Newberry, SC Outdoor Activities

By the time customers climb atop tubes and paddleboards from Saluda River Rafting Adventures and begin their sunlit floats down the river they may have already reached the halfway point of their outdoor adventure. That's because the rafting company's staffers also set up rustic riverside campsites that customers can rent the night before their river outings. In the morning Bubba the bus driver steers them through idyllic fields to their float site, passing horses along the way that approach the bus for carrots or advice on how to grow turn signals.

The horses are not just for feeding; staffers also lead camps—along with private and semiprivate lessons—that introduce youngsters to the equestrian arts. Alternatively, patrons can hone the more literal art of paint splattering on a lush Airsoft field, where soldiers armed with paintball guns fight in a sportsmanlike fashion, rather than by force-feeding each other paint pellets.

Paranormal researcher Jason Profit has earned the title of "Greenville's Ghost Hunter." He has worked with the spirit world since an early age, watching his mother banish spirits from neighbors' homes and selling lemonade to specters unable to sate their thirst for vengeance. He developed a passion for the unexplainable and, now, tirelessly studies the history and rumors surrounding known haunted sites. On tours, Profit shares his research on local hauntings and gives guests the opportunity to explore the location of mysterious deaths and accidents.

Icy coats clothe the hills at Snowy Joe's Winter Park from December to February as riders cut through winds atop inflated rings. At the top of the massive mound, bodies are postmarked express and delivered to the end of 350-foot alleys. Younger racers hike to the top of a shorter hill to shoot down smooth, 60-foot chutes. The venue welcomes large groups or birthday parties, providing pizza or special rates for family gatherings. Riders can also gather around a crackling open fire and sip on free hot chocolate.

In 2003, underwater overachiever Robbie Bogan embarked on a new endeavor would have him regularly shifting back and forth between the thrill of exploring shipwrecks to the gravity of teaching CPR and marine rescue techniques. The experienced cofounder of Upstate Scuba had created a scuba school that teaches both recreational scuba diving and tactical and emergency diving. As a result, the people who frequent the Upstate facility comprise a diverse student body.

First-timers arrive and are soon dunked into the pool during Try Scuba courses; search-and-rescue personnel often show up for instruction on the latest underwater navigation or night diving. The curriculum includes opportunities to gain certification, which can be used to participate in Upstate Scuba's open-water trips to nearby lakes. As dealers of top-notch equipment, Robbie also teachs divers safe use of breathing apparatuses and how to scare away sharks by impersonating Steven Spielberg.

The Pavilion cultivates every species of physical activity within its 66,000-square-foot indoor complex and adjacent outdoor fields. The eclectic indoor space hosts soccer, volleyball, and curling face-offs, as well as a year-round ice-skating facility, bounce house, and inline-skating space. Fledgling ice skaters slip and slide during public skating sessions or take part in the U.S. Figure Skating Association's basic skills program to grease their triple axels. As the temperature rises, members make a mad dash outdoors to one of six tennis courts and three soccer fields, or hail a ride on George, The Pavilion's historic miniature passenger train. The complex's Boundless Playground offers a space where children with disabilities can be included in play thanks to accessible slides, swings, and climbing structures.