U.S. National Whitewater Center

Activity Overview

The U.S. National Whitewater Center is an outdoor recreation center in Charlotte, North Carolina that was designed as an Olympic training facility for whitewater slalom racing. Families that enjoy doing outdoor activities together will love visiting this exciting center which is best known for housing the world's largest artificial whitewater river. The seemingly endless list of activities offered at the center includes mountain biking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, zip lines, ropes courses, stand-up paddle boarding, and a thrilling canopy tour.

Things to Do

• Enjoy splashing over rapids in one of the center's many whitewater rafting activities! Families with young children can enjoy Family Rafting, while those with thrill-seeking teens may prefer the Rodeo Rafting trip, which often includes a lot of swimming.
• Check out the calmer flatwater activities such as tandem kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding on the beautiful Catawba River.
• If you prefer to stay dry, you can try land activities such as rock climbing, zip lines, hiking, and mountain biking.
• Try to tackle one of the ropes courses, which are designed for various ages and skill levels. If you're really daring, you might want to try the River Course, which allows you to navigate your way across the whitewater rafting area.

U.S. National Whitewater Center Insider Tips

• Those who prefer to relax outdoors can enjoy live musical performances and outdoor festivals that are held at the center throughout the year. You can view their events calendar here.
• Make sure to wear secure footwear, appropriate clothing, sunscreen, and towels if you plan to participate in water activities.
• If you're planning to do multiple activities you may want to consider purchasing the AllSport Pass, which allows you to do whitewater, flatwater, and land activities.