The National White-Water Center located 25 minutes from downtown Charlotte, NC is a perfect day trip for those looking for a bit of adventure. From a man-made white-water course to zip lines, to kayaking there is something for just about everyone.
A few weeks ago, I had the great opportunity to visit the white water center and I already know I cannot wait to go back. We spent a full day exploring the park and left with plenty of things unchecked from our list.
During our visit we purchased an all activities pass. This gave us full access to participate in just about everything the facility had to offer. For an extra $5 we were able to reserve our rafting time, which I highly encourage you to do. This allowed us to plan our day accordingly and make sure that we were able to raft at a time that best suited our schedule. When you book your rafting trip you have 2 options, family rafting and adventure rafting. Don’t let the name scare you, I highly recommend If you are going with an older group, 10 and up, adventure rafting will be the most fun. No experience is required and since the river is man made it is safe for all ages and there are plenty of people on site to help if you happen to get thrown overboard.
Ziplining was a first for me at the White-Water Center. It is something I have always wanted to do, and this was a great place to cross it off the bucket list. The two big ziplines, require a reservation of $10 but I also highly recommend you book your time in advance because they are the most enjoyable. Figure 8 and Double Down are the two reservation routes. We did Figure 8 as you also get some ropes course bridges through the beautiful forest to enjoy between ziplining passes. The last zip line will take you over the main white-water course which offers amazing views of the entire complex. If you choose to not make a reservation, there are 4 other zip lining courses to check out throughout the property that are included with your day pass.
While white water rafting and ziplining were the highlights of the day it would be a shame not to mention everything else you can partake in at the White-Water Center.
Flatwater kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, rock climbing, deep water solo climbing, mountain biking, hiking and ropes courses should keep you not only busy for the day but wanting to come back for more.
With a full-service restaurant, multiple bars, and snack shop on property you can plan to spend your entire day at the White-Water Center. And if the day isn’t enough time, the White-Water Center also offers a summer concert series called River Jam. Different bands play every week on Thursday, Fridays, and Saturdays all summer long.
Be sure to check it out the next time you are in the Charlotte area.