The Most Scenic Places To Skydive in the USA
Skydiving
Making a first-time skydive is life changing. Making a skydive with an extraordinary view… awe-inspiring. Seeing the beauty of this world from 10,000 feet gives perspective and gratitude for the world we live in.
For a lot of people, a USPA A-license–the official piece of paperwork you need in order to jump solo at a dropzone–is indistinguishable from a passport. That little card is the proverbial golden ticket that sent Charlie dancing deliriously around the chocolate factory.
Experiencing a new place to skydive is a reliably brilliant way to spend one’s time, and we’re lucky in the good ol’ USA: We have hundreds of dropzones sprinkled liberally around the country. At Long Island Skydiving Center, we’re cheering fans of a good adventure, so we’ve jumped at lots of ’em–and we’re here to share our list of the most scenic places to skydive in the USA, from sea to shining sea.
If you think Hawaii’s kinda pretty from the ground, you’re going to lose your stuff entirely when you see it from the air. Skydive Hawaii is located right on the beach, with a tropical-forests-draping-volcanic-peaks backdrop straight outta Moana. Add in a few puffy clouds scattered over the sapphire expanse of the Pacific Ocean (and a celebratory luau afterward) and you have yourself one heck of a skydive, y’awl.
If you’ve ever been sleepless in Seattle, you’ve probably spent some time staring up at one of the blanket of stars on one of America’s finest skies. Skydive Snohomish lives up to its name, with a bounty of snow-covered peaks within view of its lucky skydivers. Notably, the dropzone also boasts a rich, exciting history in the sport (which anyone there will trip over themselves to tell you about). The Travel Channel even listed Snohomish as “one of the world’s best places to skydive” Oddly, it was the only US dropzone to make their list–but y’know what? Well-deserved.
Folks love to skydive on the beach, so beachside dropzones aren’t enormously special in and of themselves. A lot of ’em end up with views that heavily feature development on the beach strand. Sure, that has its appeal–but being able to see natural views of the Intracoastal waterways and marshlands minus the urban sprawl makes the view at this North Carolina dropzone one of the most spectacular in America.
Sebastian, Florida might be best-known in the skydiving community for its epic annual New Years Eve party. (It’s called ‘Invasion.’ Check it out, y’awl). Outside the boogie crowd, Skydive Sebastian has another claim to fame: its jaw-dropping ocean views. They’re so darn pretty, in fact, that they’ve served as the backdrop for some major skydiving movies: including the eye-popping footage of jumping in the IMAX movie Adrenaline Rush. (Don’t worry: GoPro footage captures the gist just fine.)
Ah, Alaska: the drama of the tundra; the mystery of the forest; the unspoiled wonder of its soaring mountain ranges. To gaze upon an Alaskan landscape is to look into geologic history; to muse about the intrepid explorers that first cobbled together cabins in its wilderness. Can you imagine seeing it from 10,000 feet? Better not imagine; better just do. The ride up to altitude at this drop zone is pretty unique: on a clear day, you can catch a peak of Mt. McKinley, the Denali range, and the Knik glacier. Yowza, no?
6. LONG ISLAND SKYDIVING CENTER
Right. So. Most New Yorkers have seen everything worth seeing. Right? Maybe, um, not.
Make a jump with us here at LISC. Then, the next time you’re in a conversation that’s going in that direction, you can respond with a clever little sideways smile on your face, because very few New Yorkers have seen the city from a this perspective…and it’s stunning. This place we call home is truly sensational–and, it goes without saying, beautiful in a way you won’t expect. From first-time skydivers to seasoned freefall aficionados, everybody’s bowled over by the sparkle of our fair city (and our fair island, natch) as viewed from exit altitude.
We might be just a little biased, but trust us on this one: Long Island Skydiving Center is the tippity-top of the most scenic places to skydive in the USA. Don’t believe us? Do yourself a favor and take a look for yourself!
