The Craziest Outdoor Adventures in NYC

Image via Complex Original

Where: Rat Rock
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Address: Central Park South, adjacent to Heckscher Ballfields
Website: centralpark.com/guide/sports/bouldering.html

Central Park is perfect for bouldering, a ropeless offshoot of traditional rock climbing that focuses on challenges ("problems") less than ten feet in height.

If you want to give it a go, a good starting point is Rat Rock, adjacent to the Heckscher Ballfields. It's the most popular bouldering spot in the park, and a meeting place for more experienced rock climbers who will likely share their tricks with you.

For detailed approaches to scaling Rat Rock, check out beta-boy.com. You can also find tons of information on bouldering in Manhattan in Gareth Jason Leahy's forthcoming New York City Bouldering Guide.

Where: Jamaica Bay Riding Academy
Neighborhood: Jamaica Bay
Address: 7000 Shore Parkway, Brooklyn
Website: horsebackride.com

If you haven't been to Jamaica Bay, you've probably seen it. It's that swamp-like thing you fly over while arriving at, or departing from, JFK. It's located within the only National Park in the United States you can get to by subway, specifically, the or the B or Q to the Sheepshead Bay stop, where a 3 min cab ride will get you to The Jamaica Bay Riding Academy. Then you can go horseback riding in the Crooklyn wilderness.

A $53 private trail ride (or a $37 group ride) at the family-owned Academy will give you access to 500 acres of trails in Gateway National Park—on the beach and in the woods.

Where: Pier 66
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address: 12th Ave and 26th St.
Website: discoveroutdoors.com

Guides at Discover Outdoors take city folks out on the Hudson several times a summer for stand up paddle boarding. (Upcoming trips are on July 13 & 28, and August 10 & 25.) For the cost of an hour-and-a-half session on the River ($90-95), you get intensive training in balance and paddling techniques, burn (according to Discover Outdoors) 800 to 1000 calories, then drink it back up again when you head to the Frying Pan with free drink tickets. Nice core, bro.

Where: Henry Kaufman Campgrounds (meeting place)
Neighborhood: Staten Island's Greenbelt
Website: sigreenbelt.org

In Staten Island's annual High Rock Challenge, two-member teams run together through the Island's Greenbelt Trail System, competing in mystery events, which are located throughout the (roughly) 10K course. In recent years, competitors were faced with a kayak challenge in Lake Orbach, 8 foot climbing walls, and 50 lb sandbags they had to lug uphill, according to The Staten Island Advance. They had to pull their partners across the grass in a sled, climb to Moses' Mountain without breaking a string of spaghetti, and cross a pond using pool toys.

Navigating the Greenbelt, by following course markers, is a built-in part of the challenge. If you're too wimpy to compete, you could always just hike up Moses' Mountain, a 200-foot ironically-named mound of rock blasted during construction of the Staten Island Expressway, a Robert Moses project.

Where: High Bridge Park, Cunningham Park, and Wolfe's Pond Park
Neighborhood: Inwood/Washington Heights; Fresh Meadows, Queens; and Tottenville, Staten Island
Address: 155th St. and Dyckman St., Inwood/Washington Heights; 210th St. and 67th Ave, Fresh Meadows, Queens; Hylan Blvd between Huegenot and Seguine Aves,Tottenville, Staten Island
Website: nycmtb.com

In New York City parks, mountain bikes are allowed on paved roads and paths only. Fat-tire bikers caught riding off-road are subject to a summons and a fine. But there are three awesome exceptions.

There are trails for every level of mountain biker in Highbridge Park, at the top of Manhattan. Highbridge straddles the rocky cliff band above Harlem River Drive. Its trails route beginner riders through the rock cliffs, taking expert riders up, down and across the steep cliffside - with a separate dirt jump park. Also in Highbridge: the Hellfighter freeride trail, with drops, rock gardens, and other challenges that will test your skills.

Cunningham Park in Fresh Meadows, Queens Cunningham has both tight and twisty trails to smooth and wide beginner trails. The total elevation difference in the park is only 40 feet, which makes its trails perfect for singlespeeders; The biggest climbs take no more than 10 pedal strokes.

A good trail for beginners and intermediate bikers, Wolfe's Pond Park in Staten Island has trails that wind through glacial ponds, the woods, and the park's oceanfront.

Where: Pier 66
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address: 221 12th Ave.
Website: newyorkoutrigger.org

The New York Outrigger club, which operates out of the Pier 66 boathouse in Hudson River Park, hosts the Liberty World Challenge outrigger race annually, bringing in teams from Hawaii, Australia, and all over the world. For paddling novices, the club holds canoe clinics for free on most weekends from late-Spring to early-Fall.

The sport of outrigger paddling and racing developed from the seafaring traditions of the Pacific. It involved each and every member of the canoe to work together as a whole in order to survive.

Where: Alley Pond Park
Neighborhood: Douglaston/Bayside, Queens
Address: 67th Ave, Queens
Website: nycgovparks.org

The Alley Pond Park Adventure Course in Queens challenges you to scale walls and boulders, walk a high-wire, balance from a sky-high platform, jump off a telephone pole, and fly through the air on a zip-line without screaming.

The ropes course is open from May through November, but is only open to the public on Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On other days, it can be rented by large groups (get your office on it) for "team building" programs. It's the largest challenge course in the metropolitan region, and it's not for wussies.

Where: Aviator Sports & Event Center (Meeting Place)
Neighborhood: Jamaica Bay
Address: 3159 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn
Website: civilianmilitarycombine.com/events/nyc-urban-assault

Citizen Military Combine's Urban Assault competition, on September 14 in Brooklyn, is no joke. Which is probably because the format of the race was created by CrossFit coaches, United States Armed Forces, and USA Triathlon Organization Race Directors.

The race starts with a lifting competition, followed by a 5 mile race with military obstacles. There is still time to sign up.

Where: Pier 66
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Address: West 26th St, at the Hudson River
Website: nykayakpolo.org

Kayak Polo is like basketball, but in kayaks. What makes it different (and fun) is that you can shield the ball with your boat. New York Kayak Polo plays at Pier 66 in Hudson River Park during the summer. In addition to regular membership, they offer two free training sessions for interested novices, and $15 sessions after that.

Where: Floyd Bennett Field
Neighborhood: Jamaica Bay
Address: 50 Aviation Rd, Brooklyn
Website: http://www.nps.gov/gate/planyourvisit/camp-at-fbf.htm

If you want it all in one shot—camping, fishing, hiking, swimming, biking, kayaking, and historic tours—take a weekend trip to Floyd Bennett Field, a decommissioned airport at the edge of Jamaica Bay, administered by the National Park Service.

Floyd Bennett Filed operated as the city's civilian airport from 1931 to 1941. It became a Naval Air Station, active until the end of the Vietnam War, when, lucky for us, the U.S. Navy deactivated it and The National Parks Service took over. It's now the only year-round campgrounds within the five boroughs.

Once you check in with the rangers and set up your tent at the grounds, you can: go fishing, take a half-hour walk over the Marine Bridge to Jacob Riis beach, hike or bike on Floyd's paths, kayak from designated launch areas within the park, or practice your aim at The Floyd Bennett Field Archery Range. Top that, weekend in the Hamptons.