New! Panther Pounce at Florida EcoSafaris in Saint Cloud

Panther Pounce is a 68-foot high tower drop

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I’m all harnessed in and buckled up tight with a helmet on my head. I’m ready to roll on the Cypress Canopy Cycle — the scenic recumbent bike adventure at Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida. The view is spectacular — at times you're 30-feet above it all, suspended from high tension steel cables — with a mix of saw palmetto trees and extraordinary flora that thrives amid the deep black tannin-rich water beneath you. From my vantage point, it looked plenty swampy.

Pedaling away, I suddenly hear whoops off in the distance. The sounds are echoing from the Panther Pounce, the newest of the nature thrills found here. Tower stairs wait for you to climb up 68-feet to what’s called the “challenge tower.” It’s a bungee jump with views of pine flatwoods, deer, white ibis, forested wetlands and much more. But let’s get serious: You’ll probably just be concentrating on stepping off the platform! Once you’re on the ground though, you’ll want to do it again and again and again.

Tags: Cypress Canopy Cycle | Florida Ecosafaris at Forever Florida | Panther Pounce | Saint Cloud