People flying hundreds of feet through the air in harnesses might become as common a sight as paddle-boarders gliding on the Deschutes River in the summertime if everything goes according to plan for Wanderlust Tours.

The Bend guide service, which takes people on everything from snowshoe expeditions to evening canoeing trips, wants to build a zip line in the Old Mill District that will carry riders from the shopping area across the river to a location south of the Les Schwab Amphitheater.

The zip line could be up and running by this summer. It’s unclear how high or long it will be or how much it will cost.

“It’ll happen, but there’s really nothing concrete we can show the public,” Wanderlust Tours owner David Nissen said. “We’ve got the concept, but we have to find the proper spot to put it.”

Wanderlust already has the blessing of Old Mill District developer Bill Smith. After a presentation to the Bend Planning Commission last week, the company learned it does not have to hold a public hearing before the zip line is approved.

Nissen said he will host a public meeting March 25 at a building near the amphitheater to introduce his idea to neighbors and others who are interested in the project.

At that time he hopes to have some finalized artist renderings and schematics showing what the zip line will look like and where it will go. Part of the final design, he said, will also depend on what engineers and other experts say about the soils in the area.

“It’s going to be an outstanding and fun experience for locals and visitors alike,” Nissen said. “It’s just providing another opportunity for people to experience Bend in another way than they’ve been able to experience it.”

Smith said the zip line is a unique attraction that will enhance the Old Mill District in a way that a miniature golf course, for instance, would not. In fact, Smith said he’s turned down miniature golf course proposals for that very reason.

He said he’s also turned down bungee jumping outfits because the Old Mill simply doesn’t have the facilities to support such a venture.

“There aren’t lots of zip lines around,” Smith said. “By us having a zip line, we’d have one more thing that is family-oriented that people can enjoy and that is a reason to come to the Old Mill.”