When the heat reaches into the 100s, many folks huddle indoors and wonder if they’ll ever get a chance to enjoy the open air again. Recently Texas has ramped up summer events that encourage residents to brave the elements.

Don’t become a hostage to the Texas heat. Slather on the sunscreen, stock up on water and brave the outdoors this summer. You won’t regret it.

Our list omits the regular activities that most Texans do like hunting and fishing.

Here are 7 awesome adventures you have to experience:

Zip Lines

The current trend in crazy fun is zip lines, which are thrilling rides along a tense wire strung up between two locations. You can overcome your fear of heights as you zip down a high wire over lakes, canyons and forests.

There are several zip line adventures, mostly in Austin or San Antonio. Many zip lines activities are within an amusement park or in a park with other attractions.

Texas Mazes

So you thought mazes only existed in a corn field in the fall? Ingenious mazes have been developed out of cattle pens at the Cowtown Cattlepen Maze in Fort Worth and at the Natural Bridge Caverns in New Braunfels.

Train Rides

Jump back in time and all aboard!!! There are at least three historic railroads offering train rides so families can get a feel for what it was like to travel by train a century ago. The Texas State Railroad operates a 30 minute ride in Rusk, while the Grapevine Vintage Railroad runs a steam train between Grapevine and the Forth Worth Stockyards once a week during the summer.

In Zilker Park in Austin, families can enjoy the thrill of a 25-minute ride on a miniature train.

Spring Fed Swimming Holes

While jumping in a lake is somewhat satisfying during the intense heat of the summer, there is nothing more refreshing than a a spring fed pool. Many are in Hill Country, but there are a few outside the region. If you want relief from bathwater-warm lakes in Texas, check out these natural pools:

• A dam in the Blanco State Park creates a lagoon and waterfall perfect for swimming.
• Brackettville, west of San Antonio, is home to the Fort Clark Springs. The water in the pool remains 68 degrees year round.
• Burger’s Lake in Fort Worth is a 30-acre park with swimming, slides and trapezes.
• Lake Raven in Huntsville is surrounded by a pine forest. While the lake is primarily popular for fishing, there is a small swimming area.

Low-key Bird Watching

Do you feel like an explorer? Do you want to discover a hidden treasure? Grab some binoculars and your camera and head into the forest. Spring and fall migration periods are probably the most popular time to find a wide range of rare birds, but there are many birds that nest and make Texas home year-round.

Sam Houston National Forest outside of Houston has a large population of red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Large bird populations live near the Gulf Coast. Rockport, about 160 miles south east of San Antonio, is a bird Mecca. In August more than 30 Whooping Crane species make the peninsula home. The area is also populated by black and white warblers and ruby-throated hummingbirds.

The Trinity River Audubon Center is home to 220 bird species, 15 mammal species and 15 grass species. Explorers walk the Old Pecan Tree trail, visit the Butterfly Garden and can camp overnight.

Berry Picking

Spend time crawling through blueberry bushes or petting and feeding livestock. Farm life is peaceful and a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

About 72 miles east of Dallas in Edom is Blueberry Hills Farm. You can pick your own blueberries or blackberries, come visit the country store for baked items and drinks. Blueberry Hill Farms is a great place for family farm fun.

Blackberries of Houston is in Cypress, about 30 miles northwest of Houston. The pick-your-own farm generally has early morning hours and closes at noon. The blackberry season is about 30 days long.

Marburger Orchard hosts pick-your-own peaches, strawberries, blackberries in Fredericksburg, a town 77 miles west of Austin. July is peach season and after hard work in the fields, enjoy a Nicaraguan coffee.

Trail Cycling

The roads are too dangerous for cycling in Texas. The perfect places to ride is under tree cover  in parks on dirt or crushed gravel trails.

The Johnson Branch at Ray Roberts Lake State Park is very popular with cyclists. Trails rim the lake and run along beaches. There are more adventurous mountain bike trails located in the hills west of the lake.

Tyler State Park, about 90 miles east of Dallas, has 13 miles of mountain bike trails. The trails range in difficulty from beginner to expert. Because of the heat, ride in the early morning or with lights after the sun has set.

There are 20 miles of trails at Lake Mineral Wells Trailway, which is about 50 miles west of Fort Worth. The trails can accommodate mountain and road bikes and travel through farms, ranches and the historic downtown of Mineral Wells.