Aerobatic Flight in Las Vegas

Pulling G’s in an aerobatic plane takes a sightseeing flight to challenging new heights and is one of the most extreme tourist attractions in the U.S. It’s 25 minutes of high speed, all action, stomach-churning thrills, loops, and spins high above the Nevada Desert in the flight of a lifetime!

The pilot pulls off move after move, showing what these planes can do! Most pilots are well-trained to do what they do; however, the exercise pushes the limits. Mistakes can quickly be fatal in aviation, with little room for error.

Highlights Of Aerobatic Flying

Heat And Hazards Of Great Dunes National Park, Colorado

The weather at Great Dunes National Park in Colorado varies greatly depending on the time of the year. The sand can reach more than 150 degrees Fahrenheit at its hottest, making it unbearable to walk on.

Hikers have fallen victim to quicksand and pitfalls along the paths, sadly losing their lives. As one of the hottest places in the world, it’s not the ideal tourist destination for everyone, yet some do.

The adrenaline rush of beating the odds and testing personal endurance and limits has sometimes incentivized people to push their boundaries to the limit at this extreme U.S. attraction.

Highlights Of Visiting Great Dunes Park

• Hikers should only travel with locally experienced hiking guides.
• It’s essential to carry maps and enough water after evaluating weather conditions.

Climbing El Capitan In Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite National Park is one of the best rock-climbing destinations in the world, but you don’t have to be Alex Honnold, who made history by free-climbing the daunting 3,000-foot Dawn Wall of El Capitan, to tackle its peaks.

Few rocks display such perfect, smooth, vertical exposure as El Capitan, making it the world’s toughest climb, especially if it’s free solo climbing.

However, besides the extreme 8,839-foot-tall Half Dome, there are slightly easier climbs, including Washington Column, which has a 1,000-foot route. Visitors can choose to depend on their skill and confidence level, but either way, this is one of the most extreme tourist attractions in America.

Highlights Of Climbing El Capitan

• Tackling and climbing El Capitan is a goal that requires years of training.
• The Yosemite Mountaineering School has daily climbing (half-day or full-day) classes and guided climbs for those interested.

Defying Nature At Denali / Mount McKinley

Alaska has earned its name “The Last Frontier,” and Denali stands head and shoulders above all of Alaska’s outdoor attractions. Denali, also known as Mount McKinley, is the highest peak in North America, with a summit elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190 meters) above sea level.

Not content with the shuttle ride to view the mountain (during summer), some thrill seekers and adrenaline enthusiasts are determined to find out what it’s like to summit Denali, the Everest of North America.

No one can deny the mountain’s extraordinary beauty, but climbing can be extremely challenging. There’s only a 50% success rate for reaching the summit – mainly due to its far north location and extreme weather conditions – and more than 100 people have died during their attempts.

Highlights Of Climbing Denali

• The number one cause of death while attempting to climb Denali has been environmental exposure to extreme and harsh climatic conditions.
• The second most significant cause of death is from falling.

Swim In Shark-Frequented Waters At New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Florida had 259 unprovoked shark attacks between 2012 and 2022, making it the highest rate globally. Of all the beaches along America’s coast, New Smyrna Beach in Florida’s Volusia County takes the top spot for shark attacks and is called the “Shark bite capital of the world.”

Highlights At New Smyrna Beach

• Despite these obvious warning signs, the number of surfers on the beach has remained the same yearly or may have even gone up, which remains the greatest challenge for preventing such attacks.
• According to ISAF statistics, the most likely time and place for a shark attack is in Florida’s Volusia County (New Smyrna Beach) between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. on a September afternoon.

Be Chased By Lava & Unstable Ground At Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Generally, there is little danger from volcanoes to almost all who live and visit Hawaii. The only exception is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. As its name suggests, this National Park in Hawaii is all about volcanoes; it’s home to two of the most active on Earth, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. A trip to the park comes with inherent risk.

Mount Kilauea erupted in late 2020, creating new lava flows and rippling smoke plumes, while the United States Geological Survey describes the volcano as the deadliest in the country since it’s killed four visitors in this century alone.

Visitors can sustain trauma, altitude-related illness, burns, hyper and hypothermia, and worsening lung conditions due to active volcanoes spewing lava and ash. Volcanic eruptions can cause toxic gases and unstable grounds.

Although exploring nature’s explosive power and testing the limit of endurance is tempting, some things shouldn’t be done while visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Highlights In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

• Remarkably, the 2020 eruption led to a rise in visitors to the park, further complicating matters for rescue teams.
• In some places, boat, helicopter, and plane tours will still take tourists to see active volcanoes despite authority warnings; avoid taking such risks.

Base Jumping At Twin Falls, Idaho

Twin Falls in Idaho is a major tourist attraction with plenty to do, including Base Jumping for thrill-seekers. Part skydiving and part cliff jumping, BASE jumping is one of the most extreme thrills one can pursue, mainly because the relatively low-altitude launch points mean less time to deploy the parachute before reaching the ground.

The sport is dangerous as it involves jumping from high places with a parachute, with an increased risk of severe injury or death. Some find the experience and excitement of leaping from a high place and then screaming down to earth hard to resist.

Nearly 500ft above the Snake River, Perrine Bridge is known worldwide for its adrenaline-charged activity and, unlike many other destinations for the sport, doesn’t require a permit. The only prerequisite is courage.

Highlights Of BASE Jumping

• Poor weather conditions can make landing safely impossible, especially in areas or seasons where weather conditions change frequently during the day.
• There’s always a chance of hitting something on the way down and getting hurt or killed, however slight it might be.
• There is also the chance of miscalculating the leap-off point or landing spot.
• Tandem BASE jumps cost around $250, with some freebies that come with it, like a video of the jump.

Base jumping continues to grow in popularity despite being considered the most dangerous sport in the world.

Free Falling In Moab

The world-famous Utah rope swing in Moab is not for the faint-hearted. It’s the largest and most extreme rope swing, with a free fall towards the ground before swinging between a slot in the canyon.

Standing on the edge of a massive 400-foot cliff, visitors must muster up all the courage, overcome every bit of fear inside, and take the plunge! If this is not extreme, then nothing is. Expert guides provide the safest and time-tested skills and rigging systems around!

Highlights Of Utah Rope Swing

• Visitors must ensure the rope swing team has all requisite permits, including insurance.
• Rope swings happen between September and December and can be booked in advance.

Extreme Heat In Death Valley National Park, California

Death Valley attracts massive tourism with its stunning landscapes of dunes, rock-salt spires, and salt flats. It’s also one of the best areas for stargazing and catching unforgettable sunrises and sunsets. However, this gorgeous location has its share of danger and hazards, from extreme heat and flash floods to rattlesnakes, scorpions, and black widow spiders.

Death Valley also has other potential risks that visitors must know before planning a trip to this naturally challenging wonderland.

Unfortunately, one of the hottest and driest places in America, Death Valley, has been a scene of numerous heat-related fatalities and accidents.

For those who love the heat, it is possible to camp in Death Valley in the height of summer, although not recommended. The National Park Service recommends taking extra drinking water and detailed maps into the park anytime and avoiding hiking in the heat (particularly in lower elevations).

Highlights In Death Valley

• The hottest temperature recorded in Death Valley was 134°F (57°C) on 10 July 1913.
• The Furnace Creek area inside the park saw temperatures of 127°F (52°C) in September 2022, breaking the month’s single-day world temperature record.

Storm Chasing In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Storm-chasing tours are growing in popularity among adrenaline seekers, and where better to experience it than in Tornado Alley? Typically, the tours last six days, where the team sets off from Oklahoma City chasing after twisters and giant thunderstorms with trusted satellite radar imaging.

The best time to go after the twisters is in the spring, when the winds are at a high of 310 MPH, causing more than 400 twisters to rip through Tornado Alley.

Just the thought of driving towards a tornado while the cars of nearby residents are going the opposite way is enough to give an adrenaline rush. Storm chasing is not an activity for the faint-hearted or the amateur. The team must be well-stocked with all the right equipment and have the necessary experience and skills.

Chasing a storm can be a thrilling adventure if done through careful planning and using the correct resources. Extreme Tornado Tours does an excellent job of planning and executing storm-chasing tours.

Dangerous Highlights Of Storm Chasing

• Debris could smash the windows of the chasing vehicle and kill everyone inside.
• While chasing a tornado, getting too close risks the vehicle being hurled and thrown to the ground.

Ready to have the experience of a lifetime? Go ahead and book one of the most extreme tourist attractions in the U.S. and get that adrenaline pumping!