Go Ape Cannock Chase: What to Expect from Treetop Adventure Plus
Looking for a way to wear out the children, push your limits (and your husband’s comfort zone), and maybe faceplant into a zip wire landing? Welcome to Go Ape Cannock Chase – where the trees are tall, the ropes are wobbly, and the memories are legendary!
We tried the Treetop Adventure Plus – and here’s everything we wish we knew before we went!
Date of Adventure: Friday 30th May 2025
🧡 A Huge Shout-Out to Adventure Mind
Before we get to the zip wires and pending divorce, I have to say a massive thank you to Adventure Mind – a wonderful organisation making outdoor adventures accessible for families like ours. They gifted us the Go Ape experience, and we’re so, so grateful. (Find out how we applied here!)
Adventure Mind supports mental health and resilience through outdoor challenges. If you’re struggling with cost or other barriers, check them out – they’re doing incredible work to get more people into nature.
Which Course Should You Pick?
Go Ape Cannock Chase offers several treetop courses, as well as a Segway experience, but my boys were hellbent on doing one of the treetop ones, so in a nutshell, here’s what they offer:
- Treetop Adventure: Little legs, low ropes (ages 4-6, min height 1m)
- Treetop Adventure Plus: Middle ground for children who want more (ages 6-10+, min height 1.2m)
- Treetop Challenge: Big heights and big thrills (10+, min height 1.4m)
Our youngest wasn’t tall enough for the Treetop Challenge, but Treetop Adventure Plus hit the sweet spot: a decent dose of adrenaline, without the adult-level terror (well, mostly… my poor husband still needed a sit-down after).
Booking & Arrival – Easy Peasy (With One Tip!)
Booking online was a breeze – do it early if you’re planning a weekend or school holiday trip (we went in May Half Term). Parking is pay before you exit and costs up to £12 for the day. There’s a café, a playground, bike hire, and toilets (though they were out of order so we had the portaloo experience – glam, right?).
Arrive 15-20 minutes early so you’ve got time to check in, read the safety sheet and get that all-important pre-adventure family photo.
What the Treetop Adventure Plus Course Actually Involves (And Why It’s Brilliant)
You’ll start with a harness fitting, a safety talk and ground-level practice run.
Then off you go on three different loops: low, mid, and the exclusive high-level “Plus” route. Expect:
- Rope bridges
- Wobbly platforms
- Swingy step things you will definitely wobble on
- Big ziplines (yes, you’ll land on your bum – it’s a rite of passage)
The course took us just over an hour including the briefing, giggles, and one near-divorce (more on that later)…
Our Experience: One Brave Dad, Two Fearless Children & One Proud Mum
Our boys were absolutely buzzing to do this, and they bolted off like monkeys on a mission, smashing every single obstacle with zero hesitation. I barely saw them – just the occasional shout of “Mum, WATCH THIS!” as they whizzed past on a zipline or ran across a wobbly platform! They just wanted more at the end of each loop – I truly think they could have spent all day up there! If your child is fearless and loves a good challenge then I highly recommend Go Ape. Both our boys came to me afterwards asking when they could come again (no pressure!) so I had better start saving I guess!
My husband? He’s terrified of heights. But he braved all three sections! I asked when we booked if he wanted to go, and he said he would give it a try, and if he didn’t like it, he’d come off – but he soldiered on for all 3 levels! It pushed him mentally and phsyically, and I’m pretty sure a divorce was on the cards at one point, but he made it! I’m so proud of him (and relieved we’re still married haha).
What We Loved
✅ Beautiful forest views
✅ You go into the adventure in your own family group, not mixed with other groups, so it was a really fun bonding experience – in your own bubble you dn’t even notice anyone else
✅ Confidence-boosting setup – children get the freedom to discover their boundaries and independently handle their adventure, all in a secure environment – working up to harder levels as they go
✅ Cannock Chase is packed with extra adventures (biking, walking, café, play area – make a day of it!)
What to Know Before You Go
- Gloves – Take your own or buy them there (they’re actually pretty affordable). Your hands will thank you!
- Footwear – Hiking boots with a bit of heel were fab for grip. Trainers work too.
- Clothing – Long sleeves and trousers/leggings were recommended – I’d suggest comfortable, stretchy clothing. I didn’t see anyone land gracefully at the end of the zip line either, everyone ended up being dragged for the last few metres, so you won’t want to wear your favourite white hoody 😉
- Hair – Tie it back. Plaits, buns, anything that won’t get caught or dragged on the ground on the zip wire.
- Photos – Take a strap for your phone or GoPro. Staff aren’t on the course snapping pics but you are allowed to take your own photos – so long as your phone/camera is secure (to avoid dropping and hitting someone below).
- Toilets – There are some on site, not far from the Go Ape hut. But on our visit, it was portaloos. Manage your expectations 😂
Final Thoughts
Go Ape Cannock Chase: Treetop Adventure Plus is an absolute win for families with adventurous children. It challenged us, thrilled us, and left us with big grins on our faces. Huge thanks once again to Adventure Mind for making it possible – what a day we had, and we’d have never been able to do this without you!
And yes, we’re already planning (and saving for) a return trip one day – and maybe, just maybe, we’ll try the full Treetop Challenge next time (just don’t tell my husband).
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I’ve done a go Ape with the boys near Exeter and a different branded one in the Lakes (near Windermere) both were excellent, but it did leave me thinking that I’m not as nimble as I was, and the boys spent long times waiting for me!!
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Ahh how lucky! Haha yes it certainly makes you realise your age as you try to negotiate all those obstacles :p Your boys were very good, there was no waiting on our adventure haha 😀
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We absolutely love these places and have done them many, many times. Sadly for me I’m finding them more of a challenge every time while my other half and my kids make them look ever easier. In the UK Go Ape is pretty expensive, the best course we’ve done is at Grizedale in the Lake District which has really big, long zip wires. France is the best place for them, they are everywhere, the courses are much longer, and they cost about half as much as Go Ape. I had to miss the one last year as I broke my toe messing about in a river waterfall!
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Yes I recall your post (about your toe!) and the Go Ape equivalent! If it was more affordable I would definitely take the boys more as they absolutely loved it, what a shame we can’t be a bit more like France 😦 Perhaps one day a Europe van trip … 😉 I’ll try to remember that Lakes one you’ve mentioned, the boys would enjoy something even longer, honestly if there was no zip line at the end I wouldn’t have put it past them to try and go back the way they’d come for additional fun haha 😀
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There is a course we’ve been too in the Dordogne many times and it has, from memory, 7 courses that takes pretty much a whole afternoon and the last couple are pretty challenging. I always find the “stirrups” the hardest!
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Happy you liked it.
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Thank you Mélodie! It went down so well with the boys, they haven’t stopped talking about it!
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