Challenge Course

The Challenge Course at Westminster Woods is a series of individual and group activities, called elements.  With over 30 elements on our Low Ropes Course and 13 High Ropes elements, our challenge course is quite extensive.  A Challenge Course day is engaging and active both physically and emotionally.  Groups might balance on cables and platforms, strategize with teammates, climb trees and cargo nets, or swing, hang, and zip through our redwood canopy.  The experience is kinesthetic, cognitive, and a lot of fun!

Groups can request programs on our Low Ropes Course, High Ropes Course, or a combination  of both.  Our course can accommodate groups between eight and 200+ participants.  We split  larger groups into small trail groups of 10-12 participants each.  Individuals, groups smaller  than eight and larger groups should contact our Challenge Course Director for availability.

Who uses a Challenge Course?

We understand that each group is unique and have experience with a wide variety of programs.  Annually, 8,000 participants of all age groups are served by the Challenge Course.  Some common themes we work with are:

• Adventure Days
• Celebrations/Graduations 
• Environmental Education Programs
• Community Building / Teambuilding Programs
• Therapeutic Programs

Why is a Challenge Course experience important?

Challenge Courses are experiential, memorable, and fun!  Our staff can work on specific outcomes, such as leadership development, healthy risk taking, self-empowerment, or coping skills.  Many of our groups simply want a fun, shared experience - the thrill and excitement of zipping and climbing through the redwood canopy.  Regardless of your group goals, we hope that participants leave Westminster Woods with a new understanding of themselves and their fellow group members.

Our programs help participants learn how to take healthy risks, learn new skills and dare to enter into challenging situations.  At the end of each experience groups have an opportunity to reflect, interpret, and apply what they learned to their everyday life.

Do we have to climb and zip? 

A challenge course day will be full of new experiences, and we realize everyone learns differently.  Our programs provide a great level of individual choice.  We understand that there are a great number of ways to challenge oneself, and we encourage healthy personal decisions- whether that means supporting and cheering the group, providing insight and suggestions, stepping into a climbing harness for the first time, or leaping from a platform.  Each participant will likely take away something unique, and each group member has something unique to contribute. 

Is your Challenge Course Safe?

Westminster Woods is an institutional member of the Association for Challenge Course Technology (ACCT), and follows ACCT industry standards.  ACCT is an internationally recognized industry leader in challenge course standards creation.  For more information about ACCT, visit their website: www.acctinfo.org.  Our course is inspected on a daily, monthly, and annual basis by trained on-site staff.  In addition, we hire a third-party ACCT vendor member to perform a complete annual inspection of our course and equipment.

We are proud of the extensive training we provide our staff.  Our director holds an ACCT Challenge Course Manager certification and over half our facilitators hold their Level II ACCT Facilitation Certificate.  Additionally, Westminster Woods provides extensive site-specific training, shadowing and apprenticeship opportunities, and continual feedback and support for staff.

There are some inherent risks to a challenge course experience.  The experience can be physically and emotionally demanding, and may not be for everyone.  We require participants to complete a Health History and Release of Liability form before their program.  To view or download a copy of this document, click here.