Whether you need ideas for an exciting, unique date or are looking for fun things to do with friends and family, these are the ultimate adventurous activities you can partake in around Buffalo and Western New York! From skydiving and zip lining to rock climbing, amusement parks, and much, this list has you destined for a thrilling adventure.
Did we miss one? Did one of these places close? Send us a note!
1. White Water Rafting
White water rafting may sound extreme but it is a LOT of fun and easy to learn with a guide in the raft. Gather your group of friends that aren’t scared of getting wet and take them on a fun, wild rafting adventure with one of these great places near Western NY.
Where to go:
Zoar Valley Canoe & Rafting Co
11 S Water St, Gowanda, NY 14070 / zoarvalleyrafting.com
Season: March-May/June
Distance from Buffalo: 1 hour
Adventure Calls Outfitters, Inc.
Letchworth State Park, 7051 Lower Falls Rd, Castile, NY 14427 / adventure-calls.com
Season: April-October
Distance from Buffalo: 1 hour
Whitewater Challengers
16129 Foster Park Rd, Dexter, NY 13634 / whitewaterchallengers.com
Season: May-October
Distance from Buffalo: 3.5 hours
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2. Skydiving
For all the people who have skydiving on their bucket list, THIS is your sign to schedule your dive today! Although diving out of a plane may sound extreme, it will certainly be one of the best experiences of your life and you’ll be happy you took the leap. Buffalo has some great skydiving options that are worth every penny!
Where to go:
Skydive The Falls
1698 Braley Rd, Youngstown, NY 14174 / skydivethefalls.com
Season: May-October
Distance from Buffalo: 30 minutes
Western New York Skydiving
4906 Pine Hill Rd, Albion, NY 14411 / wnyskydiving.com
Season: March-November
Distance from Buffalo: 1 hour
Rochester Skydivers
6522 State Route 20A, Perry, NY 14530 / rochesterskydivers.com
Season: April-October
Distance from Buffalo: 1 hour
3. Indoor Rock Climbing
Buffalo may not have a lot of mountainous terrain but that doesn’t mean rock climbing is out of the question! These indoor rock climbing centers in and around Buffalo are great places to start your climbing hobby any time of the year.
Where to go:
Central Rock Gym
55 Chicago St, Buffalo, NY 14204 / centralrockgym.com
Niagara Climbing Center
1333 Strad Ave, North Tonawanda, NY 14120 / niagaraclimbingcenter.com
Distance from Buffalo: 30 minutes
RocVentures Climbing Center
1044 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 / rocventuresclimbing.com
Distance from Buffalo: 1.5 hours
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4. Hot Air Balloon Ride
Did you know there are places near Buffalo that offer hot air balloon rides?! Don’t pass up on this extraordinary experience with views that will make you feel like you are dreaming. Your significant other will remember it forever.
Where to go:
Balloons Over Letchworth
Letchworth State Park, 1, Castile, NY 14427 / balloonsoverletchworth.com
Season: April-November
Distance from Buffalo: 1 hour
Genesee Falls Balloon
6591 E Koy Rd, Portageville, NY 14536 / balloonletchworth.com
Season: May-October
Distance from Buffalo: 1 hour
Southern Tier Balloon Tours
197 Bostwick Rd, Ithaca, NY 14850 / stballoon.com/fingerlakes
Season: Year-Round
Distance from Buffalo: 3 hours
5. Aerial Park / Ziplining
Looking to conquer your fear of heights? Climbing through obstacle courses in the sky and flying through treetops on a zip line might be just the thing for you! These adventurous parks and resorts near Buffalo have some of the best spots to soar and are well-worth checking out.
Where to go:
Sky High Adventure Park at Holiday Valley
6773 Holiday Valley Rd, Ellicottville, NY 14731 / holidayvalley.com
Season: May-October
Distance from Buffalo: 1 hour
Peek’n Peak Mountain Adventures
1405 Old Rd, Clymer, NY 14724 / pknpk.com
Season: May-October
Distance from Buffalo: 1.5 hours
Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures
5589 S Hill Rd, Canandaigua, NY 14424 / bristolmountainadventures.com
Season: May-November
Distance from Buffalo: 2 hours
Lake Erie Canopy Tours
4888 N Broadway, Geneva, OH 44041 / lakeeriecanopytours.com
Season: Late June-TBD
Distance from Buffalo: 2.5 hours
Greek Peak Mountain Resort
2000 NY-392, Cortland, NY 13045 / greekpeak.net
Season: Zipline: open year-round, Aerial Park: June-TBD
Distance from Buffalo: 3 hours
Buffalo Riverworks
359 Ganson St, Buffalo, NY 14203 / buffaloriverworks.com
Season: Summer
6. Race Your Car on a Drag Way
Ever wanted to race your car against a friend or significant other? Every Wednesday Night during the Summer and Fall, there’s Grudge Racing at New York International Raceway Park, formerly known as Lancaster Speedway! If you’ve ever wanted to see how fast your car really can go but not trying to get a speeding ticket, THIS is the place to check out.
Where to go:
New York International Raceway Park
57 Gunnville Rd, Lancaster, NY 14086 / lancastermotorsportspark.com
Season: June-October
7. Rent A Kayak
Although one of the lesser extreme ideas on this bucket list, kayaking still makes for a great adventurous time out on the water. There are so many places you can rent kayaks around WNY, including Canalside, Grand Island, Sunset Bay. Perhaps this Summer, you can try to knock off every place on the list!
Where to go:
BFLO Harbor Kayak
Canalside, 44 Prime St, Buffalo, NY 14202 / bfloharborkayak.com
Single Kayaks, Tandem Kayaks, Paddle Boards
Season: Memorial Day-Labor Day
Blue Water Marina
Located: Grand Island
340 E River Rd, Grand Island, NY 14072 / bluewatermarinagi.com
Single Kayaks, Tandem Kayaks, Paddle Boards
Season: May-September
SUP Erie Adventures
Sunset Bay, 1028 S Shore Dr, Irving, NY 14081 / superieadventures.com
Single Kayaks, Paddle Boards
Season: Memorial Day-Labor Day
For the full list of kayak rentals, check out our Guide to Kayaking in WNY!
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8. Rent a Pontoon Boat
If you haven’t floated around on a pontoon boat with friends on a Summer day, you are seriously missing out! Pontoon boats are easy to maneuver and rent, making it the best option for an adventurous day on the water.
Collins Marine
4444 River Rd, Tonawanda, NY 14150 / collinsmarine.com
Chautauqua Marina
104 W Lake Rd, Mayville, NY 14757 / chautauquamarina.com
Distance: 1 hour
9. Book a Jet Boat Tour
Jet Boat tours are an extremely fun and exhilarating bucket list idea for those living in Western New York! Whether you choose to take a wet tour or dry tour, there’s no way you won’t be having the time of your life on one of these fast and furious jet boat tours.
Whirlpool Jet Boat Tour
(Wet and Dry options)
115 S Water St, Lewiston, NY 14092 / whirlpooljet.com
Niagara Jet Adventures
(Wet and Dry options)
555 Water St, Youngstown, NY 14174 / niagarajet.com
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10. Rent a Gigantic Water Slide / Slip-n-Slide
Make the adventure come to you by renting a gigantic water slide / slip-n-slide through one of these rental companies! Nothing beats sliding down a steep water slip-n-slide on a hot Summer day with your friends. You’ll most likely want to make it an annual Summer tradition!
Where to go:
Incredible Bounce
5735 Maelou Dr, Hamburg, NY 14075 / incrediblebounce.co
Bouncing On Air LLC
4043 Union Rd, Buffalo, NY 14225 / bouncingonair.com
Bounce USA
36 Puritan Rd, Tonawanda, NY 14150 / buffalobouncehouserental.com
11. Ride a Mountain Coaster
Yep, you heard right. It’s a roller coaster but built on a MOUNTAIN! There’s no doubt you’ll have a blast on these wicked cool and unique rides while surrounded by nature.
Where to go:
Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster at Holiday Valley
6773 Holiday Valley Rd, Ellicottville, NY 14731 / holidayvalley.com
Season: Open Year-Round
Distance from Buffalo: 1 hour
Greek Peak Mountain Resort
2000 NY-392, Cortland, NY 13045 / reekpeak.net
Season: Open Year-Round
Distance from Buffalo: 3 hours
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12. Go to an Amusement Park
Have fun on rides, play games, and so much more at amusement parks all within a 4 hour radius of Buffalo! You and your spouse or group of friends are guaranteed to have an exciting, fun day. Make sure to check out places you’ve never been before!
Adventure Landing
2400 Sheridan Dr, Tonawanda, NY 14150 / buffalo.adventurelanding.com
Six Flags Darien Lake
9993 Alleghany Rd, Corfu, NY 14036 / sixflags.com/darienlake
Season: May-October
Seabreeze Amusement Park
4600 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14622 / seabreeze.com
Season: Memorial Day-September
Distance from Buffalo: 1.5 hours
Waldameer Park
3100 West Lake Rd, Erie, PA 16505 / waldameer.com
Season: May-Labor Day
Distance from Buffalo: 2 hours
Kennywood
4800 Kennywood Blvd, West Mifflin, PA 15122 / kennywood.com
Season: May-September
Distance from Buffalo: 3.5 hours
Cedar Point
1 Cedar Point Dr, Sandusky, OH 44870 / cedarpoint.com
Distance from Buffalo: 4 hours
Season: May-Labor Day
13. Smash Stuff!
Looking to get your anger out somewhere? Maybe just want to smash stuff with friends in the only place where it’s technically legal and not frowned upon? Smash Brothers is one of it’s kind in WNY and a great place to go when you need a good stress reliever!
Where to go:
Smash Brothers
1204 Niagara St, Niagara Falls, NY 14303 / smashbrothersny.com
Did we miss one? Did one of these places close? Send us a note!
This post was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.
