20 Outdoor Adventures Near Cleveland You Need to Experience This Summer

Zip Line and Ropes Course at the Metroparks

16200 Valley Pkwy., Strongsville

Head to the Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville for ziplining and a ropes course. The Metroparks has teamed up with ziplining company Go Ape to give you beautiful views of the parks from above.

Photo via @GoApeCleveland/Instagram

Tour A Winery

16200 Valley Pkwy., Strongsville

This may not be widely known, but there are over 290 wineries in Ohio. From Sarah’s Vineyard, located in the picturesque Cuyahoga Valley National Park, to Kingshirn Winery in Avon Lake and Thorncreek in Aurora, there are wineries all over Northeast Ohio. You can get a tour, drink, and even stay overnight at some of these hidden gems. What are you waiting for?

Photo via @SVWine/Instagram

Ultramarathoning

Various Locations

5K runs and marathons are for babies. What, you could only run 26.2 miles? Ultramarathons challenge the most extreme runners and push them to the limit during races that span 30 to 100 miles. Several of these events take place in Northeast Ohio every year. The Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run traverses many trails in the Metroparks area and only awards those who finish in less than 30 hours. The Youngstown Ultra Trail Classic 50K has runners circling Glacier Lake multiple times.

Photo via Youngstown Ultra Classic/Facebook

Surfing

Lake Erie

Catching waves on Lake Erie seems like an urban legend, but trust us, it does happen. While winter is the best (and most insane) time of year to get some big surf action, there's still plenty of water to ride around on in warmer months. Since all of our local waves are caused by wind, you'll have to wait for the proverbial perfect storm to get some serious action. Edgewater is the best place to go.

Photo via @OhioLakeSurf/Instagram

Stand Up Paddling

Various Locations

It's just like surfing. Kind of. If you want the feeling of catching a wave without worrying too much about swallowing mouthfuls of Lake Erie water or coming into contact with whatever creatures lurk beneath its surface, stand up paddling may be more up your alley. Stand on something that closely resembles a surfboard and glide calmly through the water as you push off with a paddle: a sort of surfing and kayaking hybrid. Huntington Beach and Edgewater both have this activity.

Photo via @AlohaSUPOhio/Instagram

Outdoor Rock Climbing

21200 St. Clair Ave., Building B3, Euclid

Climbing cliffs may sound like something you'd have to travel far away for, but the Cleveland Rock Gym offers this fun activity right in our backyard. If you're new to the activity, you'll want to call seven days ahead to make sure someone is available to show you the ropes, or you can take their introductory class.

Photo via @ClevelandRockGym/Instagram

Foot Golfing

Various Metroparks Locations

The Metroparks continues to experiment with innovative sports and recreation at their various parks and facilities in the region — you never know what Brian Zimmerman and his marketing team will cook up next. Last year, they introduced Footgolf at Mastick Woods and Shawnee Hills in Bedford to rave reviews. Footgolf is just exactly what it sounds like: a hybrid of soccer and golf.

Photo via Cleveland Footgolf/Facebook

Disc Golfing

Various Locations

With courses all over Northeast Ohio, and most of them free of charge, disc golfing is a fun outdoor activity for dates or hanging with buddies or (with no promises of success) children. You throw specialty discs — you'll have to buy them or locate a cousin who's weirdly into it already — at "holes:" metal posts with chandelier-esque chains attached. It's that simple, and it's less time-consuming than a full round of 18 holes. Find courses in Hudson, at the Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights, at Tri-C's Parma campus (actually on campus), and the region's premiere course at Euclid's Sims Park.

Photo via @DiscNDustin/Instagram

Skateboarding

Various Locations

The classic outdoor activity of skateboarding lives on strong in Cleveland. There is a bounty of skate shops and parks to satiate your inner skater, whether you're longboarding to pass the time, grinding rails or working on your varial heel-flip.

Photo via @GraySlide/Instagram

Velodroming

5033 Broadway Ave., Cleveland

If you've driven through Slavic Village at all during the past few years, you've probably noticed that wooden stadium-thing on Broadway. What is it? It's a Velodrome, constructed for outdoor Olympic-style competitive cycling, and it's really freaking cool, one of only a handful in the United States. Find out more by clicking on the link above.

Photo via @ClevelandVelodrome/Instagram