At Margarita Adventures, we live for outdoor adventure, which is hard to do when we are all sheltered in place!
However, we know that our communities will come back stronger after all of this, and we look forward to resuming our tours when the time comes. In the meantime, we wanted to share a bit of our history with you—as well as a look ahead:
2010: A Zipline? What!?
Some folks thought that Santa Margarita Ranch co-owner Karl Wittstrom was crazy when he started talking about installing ziplines on the ranch, but in true Karl fashion, he proved to be crazy like a fox!
As a rancher, farmer and winegrower, Karl is passionate about agritourism, and he saw ziplines as a unique way to entertain families and educate guests about where their food comes from. Soon enough, his idea became a reality with the installation of the first prototype zipline, which made everyone a believer.
2011: Margarita Adventures Is Born
Margarita Adventures was officially launched in November of 2011 with four ziplines totaling 3,000 combined linear feet, kicking off with the breathtaking 1,200-foot Renegade zipline. “Our tours blend history, nature, wine and adventure into a single unforgettable experience,” Karl said at the time. “There’s nothing else like it in California, and we want our tour to be one of the best things to do in SLO County.”
2013: Introducing “The Pinot Express”
Our fifth zipline—the 1,800-foot “Pinot Express”—opened in December of 2013. This zipline begins atop a forested mountainside, then sends guests swooping low right over the Pinot Noir vines of our affiliated Ancient Peaks Winery. The Pinot Express immediately solidified Margarita Adventures’ reputation as “The Biggest Thrill in Wine Country.”
2015: History Comes Alive
In 2015, we added an exciting flourish with the completion of the “P.W. Murphy Mining Company,” a themed replica of a mid-1800s gold mining camp created by the stars of the hit Animal Planet television show “Redwood Kings.” The camp is located at the bottom of the Pinot Express, and it’s all about bringing California history to life in a memorable way while saluting Santa Margarita Ranch’s own rich heritage in the Golden State.
2016: Doubling Down on Adventure
Our longest, fastest and highest zipline—the 2,800-foot “Double Barrel”—was launched in May of 2016, and it was double the fun, featuring two tandem lines that travel an astonishing 2,800 feet over forests and canyons with wide-open views of vineyards and mountains. “We wanted to ratchet up the excitement by giving you the opportunity to zip right alongside a friend or family member,” Karl said.
Looking Ahead
In the years since, we have added kayak tours on Santa Margarita Lake as well as guided nature tours that showcase the ranch’s rich wildlife, including bald eagle nests. And last December, we launched our new Photo Story Experience.
Our passion for adventure has never burned brighter, and you can expect us to keep innovating new ways to entertain and excite you when business gets back to usual!
