlers Peak is a new outdoor activity at Great Wolf Lodge in Washington. You can climb up to 50 feet in the air, zoom down multiple zip lines, traverse narrow rope obstacles, and in the end you’ll want to do it all over again. It may look treacherous, but Howlers Peak is a lot of fun.
To participate in Howlers Peak, you first need to get suited up in a full body harness. The harness gets tightened around your legs, chest, and waist. Because of this, you want to wear regular clothes (pants or long shorts recommended), not a swim suit. You also need closed toe shoes. I highly recommend wearing something comfortable like a tennis shoe to make it easier when you navigate the ropes above.
If you just want to sit it out and watch your children play, there are several chairs near the entrance. You can even walk around the ropes course to take some photos.
After you are suited up, the employees connect you to the track system above and you’re off. The track system is the key to the whole thing because it keeps you safely tethered no matter where you go. You just pull the rope along the track (it has some wheels) and you know that you’re secure even when navigating the tiny little rope bridges on the top level.
From the ground, I thought Howlers Peak had a set course. When you get up there, you find that you can really do whatever you want. My son and I spent at least an hour and a half going up and down various levels, crossing over to various rope paths, and trying different zip lines. You can stay up there as long as you’d like. You can come and go throughout the day if you want to take a break or try it again.
My son is six-years-old and taller than 48″ but was hesitant at first to move around the ropes course. It took him some time to work up his courage, and when you’re up there on the third level you can see why. Although you are completely secure, the paths feel perilous because you are just walking along narrow wood planks or ropes the entire time. The zip lines are a lot of fun, but can be intimidating to young children as well.
If you have a young child, I highly recommend going with them through the ropes course. They have to be accompanied anyway if they are under 48″ in height. But going with your child, you can encourage them along the way and help them if they have trouble with the overhead safety track. I noticed that sometimes it gets stuck for younger children, at which point they have to really tug the safety rope to get it moving again. There are several employees who walk along the course on all levels to help children along. So if you are afraid of heights, and your child is taller than 48″, you can hang out in the chairs below and know that the employees can help your child as needed.
If your child is on the smaller side, there is a mini ropes course on the bottom level. It was nice to see that they built this so younger children could participate as well.
Below are the prices for Howlers Peak Ropes Course at Great Wolf Lodge:
- $12.99 – Over 48″ tall (if you are staying at the hotel)
- $9.99 – Under 48″ tall (if you are staying at the hotel)
- $24.99 – Over 48″ tall (if you are not staying at the hotel)
- $19.99 – Under 48″ tall (if you are not staying at the hotel)
This is the only attraction where the pricing is different for guests of the hotel and for those not staying at the resort. This mainly impacts those who visit for conventions, as most people would otherwise visit as part of a hotel/water park stay.
We visited Howlers Peak Ropes Course on a sunny day, which was perfect weather to try this out. The ropes course has a few canopies above it, which shade you from the sun. If you are in the seating area, you are basically in direct sunlight. You can walk around the ropes course for a different view and to find some shade. But all of the seats were in an uncovered area during our visit.
With this being an outdoor attraction, I asked if this would only operate seasonally. As the magic 8-ball would say, the outlook is unclear. For now, Great Wolf Lodge plans to operate Howlers Peak Ropes Course every day as long as weather permits. But considering how frequently it rains here and how often the weather is cold, it seems like this is an activity best explored during the summer months. Although, with enough layers of clothing, it could be fun to try this in the snow.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun my son and I had on Howlers Peak Ropes Course. It was neat to watch as he built up his courage and took on more challenging obstacles. On the car ride home, he talked about how he wanted to try the other zip lines next time. The first one was ok, but the others were a little too thrilling for him this time around.
If the weather is nice during your visit, I recommend giving Howlers Peak Ropes Course a try. Your children will have fun navigating the obstacles and it is a lot of fun for adults to try as well.
