Maitland, FL Outdoor Activities

After training for weeks, runners take their positions at the starting line, wait for the signal, and adjust the regulation sombreros attached to the tops of their helmets. Upon hearing the starting gun, they all bolt forward—only to tumble into a pit that puts them neck deep in oozy, disgusting, glorious mud.

Participants in the American Mud Race replicate this scene as they take on a 3- to 4-mile mud-filled obstacle course, all in the effort to benefit wounded veterans through the Home at Last Project by West Orange Habitat for Humanity. Afterward, racers bring home their mud-caked clothing and costumes to take revenge against their bathtubs, or they can replace them at the race site with a free T-shirt. Food and drink wristbands entitle their wearers to barbecue lunches and unlimited beer at the after party, where live music and DJs provide a soundtrack for dancing.

Deep in eastern Seminole County, Three Crowns Farm's prime location next to next to Lake Proctor Wilderness Area affords mounted visitors direct access to miles of scenic trails. Riders can bone up on skills during a lesson in dressage, jumping, or reining, and then head out on the network of well-worn routes for a variety of trail rides. The morning ride sets out at 7 a.m., providing a pleasurable start to the day or cap to a night spent trying to empathize with horses by sleeping standing up. For night owls, the moonlight ride embarks at 7 p.m. and catches the sunset before returning at 8:30 p.m.. The farm recommends that riders wear protective clothing and shoes that cover the feet.

With a collection of Flyboards, which combine jet-ski horsepower and jetpack form, at their disposal, FlyBoard Rentals of Orlando grants momentary relief from the burden of gravity. Invented by champion jet skier Frank Zapata, the Flyboard's foot- and arm-mounted nozzles harness the turbocharged engine of a modern jet ski to propel riders up to 30 feet into the air, beneath the surface of the ocean, and directly into Justice League headquarters.

A group of escaped convicts is hiding out in an abandoned warehouse, using its labyrinth-like corridors to hide their illegal activities from the police. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to retake the warehouse while defending yourself from their volleys of multicolored paintballs. The catch? You only have 10 minutes. Orlando Paintball's intense SWAT vs. Convicts scenario has proven so realistic that Orlando’s own SWAT group regularly uses the warehouse facility for training.

That warehouse is only one of Orlando Paintball's six arenas, which include another indoor facility and four outdoor fields littered with wooden barriers, bridges, and fallen trees. These arenas constantly evolve to keep players on their toes at all times. Among the recently updated arenas is an outdoor field modeled after the Call of Duty video-game series, complete with a maze of army-camp structures and trees from which squirrels hurl paint grenades. Prepare for battle by strapping on a safety mask, renting an electronic or mechanical paintball gun, and scarfing down a free slice of pizza.

Perched on the banks of the Intracoastal Waterway, Paddleboard New Smyrna Beach populates Florida’s placid waves with professional-grade standup paddleboards and kayaks cared for by expert guides. Whether leading beginners’ lessons in a protected lagoon or explaining the nuances of vehicle control before sending guests on a free-wheeling rental, the team prepares guests for jaunts around the waterway’s palm-lined shores. Pushing off from the center’s North Causeway dock, two-hour tours find the guides in their natural element, shepherding guests toward wildlife areas saturated with manatees, dolphins, and wrestlers practicing for the alligator bonus round at the next big meet.