Leisurely hiking, casual kayaking and scenic cycling may be enough fun for some, but there are others who are looking for a little more edge and excitement in their free time. Whether you’re a rock climber, a cave explorer, a sky diver or a regular thrill seeker, there are plenty of action-packed activities in Austin to really get your blood pumping. So, for all the adventurers and adrenaline junkies, here are 5 exhilarating events to try around Austin.

Take an Aerial Tour of Austin in a Helicopter

You can stand on the tallest balcony or the highest rock in the city, but you won’t get any better views of Austin than from a chartered helicopter in the sky. HELO Tours is Austin’s top helicopter tour hub and offers an amazing ‘bat’s eye’ perspective of all the beauty of central Texas. From rolling hills and sprawling city skylines to romantic sunsets and exciting speedways, HELO tours is a one-of-a-kind Austin experience.

The list of helicopter excursions includes Austin City Limits tours, lake and hill country tours, COTA speedway tours and downtown Austin tours. Book a ride in the spring and catch the gorgeous Wildflower Tour, or take a helicopter ride in December and enjoy the Christmas lights from high above the city. You can even book an on-site tour at Salt Lick or visit the dozens of wineries in Fredericksburg at the Wine Tour. Check out more available tours here.

Go Cave Exploring and Cliff Diving in Hill Country

Right outside the bustling streets of Austin you can find unparalleled beauty in the form of crystal lakes, sprawling fields and lush green hills that go on for miles. And if you’re looking for a super fun outdoor activity complete with killer views, cool waters and even cooler caves, then check out Jacob’s Well, aka the most dangerous diving spot in Texas! Though several have died exploring this site, many brave thrill seekers still visit this massive perennial karstic spring in Wimberley to cliff dive and explore one of the longest underwater caves in Texas!

Over the years, the well’s surging flow of 170 gallons per second has slowed, allowing explorers even lower into the chambers of the cave. Several people have successfully navigated through the first and second chambers, but, as the passage narrows and the peril increases, fewer people make it to the deeper chambers. So, if you’re feeling up to it, test your spelunking skills – with extreme caution – and see how far you can venture into Jacob’s Well.

Try Indoor Sky Diving

It may not be base jumping or plane diving, but the rush of flying at iFly Austin is definitely enough to get your adrenaline going! This high-tech, high-powered wind tunnel is designed to simulate the sensation of sky diving, and they pretty much nail it! First, you suit up and don all the necessary safety gear, then you’re re lifted by rushing air inside a glass tunnel as friends and spectators watch. It’s exciting, it’s addictive, it’s almost just as awesome as the real thing!

The venue can be booked for private parties, events and even dates, so you can really get creative with your next group outing! If you’ve always wanted to experience the thrill of sky diving but want to ‘test the waters’ first, iFly is the perfect way to capture the essence of flying without the need for a parachute. Just bring your comfiest clothes and your bravest friends and ‘tame the wind’ here.

Take a Zip Line Tour over Lake Travis

Remember those scenes in all the action movies where the guy shoots a grappling hook from the rooftop of a building to another building then uses it to zip line across just in the nick of time and you think, “Man, that looks fun!”. Well now thanks to adventure tours like Lake Travis Zip Line you can experience all the excitement of zooming through the air while you dangle high above the ground.

Book a tour of Lake Travis at the longest zip line in Texas and not only will you get 3 hours of uninterrupted zip line time, you also get breathtaking views of the lake and a private beach to lounge on! Zipping by the tallest trees and feeling the wind on your face is an activity you’ll never get tired of, and after the first hour of zip lining, you’ll want to try it again, and again, and then again! Check rates and tour availability here.

Go Climbing at the World’s Largest Bouldering Gym

Located right in the heart of the capital city, the Austin Bouldering Project offers 23,000 ft of indoor and outdoor rock climbing in what is believed to be the largest bouldering gym in the world! The massive 50,000 sq. ft. facility has over 250 different configurations, ranging from beginner to holy crap, to keep climbers busy with new challenges for hours.

The climbing walls, which are changed regularly to keep guests guessing, tower from 13-15 ft. to a whopping 16-17 ft. in height, and provide a wide array of “problems”, or routes, to climb. Buy a one day pass and receive access to the entire gym as well as climbing shoes and a 45 minute intro class for beginners. Or go all in with an annual membership and enjoy the perks of fitness and yoga classes as well as countless hours of exhilarating rock climbing. Check rates and plan a visit here.