Couples take 'Lover's Leap' at Red Mountain Park zipline adventure

About 30 people took advantage of the Lover’s Leap zipline adventure at Red Mountain Park in Birmingham on Friday night.

It was a rare chance for nighttime ziplining in the park, which typically is only offered around Valentine’s Day and Halloween, said Byron Williams, one of the adventure guides who helped couples take the 1,000-foot plunge from an 80-foot-tall tower.

Each couple got a chance to leap off the tower side by side twice. Some were married, others were dating, and some were just friends. But there were plenty of smiles … and a few screams as the couples went sailing through the dark sky together.

Most faced forward the first time down, and many went backward on the second leap. Some were experienced zipliners, but for others, Friday night was their first time.

The adventure cost $45 per person and included a guided hike into the park, photo booth, s’mores and hot chocolate at a campfire as romantic music filled the air after the ziplining was done.

This was the seventh year for the Lover’s Leap Valentine’s zipline event, and this year sold out more quickly than in the past, said Katie Bradford, director of community and public relations for the park. Organizers added a third group due to high demand and promised to have more opportunities for people to experience ziplining in the dark.