The Best States for Extreme Bucket-List Activities!
Summer’s heating up, and so is the adrenaline. With longer days and warmer weather, it’s the perfect time to chase those once-in-a-lifetime, thrill-packed bucket list adventures. But where in the U.S. offers the best extreme experiences?
Many are turning to extreme bucket list activities like skydiving and other thrill-packed experiences that offer the perfect off-season rush. Often considered a rite of passage, there’s an ever-growing list of dream experiences that look to blend adrenaline with awe-inspiring sights, unparalleled selfie opportunities, and the chance to make memories that truly stand out.
California Tops the list for Extreme Bucket-List Activities
According to the data, California ranks first with over 131,519 extreme bucket-list activities, including 33 air balloon locations, the second highest number behind New Jersey. The Golden State can also count of a large amount of hiking trails and climbing routes. The most popular activities in California are rock climbing, skydiving and hot air ballooning, followed by ziplining and spartan race/triathlon.
Florida follows with a total score of 5.17 out of 10. The Sunshine State boasts over 42,939 extreme bucket-list activities including 22 skydiving centers, 4180 Canoe/Kayak trails and 13 hot air balloon locations. When looking at the most popular activities, rock climbing, skydiving and ziplining are the most sought-after options. Shark cage diving ranks 25th in the list of priorities for Floridians.
Colorado completes the podium with a total score of 4.35. The Centennial state boasts over 27,776 climbing routes and over 11 thousand miles of hiking trails. Colorado residents put snowmobiling at the top of their bucket-list followed by rock climbing and whitewater rafting. Paragliding (8th) and Spartan Race (9th) also made an appearance in the Top 10.
The top 20 states for extreme bucket-list activities are revealed:
| Rank | State | Number of activities | Total Score (out of 10) |
| 1 | California | 131,519 | 8.21 |
| 2 | Florida | 42,939 | 5.17 |
| 3 | Colorado | 51,639 | 4.35 |
| 4 | New York | 54,887 | 4.25 |
| 5 | Washington | 31,705 | 3.67 |
| 6 | Texas | 40,946 | 3.41 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 40,010 | 3.34 |
| 8 | Arizona | 27,765 | 3.21 |
| 9 | New Jersey | 19,251 | 3.07 |
| 10 | Utah | 24,267 | 2.84 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | 22,346 | 2.80 |
| 12 | Illinois | 33,279 | 2.72 |
| 13 | Oregon | 18,789 | 2.67 |
| 14 | Michigan | 17,697 | 2.24 |
| 15 | North Carolina | 16,827 | 2.11 |
| 16 | Virginia | 19,429 | 2.06 |
| 17 | Nevada | 8,720 | 2.02 |
| 18 | Georgia | 9,852 | 1.97 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 17,049 | 1.89 |
| 20 | Ohio | 14,840 | 1.81 |
These are the most popular bucket list activities in Michigan
Michigan
| Rank | Activity | Search Volume (Google) |
| 1 | rock climbing | 5,305 |
| 2 | skydiving | 5,300 |
| 3 | zip lining | 4,660 |
| 4 | hot air ballooning | 3,920 |
| 5 | paragliding | 3,500 |
| 6 | caving | 2,010 |
| 7 | whitewater rafting | 1,950 |
| 8 | snowmobiling | 1,860 |
| 9 | bungee jumping | 1,620 |
| 10 | triathlon | 1,610 |
For more information on the study and to see how other US states compare, please visit: https://www.hardrock.bet/news/top-extreme-bucket-list-activities/
Methodology
This study ranks all 50 US states based on how good they are for extreme bucket list activities. To do so, the following 8 factors were used based on data from Google Maps and TripAdvisor:
- The number of mountain bike routes in each state.
- The total length of hiking trails in each state.
- The number of climbing routes in each state.
- The number of skydiving centers in each state.
- The number of canoe and kayak trails in each state.
- The number of bungee jumping centers in each state.
- The number of hot air balloon centers in each state.
- The average search volume for 29 bucket list activities in each state from Google Keyword Planner; normalized per 100,000 residents.
Once the data was collected, each factor was normalized and given a score between 0 and 1. The scores were then added and multiplied to give a final score out of 10.
This study also ranks 29 extreme bucket list activities based on how popular they are in each US state. To do so, search volumes were collected for each state and the activities were ranked from highest to lowest. Data is accurate as of 05/23/2025.