Bungee Jumping

If you want to go bungee jumping, be prepared to travel.  While the business address for Icarus Bungee is less than an hour's drive from Moffett Field, some of its jump sites are a lot farther away.  All of the the other bungee companies are at least 5 hours' drive away.

Bungee jumpers have to be at least 18 years old.

Bungee Adventures

Description:  Does jumps from bridges, trees, and rocks. Their primary jump areas are near the cities of Auburn (northeast of Sacramento), Sonoro (East of Sacramento near Yosemite), and Chico (almost due north from both San Francisco and Sacramento).

Bungee Adventures was involved in making the infamous "Nike pump" commercial.

Web Site:  http://www.bungeeamerica.com/

Location:  offices in Oakland, Sacramento, and Truckee

Drive Time from Ames (per Google maps):  2 hours and 30 minutes to Auburn, 2 hours and 32 minutes to Sonoro, 3 hours and 28 minutes to Chico

Public Transit: 

Hours: Saturdays and Sundays; weekday jumps by appointment

Cost:  $99 for one 75 foot jump, $29 for each additional jump; $119 for one 150 foot jump, $45 for each additional jump; $149 for one 225 foot jump, 59 for each additional jump

Bungee America

Description:  Does jumps from a bridge they call "the bridge to nowhere" in the Angeles National Forest, which is north of Los Angeles.  The forest doesn't show up in Google maps, but it has its own web site.  Jumps are scheduled every Saturday and Sunday, and can be arranged at other times by appointment.

The road connected to the "bridge to nowhere" washed out years ago, so you can't drive to the bridge.  Instead, you need to hike 4 miles to and from the bridge (about 2 hours each way).  Plan on spending a full day (not to mention the drive).

Web Site:  http://www.bungeeamerica.com/

Location:  Los Angeles, CA

Drive Time from Ames (per Google maps):  5 hours and 40 minutes to Arcadia, CA, on the edge of the Angeles National Forest

Public Transit: 

Hours: Saturdays and Sundays (all day), overnight and weekday jumps by appointment

Cost:  $69 for one jump, $109 for two, $127 for three, $165 for five

Bungee Experience

Description:  Does bridge jumps mainly in Humboldt county, which is several hours' drive north of San Fransico.  Jumps are usually scheduled once a month from April through September.  As of July 15 there is no July jump scheduled.  Custom group jumps can be arranged.

Web Site:  http://www.californiabungee.com/default.htm

Location:  Pioneer, CA (but jumps are usually in Humboldt County)

Drive Time from Ames (per Google maps):  2 hours and 38 minutes to Pioneer, 6 hours 28 minutes to Humboldt County

Public Transit: 

Hours:  scheduled jumps only

Cost:  $75 for one jump, $120 for two

Icarus Bungee

Description:  Does jumps from 15 bridges in northern California.  The web site includes a comment that due to "legalities involved in jumping from bridges, locations will be given only to the group organizer".  Exactly what that means isn't explained; if you're thinking of jumping, you probably ought to ask.

Web Site:  http://www.icarusbungee.com/

Location:  Alameda, CA (but jumps anywhere within 5 hours' drive of San Francisco, and locations are announced only 48 hours beforehand)

Drive Time from Ames (per Google maps):  48 minutes to 1 hour and 10 minutes to Alameda (but jumps may be anywhere in a 5 hour radius of San Francisco)

Public Transit: 

Hours:  scheduled jumps only

Cost:  $125 for two jumps (there is no one-jump price, and you can't split your two jumps with another person)