A summer guide for thrill-seekers

by Laura Bednar

Run of the mill activities like a dip in the local pool or bike ride through the park don’t have to dominate your summer. Thrill-seekers can find their own adventure in and around Ohio.

Below is a compiled list of some of the most exciting outdoor opportunities for individuals and families alike.

PT-19 private flight: Take to the sky in an authentic WWII-era plane in Middletown. The Fairchild PT-19 plane was used to train Allied Forces pilots during the war, and daring participants will have the chance to take over the controls during the flight. The private flight also includes a tour of the Butler County Warbirds Military History Museum. Book your flight at aaa.com/tripcanvas/thing-to-do/fairchild-pt19-private-flight-experience-in-middletown-304889P2.

IndyCar experience: For the racecar enthusiast, put the pedal to the medal with an IndyCar experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. Take a ride in a two-seater IndyCar driven by a certified driver and experience G-Force while going 180 miles per hour on the famed track. There is also an option to take the drive at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Book your drive at indyracingexperience.com. 

Wake Nation Water Park: Try your hand at cable wakeboarding and play on a floating inflatable playground and obstacle course at this water park in Fairfield. Cable wakeboarding is a form of water-skiing that uses an overhead pulley system or cable to pull participants around a lake, instead of a boat. Wakeboarders can maneuver through the lake’s obstacle course while being pulled from above. The floating playground includes a swing and inflatable rock wall. Guests can also take a mild, medium or spicy ride on the launch slide, leaving them airborne before making a splash in the lake. See more information at wakenation.com.

AerOhio skydiving: The ultimate thrill seeker can soar thousands of feet above the Ohio countryside when they skydive with AerOhio in Ashland. Divers can choose to skydive tandem with an experience instructor or literally fly solo. Solo divers must complete a course and in-person practical training before jumping. The dropzone is Ashland County Airport. See more information at aerohio.com.

African Safari Wildlife Park: After tackling the tallest and scariest rollercoasters at Cedar Point in Sandusky, take a 20-minute drive to the African Safari Wildlife Park in Port Clinton. Get in touch with your wild side at the drive-through safari where animals from around the world will come up to your car. Come face-to-face with bison, giraffes, alpacas, zebras and other creatures from your vehicle, or see more animals on the ground with the walk-through option with gibbons, capybaras, kangaroos, porcupines, tortoises and more. Get tickets at africansafariwildlifepark.com. Hocking Hills ziplining: Hocking Hills Canopy Tours in Rockbridge, near Hocking Hills State Park, offer six different types of tours: an original tour for nature lovers, an extreme tour with a course that combines trees and towers with a cross-country style zipline, the SuperZip with speeds upwards of 50 miles per hour, the dragonfly tour for kids, a combination ziplining and rock climbing tour, and shorter discovery tours for beginners. Ohio Magazine rated the canopy tour “Best Outdoor Adventure in Ohio.” See more information at hockinghillscanopytours.com.