When Grand Strand visitors go looking for adventure, they don’t have to venture very far — on land and at sea, the opportunities for action-packed thrills abound in the Myrtle Beach area. And for guests at The Cottages at North Beach Plantation, a pair of the area’s most best places to get the adrenaline pumping can be found at one location within easy driving distance: the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex.
Also home to walking and biking trails, playgrounds, a dog park, a 25-acre lake, baseball and soccer fields, picnic shelters and more, the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex houses two unique attractions for those looking to take their outdoor fun to a higher level. Read on to learn more about these active destinations, one a place where visitors can travel through the treetops, the other an oasis for wet and wild thrills:
Go Ape! Treetop Adventure: This high-ropes course and zipline adventure takes participants into the treetops for 2-3 hours of high-elevation thrills. The ropes course features suspended obstacles, wire-connected walking bridges, high-speed ziplines and more, all of which come together to create an immersive and visually stunning forest adventure. And don’t let a fear of falling keep you grounded — during a comprehensive 30-minute safety briefing that precedes your rise into the forest canopy, course-goers are equipped with safety gear, including harnesses, pulleys and carabineers designed to keep them safe from spills.
The Go Ape! Treetop Junior Adventure offers similar high-elevation thrills for younger adventurers. Here, attractions include tree-to-tree crossings, obstacles, and a pair of zip lines at heights of 20 feet above the ground. As with the adult adventure, safety harnesses, pulleys and carabineers prevent falls, and participants stay attached the entire time they are in the trees.
To learn more, visit the Go Ape! website.
Shark Wake Park: For those looking to experience the extreme watersport of wakeboarding, usual requirements include a ski boat and a range of expensive gear. But at Shark Wake Park, located right next door to Go Ape, adventure-seekers can simply show up and hit the water — as this unique attraction has all the needed gear available for rent, and it features a cable wakeboarding system that eliminates the need for a boat.
Here, rather than trailing a ski boat, wakeboarders are pulled around the lake by a high-tech pulley system. In fact, with both a five-tower, full-size cable system and a second, two-tower cable system, along with a number of ramps, sliders and kickers geared toward more experienced riders looking to polish their tricks, Shark Wake Park is a place where both pros and average Joes can have a blast on the water. Lessons are also available.
For the younger set (or just the young at heart), the attraction’s Aqua Park offers a floating obstacle course covering an acre-plus of water. Among the inflatable attractions populating the water’s surface are bounce pads, slides, balance beams, towers, hurdles, bridges, swings and more. And when adventurers take a spill on the course, there are no hard landings — just splashes into the lake’s cooling waters.
Further, for those who’d rather stay dry, the Shark Shack offers a shaded place to watch all the action — while enjoying beer, wine, snacks and ice cream. Explore everything the attraction has to offer at sharkwakepark.com.
When you’re ready to treat your adventure-seeking crew to a thrilling Grand Strand getaway, book a stay The Cottages at North Beach Plantation. With our wide-ranging amenities and luxurious accommodations, we’ve got everything you’ll need to make some long-lasting memories on the Carolina coast.
