If you’re among the growing number of travelers looking for a little adventure on your vacation, you’ll find plenty to get your adrenaline flowing in South Carolina. All of the state’s top destinations offer an array of exciting activities and experiences, from hiking and kayaking to zip lining and rock wall climbing.
Visiting Myrtle Beach? For a big thrill, consider these six awesome adventures:
Test Your Skills on an Aerial Adventure Course
You’ll need to channel your inner daredevil to brave Radical Ropes, an adventure park offering zip lines, a ropes course, a climbing wall and a knee-knocking attraction called the Leap of Faith that will have you free falling from a seven-story platform. Safely strapped into a full-body harness with tethers that lock you into a continuous belay system, you can go flying on eight zip lines, one of them stretching 225 feet, then challenge yourself on a three-story aerial course featuring 17 obstacles on each level. Along with the Leap of Faith, the five-acre seaside attraction also offers a climbing wall and kids’ zipline.
Run the Gauntlet on an Aqua Challenge Course
So, you’ve got the mettle to run an obstacle course. Now try one that’s floating on the water. Obstacle Island, part of Shark Wake Park in North Myrtle Beach, features a large inflatable floating obstacle course with 25 elements, including monkey bars, climbing towers, slides and more. You’ll be bouncing with each step on wet, slippery rubber, making even a simple dash across inflatable lily pads a tricky endeavor. But then, spilling into the water is half the fun at this aquatic playground.
Catch Air on a Wake Board
The main attraction at Shark Wake Park is the revved-up watersports. Along with old-school water skiing, the park offers all the hottest water-skimming sports, including wakeboarding, knee boarding, wake skating and foil boarding. Except here, it’s not a boat pulling you but an overhead cable. The pulley system picks up ropes from the starting dock and pulls riders in a circle around the lake. Advanced boarders can use ramps and rails on the sides of the lake to do tricks. For newbies, trained staff is available to help you get started.
Ride the Ocean Waves on a Banana Boat
Hop aboard a banana boat and enjoy the thrill of a Jet Ski with all the bouncy fun of tubing. Pulled by a Jet Ski, banana boats typically launch right from shore, sending you over the waves and along the coast for an exhilarating and scenic ride. Most outfitters offer rides on six-passenger double bananas, which are more stable and less likely to tip. If you want to ratchet up the adventure, go for a single banana and hold on tight! Outfitters offering banana boat excursions include Ocean Watersports, Downwind Sails, Express Watersports and Shoreline Watersports.
Go Horseback Riding on the Beach
When you’re ready to slow things down, saddle up for a horseback riding tour on a secluded beach. Inlet Point Plantation guides will take you riding on Waites Island, a private undeveloped barrier island across from Cherry Grove Point. The family-owned stables also offer sunset beach rides and a Waterway Trail Ride that will take you through a coastal wilderness and along the Intracoastal Waterway. All of the rides are available year-round.
Experience the Coast at Daybreak on a Sunrise Paddle
Set your alarm clock and join a guide from Myrtle Beach Paddle Board & Kayak Adventures for a paddle you’ll never forget. There’s no more magical time of day on the South Carolina coast than at dawn when the sun transforms the sky into a brilliant tableau of colors. Led by an experienced guide, you’ll paddle through House Creek between Cherry Grove Point and Waites Island to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic from the deck of your kayak.
