Lancaster, PA Outdoor Activities

Across Paintball Adventure Park's 36 acres and 12 fields, adrenaline-packed moments occur every Saturday and Sunday. Their three woodsball fields present a jungle-warfare-like environment, whereas the Village centers around a two-story wooden castle with elevated bridges, watchtowers, and paint-breathing dragons. Other battlegrounds challenge players' tactical skills as they maneuver through obstacles to flank the opposition and take the hill, or slip through the tight quarters of the six airball fields. Before battles, paintballers can also gear up at the shop with everything from paintball markers to protective gear, and groups of 10 and more can prowl the fields during private parties.

Hidden throughout the 6-acre corn maze at River Valley Ranch are nine map fragments. Using these clues, lucky visitors can find the hidden bridge to exit the maze, only to discover a whole host of fall-themed activities to get lost in. From hayrides and pony rides to a moon bounce and a classic pumpkin patch, Maizefest takes advantage of every aspect of the fall harvest. Adults and older kids can race each other towards victory in an inflatable obstacle course, while smaller kids have their own corny fun inside homemade corn boxes, that are kind of like sandboxes, but with more corn. Should all that fall-themed fun kindle an appetite, the ranch also offers snacks or full meals at the concession stand, with options including homemade chili, barbecue, and funnel cakes.

Legendary Excursions’ wheelmen demonstrate the tactics necessary for navigating unpaved environments and install adrenaline-hungry guests inside a 190-horsepower, 4-speed manual-transmission Baja 1000–style off-road racing car. During the Ride Along Adventure, patrons ride shotgun as a professional driver steers them through three laps on a tricky, 6.3-mile off-road course at race-like speeds, navigating tough terrain and catching air on jumps. Experts kick-start the Taste of Baja Adventure by honing fear-conquering clients' driving skills and dressing them in racing helmets and other appropriate gear. Once suited up, racers will be formally introduced to their trusty motor-steed, learning all about its controls, safety equipment, and ticklish spots before having their picture taken with it. Adventurers then spend three laps traversing the baja track's jumps, sweeping turns and rough terrain, letting the colossal BFGoodrich tires create swirling dust formations and spew out perfectly cooked mud pies.

Mulligan's Family Golf Center beckons to birdie-hunters with a scaled-down golf course, an 18-hole mini-golf circuit, and a full-length driving range. With its longest hole measuring in at 108 yards, the center's 9-hole Chip-n-Putt course fosters short-game refinement, as players send balls somersaulting onto small greens from artificial tees or out of one of the layout's three sand traps. Mulligan's graciously rents out golf balls (a $0.50 deposit each, refunded when balls are returned) for use on the course, saving players the hassle of buying their own sleeve or chiseling a bocce ball down to the right size.

For more pressure-free swing practice, Mulligan's 30-stall driving range lets clubbers dial in their wedges, irons, woods, and mannequin legs with five signs demarcating yardages all the way back to the 250-yard terminus. The center also encompasses an 18-hole mini-golf course, where putt-putt posses crouch to demystify tricky breaking putts while the burbling sounds of waterfalls, fountains, and streams set a tranquil tone.

Nestled in the heart of a scenic 45-acre expanse, Out of Reach Farm hosts one indoor and one outdoor ring, both equipped with challenging jumping courses. A covered arena juts out from the indoor ring, hosting private and small group lessons. While one of three instructors relays equestrian basics or advanced techniques to pupils aged 5 and older, parents and other spectators keep cozier than mitten-clad sheep in a heated viewing area. As the seasons evolve from chilly to sun-drenched, so do the farm's offerings, which include half-day summer camps suited to riders aged 5–15. For a more intimate peek into farm life, patrons can schedule two-hour birthday parties, with an hour devoted to pony rides for guests.

A lighted 240’x85’ sand arena forms the centerpiece for Cold Spring Farm’s more than 100 hilly acres, affording riders plenty of room to brush upon horsemanship technique. Experienced trainers Cindy Gallagher and Sarah Purinton are on hand to aid in that process. They share insights drawn from 35 combined years of industry experience during private and small group lessons, which teach students atop the farm’s reliable horses and ponies. Lessons are conducted in hunter, jumper, and equitation divisions, as well as fox hunting, and pupils move from private to group sessions as their skills advance and their horses’ wings come in.