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Burn Some Energy at GoFAR USA Park in Decatur

Burn Some Energy at GoFAR USA Park in Decatur

A little girl enjoys a pony ride in the petting zoo section of GoFAR USA Park.
A little girl enjoys a pony ride in the petting zoo section of GoFAR USA Park.
A girl pets a goat in the petting zoo area at GoFAR USA Park.
A girl climbs towards the top of a rock climbing wall at GoFAR USA Park.
Two girls enjoy their visit to GoFAR USA Park. +8
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A little girl enjoys a pony ride in the petting zoo section of GoFAR USA Park.

If your kids enjoy the outdoors and need a place to release some energy, GoFAR USA Park in Decatur, is the place to go. This place is awesome! It’s clean, family friendly, has a ton of activities and the staff is attentive to the visitors’ needs.

We had some out of state friends visiting and needed to get everyone out of the house for the day to run around, and after a little research we decided to check out this place. After eating lunch in Decatur, we drove across Interstate 65 and it was about a five minute trip to the park. Our group had five kids (ages 12, 9, 8, 8, 22 months) and three adults, and everyone had a great time.

Upon entering GoFAR USA Park, the kids immediately ran off to the playscape which includes a mini climbing wall, swings, logs to walk across, a funky log bridge and other cool activities. This seemed to be a place the kids came back to several times between the bigger activities. Even the little one had fun in this area. Close by there is a mini-trike-type track with little pedal cars for toddlers, which kept our youngest kid occupied while the bigger kids did other activities.

After spending time in the playscape, the climbing wall and petting zoo opened, and that’s when the real fun began. Our boys gravitated to the climbing wall, which is double sided, and they took turns trying out each side. A staff member helped secure each person into a harness. The climbs are not overly difficult, but they’re not easy either. There’s some places where the grips are small and others that are easier to grab. It’s a good challenge and one that the kids and adults in our group tried several times. There’s hand sanitizer at the gate to use after climbing.

While the boys were at the climbing wall, the girls went to the petting zoo. Here they were met by playful and friendly goats. The goats were not shy about asking for pets or chewing on shoelaces, also beware of goat poop on the ground. Beyond the goats are several rabbit cages. In this area, the staff gets the rabbits out for pets and will answer questions. There’s a few horses and ponies on the property too, so ask about a pony ride and they’ll be happy to get one ready for a short riding adventure.

After 30 minutes, the pet zoo and climbing wall closed so the zipline could open (read Plan Your Visit for details on this). There are three ziplines and each has a different weight limit. The one in the middle has the lowest weight limit at 125 lbs. The steps up to the ziplines are extremely narrow and steep, so encourage kids not to run but walk up the steps. The staff member at the top can help you onto the zipline seat, which is small, but it’s a short ride, so not bad. After jumping off the platform, the ziplines go pretty fast to the other end. The kids and grownups had a good time racing each other on the various ziplines. If you want to win, I suggest the zipline at the far end, as it is the longest and fastest.

In addition to these activities, there’s also obstacle courses and trails in the back. The kids didn’t visit these as much as I thought they would, but us grownups took a turn. The course designed after the Marine Corp course is hard, but the other one is more doable yet is still a big challenge. If someone in the family wants to pretend they’re on American Ninja Warrior, but without the water landing underneath the obstacles, then this would be right up their alley. We were too occupied keeping up with all the kids that we didn’t visit the trails, but would like to walk them next time we visit.

In addition to all the activities in GoFAR USA Park, there are add-ons for extra adventure. My husband thought the kids would enjoy trying paintball shooting, so he got each kid a bucket and we were off to the 65-foot paintball range. Each $5 bucket has about 75 balls in them. The staff member showed everyone how to properly shoot the paintball guns, went over the rules and safety. He told them when they were free to shoot and off they went. Paint is everywhere in the range, and it’s pretty cool. There’s several targets to aim toward and some make noise when hit, which was fun for the kids.

We were at the park for more than three hours and everyone in our group agreed it had been an awesome day. Our out-of-state friends asked if they could go back the next time they visit, and my kids have already asked to return a few times. This is a place we will definitely visit again. It’s an easy 20-25 minutes drive from Madison and the owners have plans to add new features later this year.

Plan Your Visit to GoFAR USA Park

The park has two visiting times during the week. For early visitors, they offer an “open play” option which includes the obstacle courses, nature playscape and trails, for a discounted price. Starting at 1 p.m. to close, admission goes up, but includes the bigger attractions such as the ziplines, petting zoo and climbing wall. We arrived just as the “open play” time was finishing and the general admission time was about to start.

Tips for Your Visit

  • Make sure everyone is wearing close-toed shoes. This is for everyone’s safety.
  • Picnic tables are available for picnics.
  • If you need to bring a stroller, make sure it has big wheels to get over things like rocks, roots, limbs, etc. The average stroller we had didn’t work great on nature’s floor.
  • During general admission hours, bigger activities, such as the zipline, climbing wall and petting zoo, are open in 30-minute increments. While the zipline is open, the climbing wall and petting zoo are closed. When the climbing wall and petting zoo are open, the zipline is closed.
  • The bathrooms are super clean and there are changing tables in both the men’s and women’s facilities. There’s a trashcan perfectly located to the side of the changing table for dirty diapers too.

Costs:

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  • General admission (5 and up) $12
  • 4 and under FREE
  • Seniors (55 and up) and Military $9

Add ons:

  • Paint ball $5/bucket
  • Electric trail mountain board rental, 12 and up, 15 minutes $10
  • Mountain bike rental, 1 hour, $10
  • Feed the animals, $5/bucket
  • Pony Ride, Max 120lbs, $5

Hours: Vary by season.  Visit website for details.

Get in Touch

Phone: 256-345-0797

Address: 895 S. Bethel Rd. Decatur, AL 35603 (Map)

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