Franklin Park, PA Outdoor Activities

Securely fastened into a tandem-parachute system, an instructor and a pupil tumble from a Skylane Cessna 182, a floating sensation running through their bodies for the 45- to 60-second plummet. Shortly thereafter, a more experienced jumper takes the leap from 10,500–13,500 feet as an instructor falls separately alongside to ensure that nothing goes awry between the departure of the aircraft and the opening of the chute.

Back on solid ground, a 25-acre drop zone reunites divers post-free-fall, and in the distance, Skydive Pennsylvania's pilots shuttle other divers skyward in a fleet of aircrafts that includes a Super Pilatus Porter, which can ascend 13,500 feet in 15 minutes. The on-ground personnel photograph and videotape all tandem and instruction-assisted-free-fall dives, converting their footage into professionally edited videos, DVDs of stills, and screensavers for skydiving-prone laptops.

Beneath tree-blanketed mountains rests the fruit of Dan and Christine McLaughlin's labor, a 138-acre farm dedicated to the training of horses and horseback riders. After spending more than two decades dispensing his equine knowledge across the States, Dan desired to put down roots—and so he did, dotting verdant pasture with facilities for a full-service equestrian center, including a 30-stall barn, an indoor arena, and two outdoor arenas. The arenas bustle with lessons, camps, and community activities where riders practice English and Western riding styles for sport, recreation, and My Little Pony reenactments.

Center Ice Arena grants skaters plenty of space to perfect their gliding strides with a trio of NHL regulation size ice rinks that host open skates and lessons as well as the home games of the Allegheny Badgers amateur youth hockey. The arena starts beginners of all ages off on the right blade with its Learn to Skate program, which covers the fundamental mechanics common to speed skating, hockey, and figure skating, preparing participants for national programs or a permanent move to the North Pole. The Learn to Play Hockey program focuses the instruction, helping kids learn to turn and make hockey stops. Students and recreational skaters can show off their skills during the arena’s daily public skates, the times of which can be found on the arena’s calendar of events. A comprehensive fitness and entertainment center, the arena also houses a fitness center open to both skaters and the public, a party room, and a video arcade.

Founded by the Barker family a mere three years ago, NorthWest Kayak and Canoe Rental has since sent hundreds into Keystone State Park to meander down the tranquil waterways and explore the vibrant flora of the Kiski River. The staff takes care of nearly every aspect of the trip: they provide complimentary shuttle service to and from the river, life preservers and paddles, and keys to the protective domes the government built around most outdoorsy areas in the '70s.