11 extreme outdoor adventures to try before you die (2023)

Getting an eagle’s-eye view of Vegas is thrilling in itself, but pulling Gs in an aerobatic plane takes a sightseeing flight to heart-racing new heights. For the full Top Gun experience, Sky Combat Ace lets you take over the controls. Your pilot demonstrates each maneuver, such as a barrel roll, loop and hammerhead, before letting you test your own skills.

Part skydiving and part cliff jumping, BASE jumping is one of the most extreme thrills you can pursue, largely because the relatively low-altitude launch points mean less time to deploy your parachute. Perched nearly 500ft above the Snake River, Perrine Bridge is known worldwide for the adrenaline-charged activity and, unlike many other destinations for the sport, doesn’t require a permit. The only prerequisite is courage, but TandemBASE guides newbies through the experience.

Taking the off-piste concept to the limit, heli-skiing transports you to slopes only accessible by chopper. The deep, ungroomed powder makes it the preserve of experienced skiers. Set within one of the largest state parks in America, just north of Anchorage, the Chugach Mountains offer thousands of miles of terrain, powder bowls and steep vertical descents, all of which means you’ll never ski the same line twice.Chugach Powder Guidesis oneof the best operators in the area.

There are few things more exhilarating than lowering yourself down a rock face amid a deluge of foamy spray. While waterfall rappelling is often associated with exotic destinations like Costa Rica, but you need only travel to the Northeast to experience it. Climbing outfitter Northeast Mountaineering welcomes adventurers of all skill levels. Take a short hike to the top of a 100ft fall before rappelling down it with the help of a guide. Just be prepared to get wet.

Known for its world-class mountain biking, Moab also has great canyoneering routes that take you from carved sandstone slot canyons to ancient ruins and water-filled pools.Red River Adventures offers several guided canyoneering routes, including the relatively easy-to-moderate Ephedra’s Grotto and Chamisa Canyon, both of which include hiking, scrambling and a couple of rappels. The company also boasts day trips that combine canyoneering with rafting down the Colorado River.

Yosemite National Park is one of the best rock-climbing destinations in the world, but you don’t have to be Tommy Caldwell or Kevin Jorgeson, the duo that made history by free-climbing the daunting 3,000ft Dawn Wall ofEl Capitan, to tackle its peaks. In addition to the popular 8,839ft-tall Half Dome, easier summits include Washington Column, which has a 1,000ft route. Need aguided trip, climbing lessonsor equipment rental?Yosemite Mountaineering School has you covered.

No, we’re not talking about the Disneyland attraction. This single-track mountainbike route heads primarily downhill from the Tahoe Rim Trail—the total descent is more than 2,000ft. With multiple steep drops, sections traversing nothing but rocks,as well asepic views of the lake, it sure lives up to its name.If you’re not bringing your own wheels, Wanna Ride Tahoe can provide bikes, helmets and shuttles to Mr. Toad’s and other local trails.

Want to get in touch with your inner caveperson? Not only can you explore Cumberland Caverns, which has more than 32 miles of underground passageways complete with cool rock formations, waterfalls and pools, but you can sleep over, too. Guided excursions include the All Around the Mountain tour, featuring ladder climbs, cave crawling and camping out in an underground cave, followed by breakfast in the cavernous Volcano Room.

What better way to experience the world’s largest dormant volcano than by paragliding off its slopes? Daily flights with Proflyght Paragliding take off from the slopes of Haleakala, which at 10,000ft is the highest peak on Maui. Beginners can test their mettle with the shorter 1,000ft descent, but for the true adventurer, the 3,000ft option features up to 15 minutes of airtime over the island’s lush tropical landscape and lavender farms.

What’s a 14er, you ask? As the name suggests, it’s a mountain at least 14,000ft tall, and there are more than 50 to choose from in Colorado—from the 14,007ft Sunshine Peak in the San Juan Mountains to the 14,440ft Mount Elbert, the highest summit in the Rocky Mountains. One of the most popular in the state is Pikes Peak, near Colorado Springs,which is a lofty 14,115ft tall. A number of trails ascend to the top, including the most popular, the 13-mile Barr Trail.

Whizz 60ft above a verdant Catskills valley at just under the highway speed limit along a 3,200ft cable. The Skyrider tour is the most daring of three options at Hunter Mountain’s Zipline Adventure Tours. The 650ft-long midmountain tour, which also traverses rope bridges and a rappel, is a tamer option for beginners (and you can also tackle it at night). Accomodations abound, but none beat theHunter Mountain Sanctuarywith views of the very same slopes youwere flyingover only a short time ago.