When three brothers spotted the old brownstone quarries next to their downtown Portland home, they saw a potential summertime adventure park. And that’s what they built, giving back to the town as well as their many visitors each summer.
Swimming, scuba diving, zip lines, rock climbing, wakeboarding, and cliff jumping are just a few of the activities that make up Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park. More to read.
Swimming & Water Obstacles
During the summer, Connecticut families are looking for ways to cool down and have fun. Brownstone Adventure Sports Park, located in Portland CT, has a lot to offer! They have swimming, water inflatable obstacles, a waterslide, rock climbing, zip lines, cliff jumping, and more! You can purchase day passes to this outdoor activity center on their website. They also offer group rates, private party rentals and season passes. You will definitely want to check it out! Our Mommy Poppins CT Family Guides can help you find other great activities for your family.
Zip Lines
While Portland is known as a quarry town, modernity brought more than just scuba gear and zip lines to the community. Golfers, for example, can tee off at Quarry Ridge, a course that boasts verdant fairways and brownstone facades to match the town’s brownstone identity.
The Empower Leadership Aerial Adventure Park is another top spot for zip lining in CT. Its 11 “treetop trails” have a variety of difficulty levels and include obstacles such as balance cable bridges. Participants receive a safety briefing and are doubly secured with harnesses that clip into safety cables using carabineers.
Cliff Jumping
Cliff jumping is a popular summer pastime for many people but it can also be dangerous. If someone slips before they jump, hits the rock cliff on their way down, goes head first, or lands in the wrong area of the water they can suffer injuries including spinal injury and traumatic brain injury.
Luckily, Brownstone Park is planning on making a splash in Cortlandt at the Verplanck Quarry and they have plans to offer a range of exciting activities. This includes cliff diving and jumping from different heights into the water!
Rope Swing
Brownstone Adventure Sports Park Portland CT is the ultimate outdoor adventure sports park offering swimming, water inflatables & obstacle course, rock climbing, zip lines, cliff jumping, rope swing, wakeboarding, kayaking & paddle board rentals, and more. The park also has full concessions and free parking.
On Tuesday afternoon a woman fell off the rope swing at the park, landing on her back and being airlifted to Hartford Hospital by LifeStar. The park said that it followed every possible safety protocol, including the use of a harness and tethering, and the woman was inexperienced on the swing. This unique place is a must-see!
Wakeboarding
The outdoor adventure sports park is the perfect place for thrill-seeking nature lovers of all ages and groups of any size. The park offers swimming, water obstacles, rock climbing, cliff jumping, zip lines, rope swinging, and kayaking & paddle boarding.
Wakeboarding is a sport that uses techniques from water skiing, snowboarding, and surfing. It is usually done on a lake using a cable that pulls the border across the surface of the water.
This day trip will wow your co-workers at the water cooler and turn you into the coolest parents on the block (j/k). Your kids will be begging to go back to school just so they can tell their friends and post pictures of their experience.
Rock Climbing
Where some saw a hole in the ground, three brothers turned it into a summertime destination that benefits their town and visitors alike. The quarry the Hayeses leased in a 25-year agreement now hosts a water park that offers swimming, aqua inflatables, cliff jumping, zip lines, rope swinging, and wakeboarding.
Brave souls plummet off a series of cliffs into a teal pond and cling to the sides of rock walls for an adrenaline rush. The wakeboard park draws crowds to watch professional and amateur riders take the sport to new heights with gravity-defying rails, ramps, and jumps.
Kayaking & Paddleboarding
The water park has 11 zip lines, cliff jumping, rope swing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and rock climbing. Pack a picnic or eat at one of the concessions.
During the day, hit the beach at Gay City State Park or take a captain-lead fishing trip aboard Island Sport Fishing Charters, North Coast Charters, and Nightjack Sportfishing.
For a more relaxing experience, decompress on a restorative llama walk at Rowanwood Farm in Newtown or meet rescue animals at Ray of Light Farm in East Haddam. Or head to Hamburg Cove, a quiet spot for paddling. Check our next area of interest here.
Driving directions from The Powerwashing Kings to Brownstone Adventure Sports Park
Driving directions from Brownstone Adventure Sports Park to Wadsworth Falls State Park