Shelbyville, KY Outdoor Activities

Skydive Kentucky with a BBB rating of A+, encourages customers to jump out of airplanes—but only in pursuit of a heart-pumping adrenaline rush. The skydive outfitter— ranked #5 in top drop zones in the nation by Dropzone— offers tandem, solo, and accelerated freefall jumps from up to 18,000 feet above the ground. Instructors train and expect customers to pull their ripcord and about 80% of clients can do so without any prompting from their instructor. Skydive trains their students to do as much as reasonable on their first tandem jump. Whether a seasoned veteran, a nervous first-timer, or a bird that wants bragging rights among his flock, Skydive Kentucky can guide thrill-seekers on an exciting yet safe descent back to earth.

The Louisville Equestrian Center is the realization of a childhood dream for owner, operator, and adept horsewoman Betsy Webb. Now found in the familiar confines of the Red Barn Arena, the center is home to a team of dedicated staff members and instructors. Nestled less than 20 minutes from Louisville in the rolling country hills between Taylorsville and Mt. Washington, the arena provides a picturesque setting for private and group lessons for all ages and experience levels. During these sessions, trainers illuminate horse-handling and riding fundamentals with the help of the center's stable of horses. Camps and clinics engage equestrian youngsters aged 4 and older, and pony parties entertain kids with experiences more rewarding and memorable than trying to ride a pile of My Little Pony action figures.

Discovered by brothers Squire and Daniel Boone in the late 1700s, Squire Boone Caverns is a vast network of underground caverns filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone, all formed by the gritty sands of time. Rushing rivers and waterfalls carry more than a million gallons of water through the caverns each day, often accompanied by disoriented surfers and bewildered penguins. A trained tour guide leads visitors through the nearby woods and into a man-made entrance to the caverns, where lighted walkways take visitors through the same enchanted labyrinth discovered by the brothers Boone, winding past natural formations, the coffin of Squire Boone, and a goblin king played by David Bowie.

Paintball Asylum equips paint-slingers with all the gear needed to tackle a 40-acre wooded playing field landmarked with castles, forts, and villages, or one of its three professional-grade turf fields. Before hitting the battlegrounds, the adventure begins at the shop, where the Asylum's techs outfit each player with his or her weapon for the day––a Tippmann 98 custom paintball marker or a box of 64 Crayolas. Visitors then strap themselves with 500 paintballs, a refillable 3,000-psi steel air tank, a 200-round paintball hopper, and a barrel bag. To prevent injury, sharpshooters don chest protectors that guard torsos from paintball tickle squads, and goggles that shield eyes.