Knoxville High Adventure

When looking for Knoxville high adventure, you literally don't have to look much further than your front door.

White water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing and rappelling, caving, mountain biking, hiking, snow skiing & boarding, wake boarding, sky diving...all these and more are available in the great out of doors -- all within minutes of downtown Knoxville.

New on the Knoxville high adventure scene is the upcoming Knoxville Skate Park, set to open this summer in Tyson Park, which is located next to downtown, by the University of Tennessee campus.

Given that spring is in the air, I'm going to start with a little fun with white water.

East Tennessee
White Water Rafting

After the 1996 Atlanta Olympics made their white water course on the Ocoee River, the most well-known high adventure activity is white water rafting and paddling.

There are multiple organizations offering gear rental and guide services for East Tennessee whitewater rafting. I recommend my old friend Robert Ogle's Appalachian Outdoors Whitewater Rafting.

If you get to meet Robert Ogle, ask him about the time our summer camp boss caught him on a late-night kitchen raid, and Robert had to drink a whole gallon of milk!

Knoxville Skydiving

Your heart is racing.

The engine roars in your ears as the side door slides open, and you dimly hear your instructor say, "Let's go!"

Suddenly there's no floor beneath your feet, and you're hurtling through sky and clouds towards the earth at over 100 miles per hour!

You thought you'd be screaming in fear, but instead you find yourself screaming with glee. This is awesome! The feeling, the view, THE RUSH -- it's more than words can possibly explain.

Sound interesting? Then perpaps your next Knoxville high adventure trip should begin with Skydive Smoky Mountains, the only skydiving company located in Knoxville!

Indoor Skydiving

If skydiving sounds a little too adventurous for you just yet, try indoor skydiving at Flyaway in Pigeon Forge. You're just 6 to 12 feet off the ground there -- in a 120 mph wind tunnel!

Indoor skydiving is actually a safe way for new skydivers to practice their tricks, or just to practice the basic free fall.

By the time you're done there, you'll be ready for the big jump!