north america's largest aerial adventure course set to open in 2020

the forge — the largest aerial adventure course in north america — is set to open on my 25, 2020. situated on 300 acres of historically significant land, just 22 miles from downtown chicago, the year-round, outdoor adventure park will host an aerial challenge course, zippiness, bike/hike trails, outdoor recreation programming, designated kid’s activity zone, amphitheater, and food and beverage services.

located in the heart of lemont, illinois, the forge’s largest aerial adventure course in north america will have 260+ features in a single course with hundreds of possible routes to challenge beginners and experts alike. the tallest ropes course tower rises at 120 feet while two other towers will stand at 90 feet. mountain biking courses and skills & pump tracks will be available as well as a 5-mile promenade for running, biking and hiking. for those who are more into water adventures, the flatwater paddling activities includes kayaking and canoeing.

‘when designing the park, it was very important for us to make sure it would be accessible to guests of all ages and abilities,’ comments the official release. ‘trails and access points are ADA compliant, ensuring guests with mobility challenges will be able to freely move around the park. a great deal of thought and consideration went into designing an entire series of aerial challenge courses and zipline components to enable participants with physical and intellectual disabilities to participate in activities at height.’

previously overrun with invasive species, the forge partook in the natural ecosystem restoration of the 300 acres where it’s located. the project also created a non-profit charitable organization focused on developing and providing access to outdoor education and recreation opportunities for people of all ages, abilities and socioeconomic circumstances in the communities it serves.

project info:

leadership team:

chris gladwin

co-founder
founder and leader of multiple tech companies including ocient and cleversafe;
chairman of P33
adventure racer: completed 4 ultramarathons, 16 adventure races, over 100 orienteering races

jeremie bacon

co-founder
CEO of imagineer technology group, chairman of illinois technology association, founder of five companies
completed 20 ultramarathons, 30 marathons, 2 adventure races
resides in lemont, illinois

bart loethen
co-founder
counsel, tucker ellis, founder of synergy law group

key partners:

bonsai: ropes course and zipline design / delivery

latent design: restaurant and stage design & engineering

site design: landscape design and master planning

IMBA: mountain bikes courses designer

reference sites:

the forge lemont quarries: www.forgeparks.com
village of lemont: www.lemont.il.us
township of lemont: www.lemonttownship.org