By VERNON ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
The once empty desert landscape just behind the Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite is no longer empty. Rather it has been transformed into a adventure extravaganza for thrill-seekers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. The new Awesome Adventure Park opened earlier this spring and it has already become a big hit among locals and tourists alike.
“Since we opened the park in February we have seen the momentum really build here,” said Awesome Adventure Park Operator Trent Graves. “The word is spreading and people from all over are hearing about us that we are here and that we are a destination worth checking out.”
The park’s opening was specifically timed to coincide with the second year of the Mesquite Off-Road Weekend event which was held on February 22 this year. The goal was to allow fans and spectators of that event to experience a similar adrenaline rush to that felt by the world-class motocross athletes who had gathered to compete.
And there is plenty of adrenaline-packed activity to go around. The park offers a smorgasbord of high-octane adventure for the whole family. It features a raging zipline, a paintball battle zone, an RC Car race course, Side-by-side 4-wheeler trails for kids and adults, an archery challenge, an obstacle ropes course, and a Supercross Swing.
But you’ll have to hurry. As the heat of summer approaches, the park’s season is coming to an end. There are still a couple of weeks of fun left, though, as the end of the school year, and the Memorial Day weekend approach.
“Now is the time for local people who haven’t tried it out yet to come and check out all the activities that are here,” Graves said. “It’s a really great time at an affordable price.”
The park even offers a special for locals which includes residents of Mesquite, Bunkerville, Moapa Valley, Beaver Dam or Scenic. For just $25 locals can choose three of the parks action-packed activities, and make a day of it.
For the die-hard thrill seekers the action starts with activities that hurtle you through the air at high speeds. The park’s extreme zipline is just the ticket for that.
The expert park staff will get you all ready by buckling you into a special safety harness. After they have checked that harness, and double-checked it, you hop in an ATV and take a short ride up to the launch pad at the top of the mesa. There your safety equipment is checked one more time and you are hooked to the zipline.
From there you have just a moment to look out over the valley and get a jittery view of the steep route you are about to take going down. Then, with a push off the platform, you are airborne; screaming down the 1000 feet of zipline at speeds of up to 40 mph.
Fortunately, the park designers built two parallel zipline cables so that riders don’t have to face the challenge alone. They can stand side by side up on the platform, count to three and go down screaming together.
This ‘I-will-if-you-will’ kind of togetherness is also an important part of the park’s other high-thrill adventure: the Supercross Swing. Up to three young people can climb onto this mega-swing. Once the riders are safely strapped in, the swing is raised to a height of up about thirty feet. Then the harness is released and riders suddenly have the sensation of a freefall, dropping through the air face first, and then swinging high to the other side.
“It’s that first second or two that takes your breath away!” said one teenaged Supercross Swing rider at the end of her ride. “That split-second moment when the bottom falls out! You just have to experience it.”
There is also plenty to do for the more reserved adventurer. The park offers visitors the chance to zoom around on the actual Mesquite Off-Road Weekend race track driving a 200cc Razor Side-by-Side. Those vehicles can seat four people, so the whole family can don their safety helmets and ride along. You have to be sixteen years old with a valid drivers license to drive the track.
But anyone can experience the thrill of 4×4 trail racing with the park’s RC race course. These remote control vehicles come in at 1/10 scale of the full-sized racing machines. The course offers a variety of challenges including hills, curves and sand. Drivers get to control everything from a platform overlooking the track.
Going up a narrow canyon, visitors can try their hands at archery, with a number of 3D wildlife targets to shoot at. The target course is set up with a variety of challenges from relatively easy, to very difficult. For the complete newcomer to archery, park staff provides some basic training in handling a bow and arrow; and a little instruction on the proper form.
Just around the corner, in another area protected by surrounding hillsides, is an extreme paintball battle zone. With shelters and barricades and two fortresses on both ends, this is a perfect place for groups and families to play a great game of Capture the Flag.
On that topic, the staff at the Adventure Park is fully equipped and ready to host your party or large group events.
“I think the thing that we get most excited about is the opportunities for larger group activities,” Graves said. “This is just an ideal place for church youth groups, Boy or Girl Scout troops, family reunions or corporate team building activities.”
The park has barbecue grills available for groups to use. And it offers a small amphitheatre surrounding a fire pit for groups to hold a fireside chat after the day of activities.
“When family, church groups or corporate teams come and visit the Awesome Adventure Park, they will have learning experiences that will stay with them forever,” Graves said.
The Awesome Adventure Park is located at at 275 Mesa Blvd. just behind the Eureka Casino. The park will be open for the next couple of weeks. Then it will take a break for the summer and re-open for the Fall on Labor Day weekend in September.
The Park is open on weekends on Friday 4-8 pm, Saturday 12 – 8 pm and Sunday 12-4 pm.
For more information call 800-519-2243 or visit www.awesomeadventurepark.com .
