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Nestled high in the trees on the grounds of Sandy Spring Friends School is a new high-flying, rope-swinging, cable-walking outdoor adventure that might make Tarzan jealous.

Spanning 5 acres, Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends School is a rope course opened by the school with the help of Outdoor Ventures Group Ltd. of Southport, Conn.

In addition to serving as an outdoor activity for friends and families of Sandy Spring Friends School, and those who become a member of Friends of Sandy Spring Friends School, the school's students and teachers will use the course as part of classroom instruction, said Ben Samuels, director of operations.

The aerial course consists of more than 150 obstacles and 20 zip lines installed in the trees and connected by cable, wood, rope and zip lines to form bridges. It offers 10 courses with five levels of difficulty, from the beginner course to The Gauntlet, described by park monitor Madison Stebbins as brutal and challenging.

Sandy Spring Friends School came up with the idea of installing a ropes course on an unused portion of the school's grounds a year ago. The site was used as a dump for everything from old household appliances to used cars.

Samuels said it took 18 large trash bins to remove all the waste left on the property.

The school contacted Outdoor Ventures Group, who visited the school in December and started to build the course within three months, said Bahman Azarm, owner of the company.

Adventure Park originally was slated to open earlier this summer, but a five-week hiccup caused by state licensing issues delayed the opening, Samuels said.

Adventure Park cost nearly $1 million to build.

Adhering to the stewardship testimony embodied by the Quaker faith — the school's religious affiliation — Adventure Park is green and environmentally friendly, officials said. Benches are made of logs halved vertically, cables are wrapped around trees rather than nailed into them and wood chips are made from the local trees.

"The work we did made the forest healthier," Samuels said.

While ropes courses and aerial forest parks originated primarily in Europe, they are becoming increasingly available in the United States. Along with Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends School, which opened a few weeks ago, Go Ape, another ropes course in Rock Creek Regional Park in Derwood, opened in May.

Go Ape is on about 6 acres of land in the park near Lake Needwood. Dan D'Agostino, a Derwood resident, is Go Ape's U.S. director. He worked with the Montgomery County Parks Department in finding an appropriate site for the outdoor course.

In order to gain access to Adventure Park, participants must either be affiliated with Sandy Spring Friends School as a student, alumnus, staffer or camper, or be the parent of a current or former Sandy Spring Friends School student. Those who are not can become a member of Friends of Sandy Spring Friends School with a $5 donation for an individual membership or $10 donation for a family membership.

The school hopes the greater Sandy Spring community will reap the benefits of Adventure Park.

"We have 20 new jobs in the community," Samuels said. "We hope [Adventure Park] is an attraction that will benefit the area, like local restaurants."

Adventure Park at Sandy Spring Friends, 16923 Norwood Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, weather and daylight permitting, until Sept. 10, and on Saturday and Sunday from Sept. 10 to Nov. 30.