8 Thrilling Hot Air Balloon Rides in the United States for an Unforgettable Adventure!

Hot air balloon rides in the United States offer a unique way to explore the skies and take in breathtaking landscapes. These rides promise thrilling adventures and unforgettable memories.

Man’s passion for flying is stemmed from sheer curiosity.  We keep various ways to soar that include:

• Paragliding

• Hang gliding
• Hot air balloon rides

Among the three ways of flying up in the air for human beings, a hot air balloon ride is definitely the safest.

You don’t require any skill in riding in a bamboo basket that is attached to a balloon into which, hot air is blown to make the balloon rise slowly in the air, carrying the bamboo basket accommodating several passengers.

This is nothing new to us. We have seen it in movies. However, how many of us have ever had the opportunity to enjoy a hot air balloon ride?

Of course, if we know where hot air balloon safaris are offered, we can really think about it-right?

Have you ever wondered why only a wicker basket is used in this air sport?

Bamboo is strong, and at the same time, it doesn’t weigh much. In addition, it is flexible. The basket is also called a ‘gondola’ in which, we stand.

Let us not get into details such as how this whole air sport started, when, and where, and how the balloon carrying the gondola is maneuvered.

Novelty hot air balloon.

Yes, it is a novel idea to make the balloon in various shapes. In this picture, the balloon is shaped like a building,

8 Thrilling Hot Air Balloon Rides in the United States for an Unforgettable Adventure!

Ok, here are 10 places in the United States, including Mexico, where, thrilling rides in a hot air balloon are available.

1. Custer, South Dakota

South Dakota is one of the states in the United States. I think the state doesn’t attract many tourists. However, the hot air balloon rides have been there for more than 3 decades.

You are taken up and hover over the Black Hills, part of the Custer State Park.

The needle-like spires are unique forms of granite towers that narrow at the summit. These are the Black Hills in the city of Custer.

Surely, the best way to admire the sharp granite spires is to look down from up. A hot air balloon is an ideal vehicle to take into the air for an uninterrupted aerial view.

The hill is covered with pine trees that match the pointed spires.

The aeronaut (the pilot of the gas-filled balloon) will point out several animals below as you fly near the Black Hills.

2. Sonoran Desert Safari, Phoenix, Arizona

It seems that inflating the nylon balloon is a Herculean task.

The Sonoran Desert is a very hot desert that spreads into several states including Mexico, Baja California Sur, and Arizona.

Desert safari through the earth is generally intolerable. That’s why they are best seen aerially, especially from a blown-up balloon.

The Sonoran Desert is not totally devoid of any green like the Sahara Desert.

You can see some cactus growth.

Hot Air Balloon Rides are offered only during milder months, starting from November and lasting until March.

In order to see the sunset from the sky, the balloon will soar an hour before the sun begins to dip.

This means you can expect to be on air for nearly an hour before the balloon is deflated after landing.

3. Sedona, Arizona

What a bright red-colored sandstone mountain! They glow more when the sun’s rays fall on a series of mountains.

The sight will sweep you off your feet when you see the Sedona Rocks from the sky.  You should look down from a floating gas balloon.

Sedona is one of the ultimate wilderness areas. The mountains attract numerous hikers.

The region’s wildlife that thrives in the hot conditions is unique. You can spot some of them from the hot air balloon in which you are flying.

The rides are offered mainly during the sunrise. The tour will be of one-hour duration. You can expect 10 or 15 minutes at times.

4. Colorado Springs, Colorado

It’s a big city in the state of Colorado. It sits at an altitude of just over 6000 feet!

The Pikes Peak is a coveted destination among ardent hikers.

An adventurous ride over the tall mountains in a hot air balloon gives you goosebumps. What you cannot see, if you are not a mountaineer, can be seen from the gently floating balloon flight.

Try to visit Colorado Springs on Labor Day because you can witness one of the most colorful festivals of soaring hot air balloons.

The picturesque ride in the sky will last for 45 minutes. I think the hot air balloon safari is slated only in the early morning, just before sunrise so that you can view the spectacle of the sun rising from behind the mountains.

5. Napa Valley

This is a beautiful vineyard in Napa Valley, California. It is highly popular all over the world as a great place for wine-tasting tours.

I read Napa Valley is one of the ideal places in the United States for hot air-filled balloon rides.

The air sport is more enjoyable in this part of America because of the pleasant climate right through the year.

Two mountain ranges flank the vineyards and the breweries on the west and north.

The ride will be of hour duration. However, the inflation of the balloon takes considerable time.

Then, considering the landing process, and deflation, the overall tour takes about 2 hours.

6. Las Vegas, Nevada

It’s another destination in the U.S. for the hot air balloon adventure. Though few tourists will be interested in any adventure in Las Vegas, it is still a good place for scenic aerial views. The fortune wheels and the alluring slot machines will not let go of the visitors to this gambling capital of the world.

I read it is the sunrise flight again in Las Vegas. I would prefer a night flight because the city’s brilliant lights will be more appealing from above.

Don’t you think this scene will be more attractive when viewed aerially?

Well, nonetheless, you can still enjoy 60 minutes of flying in a carriage that is pulled by the giant nylon balloon that is inflated with hot air.

I gather the hot air balloon goes up to 1500 feet high. What can you see clearly from such an altitude?

7. Seattle

Seattle is blessed with wonderful geography. It is worth seeing the city and its countryside from a floating hot air balloon in the sky.

Hot air balloon safaris are offered both during the sunrise and sunset. Like all the other places, here too, you can expect to be on air for 60+ minutes.

I am sure Mount Rainier will look magnificent from the sky. The mountain is a volcano and an active one too. It means it will erupt again.

Two more mountain ranges, namely Cascade and Olympic, can also be seen. Apart from these landforms, the aeronaut will point out  Puget Sound, and Lake Washington.

Puget Sound. Mount Rainier is seen in the distance.

8. Park City, Utah

This American city is one of the top destinations for skiing sport. If that is so, then, it must apply to hot air balloon rides over the mountains.

Park City is situated at an altitude of 7000 feet!  Hot air balloon rides start just before sunrise. The duration of remaining in the sky is 1 hour.

Flying in a wicker basket that is pulled by a balloon that is filled with hot air is so much. The open-air flying is not for everyone, though.