South Windsor, CT Outdoor Activities

Since 1962, the experienced and USPA-certified instructors at Connecticut Parachutists, Inc have helped new and experienced skydivers foster a love for skydiving. Two miles above the plush green landing area, the professionals harness themselves to novice divers for tandem jumps, and then leap from the bellies of prop planes as spectators and envious penguins look on from an open landing area. The instructors can also help their students obtain skydiving certification, learn to perform accelerated free falls, and make solo dives.

In addition to training new cloud kickers, Connecticut Parachutists, Inc also accommodates seasoned skydivers with facilities for members. Their turbine Twin Otter elevates members for as many jumps as possible, and a clubhouse helps jumpers wind down with a shower and video debriefing area. The skydiving haven also plays host to special events such as jump nights and Q&As with famous parachutes.

Since 1968, the NHL-regulation ice surface at Veterans Memorial Skating Rink has hosted skaters for a bevy of blade-footed endeavors that range from recreational public-skate sessions to speed-skating lessons. For year-round open skating, participants can bring their own skates or don a pair of comfortable Riedell Soft rentals before carving figure 8s and chiaroscuro sketches of Wayne Gretzky into the ice surface. Other ice offerings include hockey and figure-skating lessons, and after skating sessions, a battery-powered Zamboni and electric edger smooth the ice's surface with minimal impact on the environment.

The nine-hole course at Copper Hill Golf Club is designed to welcome beginners while still challenging advanced golfers, an egalitarian approach that earned it the 2012 Walter Lowell Award for Public Service from the Connecticut Section PGA. Having founded the Golf Academy in 1994 and taken full control of the club in 2010, two-decade PGA pro Paul Banks runs the outfit as a welcoming environment where golfers can both enjoy the game and improve. In line with its emphasis on introducing the game to new players, Copper Hill hosts an extensive youth program, training up duffers as young as 5. Its extensive practice area comprises a 3,500-square-foot pitching and chipping green along with a four-tier driving range, where up to 32 club swingers can hone drives, approaches, and putter-juggling acts on grass tees.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 36 course
• Total length of 3,039 yards from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard

Founded by American Mountain Guides Association–certified instructor Matt Shove, Ragged Mountain Guides teaches its climbing pupils the techniques and tools needed to scale the natural terrain of the Traprock region. Rock-climbing adventures illuminate how to handle rope and repel down mountain cliffs even when their escalators are broken. As seasonal temperatures drop, guides turn their attention to ice and alpine climbing, which challenges mountaineers to swing their axe and scale vertical ice. Students master increasingly advanced techniques until they can tackle cliffs on their own, and the most dedicated climbers can enroll in guide-certification programs. Matt Shove's expertise has also been tapped by organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard, and he regularly repels into the offices of Climberism magazine to contribute articles.

Spooky, undead monsters and lively tunes combine to create a jovial atmosphere inside Monster Mini Golf's 10,000-square-foot, glow-in-the-dark course. As players navigate the 18 mind-boggling holes, a DJ spins tunes to awaken tone-deaf monsters, occasionally doling out prizes to golfers for reasons ranging from "craziest hair" to "smoothest celebration after a hole in eight." And after a wacky session of putting, guests can flex their thumb muscles inside a decked-out video arcade lined with both classic and modern games.