20 outdoor adventure trips to take this summer

If you’re looking for more than a trip to the beach this summer, New England offers plenty of outdoor adventures. Here are 20 activities happening this season, ranging from those for beginners to those for the most hardened athlete.

Surf and stay

Ever wanted to “Hang 10’’ like a pro surfer, but didn’t know where to start? The Ocean Tripp Inn offers instructional camps that may not mold you instantly into the next Kelly Slater or Stephanie Gilmore, but they are a start. Each of the three sessions includes use of a surf board, wet suit, and personal instruction. Want to enjoy the seaside view longer? Stay a few days at one of the inn’s guest rooms. See site for details.

Ocean Tripp Inn, 6 Union Ave., Old Orchard Beach, Maine, 207-934-3549, www.oceantrippinn.com

Rock out

The Rock Climbing 101 program, one-day instructions offered by Eastern Mountain Sports at various locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York, provides the novice climber with all knowledge beginner and indoor climbers need to tackle New England cliffs. These private, eight-hour clinics run $275 for individuals over a calendar of dates through the summer and fall (see site for details). Prices include all gear and instructions. Group and family rates also available.

Eastern Mountain Sports, www.emsclimb.com

Not exactly coasting along

Summer camp was never like this. Apogee Adventures’ Downeast Explorer package for teenagers age 13-15 offers an active group adventure along the Maine coast featuring sea kayaking and community service in Stonington, hiking in Acadia National Park, and camping all along the route. The two-week excursions (June 29-July 13 and July 18-Aug. 1) run $2,895.

Apogee Adventures, 207-725-7025, www.apogeeadventures.com

Kingdom for a day

There is no shortage of options in New England for mountain biking enthusiasts, but few places are as renowned as Kingdom Trails in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. This trail network has been lauded by multiple publications as one of the best trail destinations in New England (Bike Magazine’s readers voted it the best trail system in North America). Season passes are available for just $75, day passes are only $15 for adults, $7 children 8-15. Children up to 7 and adults over 70 are free.

Kingdom Trails,East Burke, Vt., www.kingdomtrails.org

The lake show

For an immersive and intense bike trip, Great Freedom Adventures offers the chance to take in the picturesque landscape, villages, and historic sites that surround Vermont and New Hampshire. The three-day excursion, avaible on select dates throughout the summer and fall, begins in Woodstock, travels through Hanover, N.H., and stops at various surrounding sites before returning to Woodstock. Prices start at $795. Great Freedom Adventures also offers trips in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York. See site for details.

Great Freedom Adventures, 508-545-1864, www.greatfreedomadventures.com

Moose hunt

The New England Outdoor Center is so confident that you’ll see a moose on one of its safaris in Maine that if you fail to, the next excursion is on them. That seems a guarantee worth risking. Head out on a tour for three hours on an air-conditioned van or pontoon ($49 adults, $39 children ages 5-12), or make an extended aim at wildlife with either a full-day ($109, $89), or an overnight outing ($269, $189).

New England Outdoor Center, Fire Road 20D, Millinocket, Maine, www.neoc.com

Master the paddle

While Zoar Outdoors also offers one, two, and three-day kayaking adventure trips for beginners, it’s the five-day course that really gets the novice sunk into the ins and outs of white-water paddling. By the end of the aggressive course (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., spending 4-5 hours in the boat each day) taught on Western Massachusetts ponds and the Deerfield River, you’ll have the skills needed to paddle Class III rapids. Clinics are offered on the fourth Wednesday of the month, May through August, and cost $600.

Zoar Outdoor, 7 Main St., Charlemont, 800-532-7483, www.kayaklesson.com

Earn your turns

Look, you’ve had a hard day’s work. Maybe you deserve a little luxury too. That’s the thought process behind Bike the Whites, a three-day biking adventure through New Hampshire that affords the opportunity to leisurely enjoy the rolling backroads of the White Mountains on self-guided tours, with accommodations at three of the area’s most hospitable inns – The Brass Heart, The 1785, and the Inn at Crystal Lake. The cost ($299 in May, $379 in June, $429 July 1-Sept. 15, and $499 during fall foliage from Sept. 16 to the Nov. 2) includes breakfast and dinner, roadside assistance, and luggage transfer to each hotel. Rent a bike for an additional $75.

www.bikethewhites.com

The air up there

If hurtling through the skies over Connecticut doesn’t exactly fit your criteria of “vacation,’’ well, that’s understandable. Still, few thrills can be more exhilarating than sky diving, and Skydive Danielson aims to make it as simple as possible. Of course, it’s a little more involved than simply jumping out of a plane. But after just 20 minutes of instruction, you and a trained sky diver will be ready to emerge and float amid the summer clouds. Tandem jumps start at $195. Group rates also available.

Skydive Danielson, 41 Airport Road, Danielson, Conn., 800-774-5867, www.skydivedanielson.com

Catch some air

The problem many of us have had with windsurfing is the near-impossibility of climbing on the board, then somehow managing to raise the sail without everything going terrible awry. Enter kite-surfing, though, and maybe those headaches are a thing of the past. Since the wind has already lofted your kite to the sky, your main goal is to navigate yourself on your board through the waves, giving you the freedom to control the air you get. For the beginner, the Cape’s AirSupport Kiteboarding is a good place to start, with lessons beginning at $175.

AirSupport Kiteboarding, 109 Main St., West Dennis, 866-KITE-COD, www.kitecod.com

The scenic route

The New England Relay is a two-day journey (June 22-23) that covers over 200 miles and is the first race to include all six New England states. The course starts at the Casimir Pulaski State Park in northwestern Rhode Island and ends on the rocky coastline of southern Maine. $1250 for 12-person teams, $650 for ultra teams (6 runners). See site for details.

New England Relay, www.newenglandrelay.com

Soar and explore

Biking remains the predominant way to soak in the views on scenic Block Island. But one can only imagine what a bird’s-eye view of such landmarks as Mohegan Bluffs (right) and the Southeast Lighthouse would offer. With Block Island Parasail and Water Sports, you can take to the skies over Block Island’s pristine beaches and soar over one of New England’s top summer destinations. Rates start at $75, with group rates and tandem rides also available.

Block Island Parasail and Water Sports, Old Harbor Dock, 401-864-2474, www.blockislandparasail.com

White outing

While some white water rafters are willing to take long stretches of cruising for the tradeoff of a Class V rapid like Maine’s Penobscot River offers, others might prefer the frequent Class III and IV rapids along the Kennebec or Dead rivers. Either way, Northern Outdoors has you covered with trips tailored for individuals, groups, or families, with the option of tackling more than one river on your trip. Contact for prices.

Northern Outdoors, 1771 US Route 201, The Forks, Maine, 800-765-7238, www.northernoutdoors.com

Gone tubing

Another way to ride the rapids is by simply hopping on a tube, specially designed to handle the ride. At Farmington River Tubing, in Farmington, Conn., adventure seekers can ride three sets of rapids over the course of a 2½-hour journey down the Farmington River. The price is attractive too, as just $20 per person on weekends, $18 on weekdays will get you a raft rental, life jacket, and shuttle bus ride that returns you to the starting point. Ride the rapids again for an additional $10.

Farmington River Tubing, 92 Main St., New Hartford, Conn., 860-693-6465, www.farmingtonrivertubing.com

Diver down

One of the best places to hone the craft of scuba diving is in Newport, R.I., where the Dive Shop offers an intensive, full accreditation six-class course that will have you strapping a tank to your back in no time. Tanks, wet suits, and regulators are among the equipment the center supplies for the $450 cost of a class, however, those taking the class will need to bring masks, fins, and snorkels. See site for details.

The Dive Shop, 550 Thames St., Newport, R.I., 401-847-9293, thediveshopnewport.com

Death Race

Of the many who enter the annual Death Race held in Pittsfield, Vt., few will actually finish this 24-hour endurance challenge that is part Iron-Man, part Amazing Race, and part, well, insanity. Beginning at 5 a.m., the competition takes entrants through challenges including crawling through barbed wire, carrying a bike over their shoulders through mountain terrain, and other physical and mental torture that keeps upping the ante each year. This year’s race is on June 21, and requires pre-registration.

[email protected], www.youmaydie.com

Fish story

While standing in a river for hours on end may not do anything for some people, for others there are few more relaxing ways to spend a summer day than fly-fishing in New England. On that note, New Hampshire Rivers Guide Service offers full and half-day trips for both experts and beginners along many Granite State rivers, ponds, and streams. Half-days run $220, with each additional person $50. Full days are $275 and includes lunch. All flies, tippets, waders, and rods are supplied for you.

New Hampshire Rivers Guide Service, 603-432-3254 or 603-889-5611, www.nhriversguide.com

Take a canopy tour

A zip line tour is a unique way to view New Hampshire’s natural, rugged beauty – by soaring through the trees attached to a zip line. Alpine Adventures offers three different tours, of various lengths, heights, and speeds, starting at $79 per person. See site for details.

Alpine Adventures, Lincoln, N.H., (603) 745-9911, alpinezipline.com

A mountain of work

Summiting Vermont’s highest peak is one thing. Doing it up against the clock and others is something else entirely. The Fifth Annual Race to the Top of Vermont is a 4.3-mile jaunt up Mt. Mansfield in which participants can choose to run or bike up the Toll Road, climbing 2,550 vertical feet. The course record for runners is an impressive 34:48.6; for bikers 31:51.6. It’s taken that long for some skiers to tackle one of the Front Four heading down in the winter. The race takes place Aug. 25. There is a $60 entry fee if you enter by July 31, and a $70 fee from Aug. 1-20.

Catamount Trail Association, 802-864-5794, www.catamounttrail.org

Give back

Of course, outdoor adventure also means a responsibility to treat our surroundings with respect and care. So, after you’ve enjoyed the environment that New England has to offer, it might not be such a bad idea to pay it back. The Appalachian Mountain Club presents a number of opportunities for people to help out, including trail work at the Blue Hills Reservation in Canton, and other avenues of conservation. L.L. Bean also lists a great number of other outdoor recreation conservation partners on its website, each a fine source for finding out what you can do to assure the landscape goes undisturbed.