I have enjoyed watching brave jumpers step off the 100-foot tall Free Fall Tower ledge since it was built in 2013. I didn’t think I would ever actually jump off myself but last week I finally did it.
This post will cover my experience jumping off the free fall, pricing and other important information, the best spot to watch jumpers, photos I’ve taken from the zip line tower, and a video of my friend making the jump.
The Free Fall is 1 of 3 activities offered on the Harborwalk Adventures towers that stand 500 feet apart at heights of 65 and 103 feet tall.
The 65′ tower has the rock-climbing wall and one side of the zip line while the 103′ tower has the start and finish point of the zip line (1000 feet distance round trip) as well as the 100′ free fall.
If it sounds too scary to you, I promise it’s probably not as bad as you think. This is a controlled free fall (assisted by a power fan) so it has a soft landing. The above photo shows the 2 towers stretching across Harborwalk Village.
I’ve watched people jump quite often. Anytime I am at Harborwalk Village I look up at the tower to see if there are any jumpers. In fact, I have always considered the location of Fishheads bar–right next to the free fall landing bulls eye–to be one of the best things about having drinks there.
Fishheads was already a great spot for drinks with their outdoor location, drinks made in fresh fruit, and views of the marina and fishing boats coming in, but being able to watch the jumpers off the free fall tower adds yet another level of entertainment.
A week prior, I was up on the tower shooting fireworks and admiring the view. Only people who are going on the zip line or free fall are allowed up there (I had permission from Harborwalk since I was taking pictures for them) so it was my first time ever being up there.
If you want to see more photos from that shoot of the view and the people going on the zip line, I wrote a post about that night here.
While I was waiting for the fireworks that night, I watched people going on the zip line and saw a few people jump off the free fall. It was scary up there and the tower shook a bit in the wind but after watching a few people jump I decided I really wanted to do it, especially since it is one of the chapters in my Destin tourist guide book.
Last week was my friend Carolyn’s birthday and I decided it was the perfect time to check this off our Destin Bucket List. Well, it wasn’t actually on her bucket list and she didn’t even know we were doing it until that night because I planned it as a birthday surprise. I was afraid that if I told her ahead of time she would chicken out and not show up.
When we got to Harborwalk Village I told her that for her birthday we were jumping off the free fall tower. Her reaction was a mixture of fear and excitement, which was exactly how I felt about it.
I had jumped off the 855 foot free fall at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas the prior year (it took a few shots at the bar for my sister to talk me into it) so I figured I could handle it since the Stratosphere is one of the tallest buildings in the United States and the highest commercial jump in the world.
I actually ended up finding it just as scary to step off the Harborwalk free fall ledge as the Stratosphere. I think it just never feels right to step off a ledge from high in the air. It’s almost like your mind doesn’t realize that you are strapped in and it just keeps saying no.
If you want to do the Harborwalk Village free fall, you need to first purchase tickets at the ticket booth located at the shorter west tower in front of Margaritaville restaurant. It is located to the right when you come down the stairs leading from the parking lot into the Village. The free fall alone is $24 or you can combine it with the zip line and/or rock climbing wall for better deals.
After purchasing the tickets you walk to the taller east tower and head up the staircase to the top. It’s a long walk up but the views are incredible. At the top you will see the zip liners on one side and the free fall ledge on the other. When one of the attendants are free they will get you secured in the harness and fitted with a helmet.
Once you are securely strapped in and hooked up, they will tell you to walk out on the ledge. They will then count down “3, 2, 1….JUMP” at which time you are supposed to jump off the ledge. That’s the hardest part though. They had to count me down a few times before I jumped.
It’s scary to step off the ledge but once you do, it’s all fun from there and the jump assist machine slows you before you hit the ground for a nice soft landing. One of the best parts of this experience is the people below at Fishheads and Harborwalk Marina yelling for you to jump.
I didn’t get any footage of my jump but here is my friend Carolyn taking the leap:
What do you think? Have you tried the Harborwalk Village Free Fall or Zip Line?
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Hi, I’m Sarah–the creator, writer and photographer behind this site. I sell prints, books, journals, and calendars all made from my Emerald Coast photography and I also manage a few vacation rentals on beautiful Holiday Isle in Destin if you want me to be your helpful, knowledgeable host when you visit.
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