Biggest. Tallest. Longest. Largest. Those are the words being used to describe Chicagoland newest family fun destination, The Forge: Lemont Quarries, in Lemont.
The Forge is considered North America’s largest outdoor adventure park with 260 zipline, climbing and high ropes elements, which includes the longest ziplines over water in the area, mountain bike courses and pump tracks, five miles of biking and hiking trails, kayaking, canoeing and paddleboats and the tallest ropes course in North America.
There’s literally something for everyone from age 3 to 90 at the 300-acre adventure park, says co-founder Jeremie Bacon.
And that’s just the way the Lemont dad of four wants it. The Forge is designed with families in mind, with areas that give each member of the family the opportunity to enjoy what they are really into within their skill level, then come back together as a family in the restaurant.
“It’s a beautiful place where families can come and explore and push their own personal boundaries,” Bacon says. “… I want families to show up and say this is a perfect place for my family.”
He thinks younger kids age 3-13 will especially like the adventure zone in the kids’ zone that takes kids 15 feet in the air so that they get to experience what older siblings might be doing higher up. He also thinks kids will love the pump track, which uses their own momentum and weight to propel them around the bike track.
The Forge also is the first park to introduce augmented reality into an outdoor adventure park, he says. It offers three augmented reality escape games to get kids and adults alike moving throughout the park to solve the challenges, bridging that digital and physical gap we all know so well.
“It’s going to be really, really fun,” Bacon says.
Parents will love watching their kids learning, growing and being fulfilled physically and mentally, Bacon says. It gets them outside and getting dirty and connected to nature in a new way while the owners turn back profits to help the environment.
As an added benefit for families with special needs, The Forge has a specially designed harness and belay system that allows people with mobility challenges to use the trails along the main challenge course. This means visitors with mobility issues can zip nearly 1,000 feet over a 12-acre lake, something they may not have ever been able to do in the past at other adventure parks.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, The Forge: Lemont Quarries has implemented safety guidelines including mask requirements, pre-booked reservations and limited capacity to encourage social distancing.
Details
The Forge: Lemont Quarries
- Address: 1001 Main St., Lemont
- Cost: Day passes are $70 adults (ages 14+), $55 for ages 13 and under and $40 for all ages 4 hours before closing. Annual memberships are also available.
Follow Chicago Parent on Instagram.
This article originally published on March 6, 2020. It has been updated with the most recent information.
