Extreme adventures abound throughout Oklahoma, OKC metro area
Attention thrill seekers from Oklahoma City! You don’t have to travel out of the state, or out of the city for that matter, to enjoy extreme adventures.
The state of Oklahoma, with its nearly dozen ecosystems, varied terrains, numerous and large lakes, wide-open skies and abundant sunshine, has plenty of extreme adventures for you to scratch your thrill-seeking itch.
OFF-ROADING
With so many ecosystems across the state, Oklahoma is blessed to have numerous state parks from border to border and everywhere in between. Many of these state parks offer an assortment of amenities like camping, fishing and boating, but some are only in the business to provide visitors with opportunities to experience long-lasting memories.
If you loved playing in the sandbox as a young child and then moved on to four-wheeling or “muddin” as an adult, you might really dig Little Sahara State Park near Waynoka in northwestern Oklahoma. It is a favorite spot for off-roading enthusiasts across the region with its 1,600 acres of sand dunes, with some reaching as high as 75 feet tall. Whether you prefer riding dune buggies, ATVs or some other type of off-road vehicle, or you simply just want to dig in the sand, Little Saraha State Park is the place for you.
SPELUNKING
There are also some excellent spots in Oklahoma for spelunking (exploring caves), such as Alabaster Caverns State Park near Freedom in northwestern Oklahoma. You can either take a guided tour through the world’s largest gypsum cave or go off on your own and explore some of the more-challenging wild caves. Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton is a favorite place for families to explore its large cave. Legend has it that outlaws Jesse James and Belle Star, as well as the Daltons, hid out in the caves to rest in their attempts to escape the long arm of the law.
ROCK CLIMBING & RAPPELLING
The Great Plains is not typically considered a mecca for rock climbing and rappelling; however, Oklahoma does have some cliffs scattered around the state that can challenge even the most ardent climbers. A great area to do some serious climbing is at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Oklahoma, just north of Lawton. Mt. Scott is a place to test your freestyle rock-climbing skills with its abundance of massive granite boulders and rocky cliffs. If you would rather partake in some indoor rock climbing or rappelling, Oklahoma City has some options. Check out Visit Oklahoma City website to learn more.
CANOEING
For those of you who feel right at home in the water, Oklahoma and OKC offers a plethora of water adventures that are sure to pique your interest. Canoeing is an excellent way to test your rowing skills, keeping in shape and staying cool, especially in late spring and early summer when the rivers are at their highest and the daytime temperatures are on the rise. The Illinois River in northeastern Oklahoma near Tahlequah is high on the list as is the Lower Mountain Fork River in far southeastern Oklahoma at Beavers Bend State Park. In OKC, RIVERSPORT offers canoeing as well as kayaking, tubing and whitewater rafting.
SCUBA DIVING
If you enjoy “swimming with the fishes” or exploring submerged cars, planes, boats or underwater terrain, Oklahoma possesses some excellent places for scuba divers. Lake Tenkiller in northeastern Oklahoma and Lake Murray in southern Oklahoma boast some of the clearest and bluest water of all Oklahoma lakes.
SKYDIVING
Oklahoma averages about 235 sunny days annually, which bodes well for thrill seekers who like to jump out of airplanes for fun. Skydiving may not be for everyone, especially for people who are deathly afraid of heights, but Oklahoma’s weather and vast amounts of open spaces can be conducive for partakers of this adrenaline-filled sport, whether you are a novice or expert. Oklahoma Skydiving Center, located between Oklahoma City and Tulsa at Cushing Municipal Airport, has been in the skydiving business for about 50 years and has led approximately 350,000 jumps at their facility.
If you are not quite ready to jump out of an airplane from 10,000 feet up but would still like to experience the sensations of skydiving, you might want to check out iFLY Indoor Skydiving in Oklahoma City. By floating inside iFLY’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel, you will experience skydiving in a much safer environment, and it’s much closer to the ground!
Of course, all these activities noted above don’t even come close to scratching the surface for all the extreme adventures that await you in Oklahoma City and throughout the state of Oklahoma. To learn more, check out the Visit OKC website or visit travelok.com.
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