Its the Location!

Best for getting your adrenaline up

Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster (30 mins Away)

Kids LOVE this (and adults do too!) Ride the coaster in individual carts (double up with little ones) down the hill. Takes just about 4-5 mins, so you’ll want to get the three ride pass. Best part is that you can control the speed, so its ok to take full advantage of the brakes the entire way down (first-hand knowledge!) Go to their web site to reserve your spot in line, then pay only when you get there. Near the entrance for Sugar Mountain, just before Banner Elk.

More info: Wilderness Run Alpine Coaster

High Gravity Adventures (5 mins away)

Enjoy a Zip Line tour or the Aerial Park. Zip line tour starts at a treehouse, travels across multiple zip lines, traverses a sky bridge, zips high over a beautiful valley, and end with the fantastic, (and totally optional), leap off the last platform to the ground below in a simulated free-fall. With the Aerial Park, you can explore the Blue Ridge Course with 75+ aerial elements, differing in difficulty by level. Push yourself to your own limit! If you make it to the top level, you can even ride down one of our rappelling stations. Have younger ones? Our Foothills Course is a smaller, one-level course designed for adventurers as young as 4! High Gravity is just a mile or so down the road on 321, next to Tweetsie Railroad.  

More info: High Gravity Adventures

Hawksnest Zipline and Tubing (25 mins away)

Zip at speeds up to 35 mph on this zipline tour with 11 cables! Ride over 1.5 miles with two cables over 1,500 in length. Soar through trees and over lakes and creeks (Hawk Tour). The Eagle Tour is even longer and faster! In the Winter (Nov-Mar) be sure to visit their tubing park, which is top-rated in the area.

More info: Hawksnest Zip Line

rock Dimensions Guided Rock climbing (10 MINS to retail store)

Full and Half Day of Climbing with a Professional Guide. They have a retail shop right in Boone, just off of King St. where you can sign up for Tours and ask questions to the experts. If you’re already into climbing, they have directions to local places to visit right on the web site: click here and scroll down. Pro tip: The 40ft climbing tower outside of the retail store is awesome for the kiddos! $20 for three climbs.

Retail Store: 131-B S Depot Street, Boone, NC, 28607

More info: Rock Dimensions

Sugar Mountain Bike Park (30 mins away)

Ride a ski chair lift and bike down the slopes. The Sugar Mountain bike park includes its signature expert terrain and newly built beginner and intermediate trails. Varying line option choices from the summit to the base include rollers, small dips, table tops, and other fun features. Tickets can be purchased at the front ticket windows. They offer Guided Tours as well as Lessons!

More info: Sugar Mountain Bike Park

Rocky knob mountain bike park (15 mins away)

Rocky Knob is an 185 acre park in Boone, NC. In 2009 two $5,000 grants were secured from the Bikes Belong Foundation and Specialized Bicycles These grants were made possible through the WCTDA’s partnership with Boone Area Cyclists, a local nonprofit organization working to promote and develop cycling opportunities throughout the Boone area. Rocky Knob has 6-8 miles of mountain bike trails for all skill levels, three shelters, an adventure playground, and picnic areas. The park is located just east of the city limit on US 421.

More info: Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park

White Water Rafting and Tubing

There are lots of opportunities to get wet over exciting rapids or just floating down a lazy river on a hot summer day. While tubing is fairly close by (30 mins away), white water rafting will most likely take you for a day trip into TN, (1hr-1.5hr away depending on the river and company).

Here are a few places you can check to find your fun:

Wahoo’s Adventures

River and Earth Adventures

High Mountains Expeditions

Macrae Peak at Grandfather Mountain (40 Mins away)

This is a challenging trail that is a lot of fun and is a huge adrenaline rush! The trail is rugged and has cables and ladders to help you get to the top. From start to finish this trail is not for the faint of heart. With cables to assist you in your climb over rocks and steep ladders that will get your heart pumping, this route is fairly unusual. The trail starts at the top most parking lot in Grandfather Mountain State Park, near the mile high bridge. Keep and eye out for the Grandfather Trail, which you'll stick to for the duration of the journey.

You'll start by ascending over rocks. Then you'll keep hiking until you reach a series of boulders with a cable that will assist you in your climb. Then after a while you'll reach Grandfather Gap where you'll see great scenery with more big boulders. Shortly after the Gap, you'll arrive at a series of ladders. These ladders vary in length and steepness. These ladders will lead you to the top of MacRae Peak. Once you've enjoyed the view, head back the way that you came to return to the trailhead and your vehicle.

They say that this trail is not one for first timers, but you can always turn around when you reach your comfort level. My 12 year old daughter made it to the top with older friends on New Year’s Day a few yrs ago (while I cheered them on after stopping at the last set of ladders!) Advice is to be prepared - have the right set of shoes and expect the weather to be unpredictable.

More Info: MacRae Peak at Grandfather Mountain