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Paddleboarding
Near the Meramac River, instructors at SUP St. Louis teach small groups how to stand-up paddleboard, first on land and then on the 72-acre Simpson Lake. (For the daring, there’s also paddleboard yoga.) Once you’ve mastered your balance, you can rent boards to paddle at other spots, such as Creve Coeur Lake, Forest Park’s Grand Basin, and (for the experienced) the Missouri River.
Rock climbing
If this hobby piques your interest, you have two choices: indoor or outdoor. In addition to its Lafayette Square location, Climb So iLL recently transformed historic St. Charles’ Steel Shop into an indoor climbing haven. Both locations offer instruction for beginners and challenging competitions for avid climbers. Thrill-seekers should head out with Vertical Voyages, an organization that teaches outdoor rock and tree climbing. Participants learn such skills as rappelling and rope anchoring.
Ziplining
True, this activity is more about fun than exercise—but it will likely get your heart rate up. At facilities like Adventure Valley Zipline Tours and Paintball Park, strap into a harness and soar down a 1,100-foot-long line at nearly 50 mph. For a wooded excursion, Go Ape Treetop Adventure takes participants 45 feet high as they step from tree to tree and through 31 obstacles in true Tarzan fashion. Wildwood’s Hidden Valley also resumes its self-guided ziplining tours on June 4.
