US National Whitewater Center

The raft guides are awesome! Our raft guide was Calvin Keller. I highly recommend you go with him if possible. There is something at the Whitewater rafting center for everyone. I can’t wait to go back!

Wow! I am so mad that I’ve lived in Charlotte almost 2 years now and I just recently came to the White water center, I’ve been missing out! Me, my boyfriend, and a few friends came on a Monday to check it out. I was so mad that we weren’t prepared to truly enjoy the center and all it offers!
We went to the rivers edge restaurant which was great and walked around after. The white water rafting looked so much fun! I could just sit on the lawn and watch people partake all day, but next time I want to be on the raft! They have mountain biking, zip lining, canoeing, hiking, paddle boarding, and much more! Everything is skill level appropriate also, if you’re not great at something, there’s a trail or route or whatever for you to feel comfortable and have fun while doing the activity.
On top of all the great activities, the center holds events pretty often too! The one I’ve heard about the most is River Jam which I believe they have every Thursday. I can’t wait to make it out for one of these! The prices can get a little steep but if you don’t have a season pass and you’re going for the day, you’re best bet is spending a bit more and getting a day pass so that you can experience all the activities! They do offer single activity passes which quickly add up if you are trying to do more than one in a day. All in all this is a great full day adventure that has a little bit of everything for everyone. I can’t wait to go back this summer and try some of the activities!!!

I was pumped up ready to do the white water I have never done before. I was thinking this is finally going to be the extreme experience I have been seeking. I’m a bit on an adrenaline junkie that is why I still have a sport bike in my 40’s. BMW S1000RR I live on the river across from it so I bought a season pass with parking around $ 240.
I did the «adventure» rafting that has category 3 – 4 in a raft of 9 people. It was fun but not the experience I was seeking. If you have a family or do not want extreme rafting this is for you. Just make sure you kids can follow directions to float the correct way and swim when needed. The guide was not that good but we got down the channels. They mentioned rodeo rafting in the mandatory training. I also noticed white water kayaks being used there. I was thinking I can do one of those to see if that is any better.
*** If you got what you need from the review then stop here because it goes south.
I tried to do the white water kayaking. I was told I cannot unless I have all my own equipment. That cost thousands of dollars. I was told by one of the guides that you can rent them. I was told it was hard and it would cost $ 80 for a lesson and they would rent the kayak but I have to have all equipment. PFD, helmet, paddle and maybe the skirt for the kayak but not very clear on any of it. I was not happy I couldn’t rent the equipment no matter if it was $ 80-​$ 200. I wanted to try it and if I passed the test of flipping the kayak over in the water cool. If not then I tried and had the experience. That is all I wanted. So that was a FAIL.
I tried to do the rodeo rafting next. FAIL #2 I was told I cannot because I was by myself. What??? This is a rafting center and I’m paying an extra $ 15 on top of the season pass. Sooooo I cannot even pay to do it. CRAZY that a place that does rafting will not allow a way for a person to pay money to do it on a rental. You have to have someone with you. That is missed out $$$$ and so is the white water kayaking issues.
*** Management
So I decided that if I cannot do what I wanted to do. Then I will not be coming to the white water center so I don’t need a season pass. That is a waste of money so I thought I would get a refund for the reminder and just pay for the all sport pass for the day.
This was the most rude and condescending ‘manager’ I have ever dealt with as a customer. It was like a 13 year old in a grown up body. I wish I had gotten a name to give you but she has a tattoo on her left shoulder and short hair. She was the «manager» in the Outfitters shop on Sunday 06-​12-​2016.
I asked for a refund and she wanted to know why. I said there are too many cants. I cannot rodeo raft and I cannot white water kayak. I told her the story of wanting to rent the white water kayaking equipment and do the training with test for the white water kayak. I was told I cannot because I don’t have the equipment. I was explaining that to her. She actually said the statements to me:
1) You couldn’t do it. (meaning I couldn’t do it if I tried because it takes more than a day for most people).
a. I told her thank you for saying I couldn’t do it if I tried. I appreciate that.
2) I don’t believe you even went and talked to them.
a. That was actually calling me a liar.
3) I should bring a friend to rodeo raft.
a. I just moved here and live alone. WHAT???
This person doesn’t need to be a manager or in any type of customer service role.
I didn’t care about her thoughts or rude comments. I just wanted my money back and finally got it. I would normally escalate the situation at the register for the entire store to hear but I didn’t feel like it. I guess I was in the sun too long.
I got my $ 140 and said thank you. Started to walk out and the «manager» then wanted to try to take my bracelet I paid $ 60 with about 4 – 5 hours left in the day. I said I’m keeping it and she said «I guess you found something to do after all». I replied «Not what I want to do». It was also not worth $ 200 for that day.
As far as the bike trails and bike rental 5 starts out of 5. I didn’t try anything else.
It would have been 3 stars but the manager sucked!!!

This place is AWESOME!!! We went there with a couple friends not knowing what all there was out here and we were not disappointed at all. This place has everything! Trails, Whitewater rafting, kayaking, paddle boards, zip-​lines etc. When we first got there we just did a big loop around the entire place to get a feel for everything before deciding to do paddle boards. For $ 25 a person you can go out on the flat water and just have fun. Plus it was a beautiful day. I wish we lived closer because I would be there every weekend! If you are looking for something outdoors to do, then this is the place for you!

This is one of the coolest places I’ve ever visited and is definitely now on my do not miss in Charlotte list! I usually avoid things like this on the weekend but managed to make the most of a busy Saturday. It wasn’t unbearable, but definitely more crowded than it seemed.
Tips for coming on a Saturday:
–Book your whitewater rafting trip in advance. The $ 5 per person fee is worth it so you can plan out your day before you arrive. I would aim for a somewhat later trip, for us 10:30 was too early bc before that time all the ropes and zip lines had no wait and after their waits were ridiculous. Wish I would’ve booked the rafting for later and done all the ropes first!
–Arrive early. The place was nearly empty between 9 and 10 am. We got a great parking spot that allowed us to go back and forth to our car all day instead of paying for a locker. Walked right on a ropes course around 9:45.
–Know what you’re getting yourself into. Even on the family rafting trip we were close to being flipped out of our boat (our guide’s face said it all, he told us once it calmed down that he thought we were for sure going under), so if you aren’t comfortable with that don’t do it! The ropes courses can be scary so start small and work your way up. This place requires your active participation and can easily wear you out.
–Plan your day out. The line for the big zip line across the center took well over an hour even though it looks small. Meanwhile, the wait for paddle boarding was 10 minutes at 4 pm and no wait on some ropes courses by 5 pm. If there’s something you have to do save it for early in the morning so you don’t spend all day waiting.
Though expensive this place was definitely well worth it and something I wish I would’ve done earlier when I first moved to Charlotte!

I was impressed by the whitewater center. Even though it’s a little pricey, they have a lot to do. In fact, getting the season pass is probably the way to go, because it will take you a few days to do all the activities. It’s great for families too, a lot of group activities regardless of your skill level. The restaurant and beer garden is awesome too!

Whenever friends or family come to town, WWC is the 1^st place we take them… so much going on, so much to do… and good food!

I love this place!
Mainly because I love paddle boarding and I love the fun I have on the river. It’s nice to have the boards and paddles all set up and ready to go.

A lot of fun. Don’t miss this place if you are in the Charlotte area and looking for a day of outdoor activities. Lots to do and see and if you just want to sit back and people watch they have space for that too. Don’t miss the whitewater rafting and you can book your tickets and time slot online.

The US Nat’l Whitewater Center is one of the coolest, most unique places in the Charlotte region. What I love about this place is that there is truly something for everyone.
For the athletic and/​or adventurous, you have options for ziplining, ropes course, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, whitewater kayaking, (I saw someone this weekend whitewater paddle boarding… though, not very successfully), flatwater paddleboarding, flatwater canoeing, hiking, mountain biking and controlled free fall. All ages and athletic abilitlies are welcomed and embraced.
Now, I have done many of the activities listed above, but more often than not I’m at the Whitewater Center for live music — they bring in a great line up of bands in spring and summer — and drinking beer. Bring your lawn chairs, your kids, your dogs (your hat, because it’s sunny!) and kick back for a fun afternoon. Regardless of if there is live music playing, you’ll be entertained by watching rafts and kayaks on the river, plenty of food and brews in a gorgeous setting.
Parking is $ 5 — they do take credit cards. Other than that, there’s no entrance fee. You do have to pay to raft, climb, zip, etc. If you’re going to raft, go online and make a reservation. Your reservation secures a specific time slot — without a reservation busy days can have a several hour wait to get on the water.

I have been to the Whitewater Center 3 times since moving to Charlotte 2 months ago.
It’s an awesome venue that Charlotte can be really proud of. The pricing for activities as well as food/​beverages is reasonable. Even you don’t participate in the activities, it’s great for people and dog watching, and you can feel the energy in the air. The staff is friendly and helpful.
For food and beverage options, we tried both Pump House and River’s Edge Bar & Grill and had no complaint. Food came out pretty quick considering the crowd.
I would recommend going before noon on weekends (they open at 10AM) as it gets pretty busy as the day goes on. We might have waited 35 – 45 minutes on the stairs for the zip line, wearing the super heavy gear.

This is such a hard review for me to leave… I’ve been a big fan of the concept behind the whitewater center since inception. But, they just consistently fall short on delivery.
First, the pros:
— Beautiful outdoor space that is super dog friendly!
— Excellent beer selection.
— Good festivals and headliners (Marc Broussard, Langhorne Slim, etc.)
During big events, parking and food/​beverage service is always a nightmare. Their rule about no outside food and beverage (I’ve even been chastised for bringing in a bottle of water) is just plain greediness. Listen. If you can’t figure out how to feed thousands during your big events without hour plus waits and mediocre food selection, just let us bring in our own!
Customer Service is consistently awful. Every employee I’ve come into contact with has a knack for making me feel like a number and part of their bottom line.
I get that the first few years were tough. But, surely they’re profitable at this point. I wish they’d stop making everything about the money and spend a little bit of time and energy on the experience. They have an amazing facility and SO much potential to be a true outdoor adventure destination but they’re missing the mark currently.

US White water center of Charlotte had a lot to offer. For $ 49 we done the Cool Sport package. That package offers all rope courses, zip lining, mountain bikes, and all flat water sports as well. We didn’t get to do any of the flat water sports being too chili outside in April. But the rope activities took just about all day. We got there pretty early in the day, therefore we hardly had to wait on anyone in line. We just went on through. The constructors and employees of the wwc were very nice and very informative. They knew what they were talking about and weren’t rude about anything in any way. Everyone was here for a good time with no worries on having a bad day! I would definitely come back again for more activities. I love that they starve beer and you can just come in and hang out without having to pay an entrance fee!

Ok so this place is amazing. We spent 6hrs here… did three ropes courses, kayaked, did rock climbing and zip line. Had lunch at the café and wow what awesome choices with good prices and service.
The only things I’d say is that the waiting can get tedious… Also It seems insane to me that you have to get life jackets at one location and then walk to the flat water which made us go back and forth for no apparent reason to get jackets, go kayak then return jackets… Why not just have jackets by the river?
Other than that everyone was so friendly, the courses were friggin awesome and the river was gorgeous.
Had such a wonderful and memorable time here.

Me and my family took a trip to North Carolina back in 2013 to visit my sister and during one of the days, we went to US National Whitewater Center for almost the whole day.
What did we do? We did most of all of the rope activities like Triple Track, Canyon Crossing, and Double Cross. We also did the Canyon Zipline, and finally we went on small Hiking trails. Sadly we didn’t do Rafting or Kayaking since it was November when we visited… so it was freezing cold. But some crazy/​nuts people did do the Rafting and Kayaking in the freezing cold water.
Other than that, the experience was awesome and really enjoyable. Very fun to bring the whole family, kids, and even your dog since its a dog friendly park.

This is my kind of heaven. Even if you’re not the outdoorsy type, this place is just fun to look at. The people watching is good!
Hiking, biking, kayaking, ect.
Season pass is $ 40 and totally worth it!
Bring your well behaved dog, and let me pet him!!! :p
I love seeing the children out here! It’s so cool to see them having so much fun being active, rather than glued to a TV or iPad!
The restaurant’s food is super good (chicken taco’s & ahi tuna wrap) & not expensive! The sour beer had me so excited,. It was everything I needed after a hike.
Christian our server was probably the highlight of the day. What a cool guy! Knowledgeable, honest, & crazy nice/​funny, I will be asking for him every time I come back!

Below is an email I just sent to the US Whitewater Center.
I visited the US National Whitewater Center for the first time this weekend. My family has made a resolution for 2016 with two other families (total of 6 adults, 5 children aged 3 – 8) to hike 200 miles this year, and we were very excited to visit this facility. We all love the outdoors and are enjoying passing that love to our children.
First, let me start by saying this is a beautiful, modern facility. We were impressed immediately by the parking and bathroom area, which were clean and well-​maintained. I asked a nearby staff member (nice guy) about hiking trails and he sent me over to the Trail Center. Once inside, I was greeted by another friendly staff member. I informed him that I had several small children and was looking for 3 – 4 mile easy to moderate trail. He immediately recommended the Lake Loop Trail and offered me a $ 2 map (I had left my wallet in the car, so he recommended I take a picture of the map outside with my phone… which I did). At this point, I returned to the group feeling pretty good about our hike. Unfortunately, things went downhill pretty quickly after that.
When I say things went downhill, I mean that quite literally as our trek began with a walk down a very steep ‘road’ with five young children as mountain bikes sped past us dangerously close. There was no sign of any sort of pedestrian walkway, at least not until the top of the next hill. This road was so steep that a few times bikers had to slam on their brakes because they didn’t see us until they had dropped into the decline.
«Well at least we’re at the trailhead now,» we said, relieved to begin our hike. To our surprise, the trail that this nice young man had recommended as appropriate for a young hiking crew was buzzing with mountain bikers. They would fly around the many blind curves, often before we could even see or hear them, sending the children diving for cover. Although some of the bikers were very rude about this, mumbling about how frustrating it was to have to slow down for us, many of them were apologetic. It was very easy for us to get annoyed with the bikers, but it is no more their fault than it is ours. The fault lies with you and your shortsightedness. How in the world can you possibly not realize this is a horrible idea? Do you allow people to swim in the rafting course as well? As ridiculous as that may seem, this is no different. It is dangerous for the hikers AND bikers to continue using this trail in this way. Why is their not an exclusive hiking trail? And why would your staff recommend that I take young children onto a trail shared with mountain bikers going VERY fast? I think the longest stretch of hiking we did without an interruption to move to the side was 100 yards. This was the least enjoyable hike I have ever experienced, absolutely miserable. The 3-​year old girl probably thinks the word «bike» means «move out of the trail» after having been conditioned over fifty times with this command. I am honestly shocked that any rational person cannot see how poorly planned, and dangerous, this is. Is this really the experience that you want your visitors to leave with?
The solution:
1. The trailhead needs to be moved to the top of that hill BEFORE the huge road that acts as a mountain biker acceleration ramp.
2. There needs to be at least one trail that is off-​limits to bikers. Additionally, the staff should warn hikers and/​or runners when they recommend that they hike a biking trail.
I’ve copied Charlotte-​Mecklenburg Parks and also Subaru, so that they can be aware of the potential liability associated with this park. I honestly hope that you sort this problem out ASAP and take a hard look at how your facility operates. I imagine that this is not the only example of myopic planning.
I plan to visit the facility again for rafting, climbing, and maybe even biking. I will NOT return here for a hike. This was an awful experience.

Love this place! Visiting from ugly, dry Las Vegas every summer, it is just SO relaxing being here. Beautiful, chill, outdoor fun with all sorts of outdoor activities.
We love doing the flat water kayaking, and have never had any problems doing this activity. Love how we get to do our own thing on the river, stop and get off anywhere when/​where we please. Just sucks when it has been raining a lot because there isn’t a lot of sand to stop and relax, just mud. Idk if I’m crazy but I saw a deer in the trees here once.

I wish I could be more eloquent when describing the USNWC, but in short: this place is totally awesome! Definitely my personal favorite way to spend a full day when I go down to North Carolina. I’ve been here a handful of times now, and each time it has been a unique experience because there is just so much to see and do. The USNWC takes advantage of its 1,100 acres right on the Catawba River. On this river, actually, is where I went SUP for the first time. There are both land and water activities and you can easily spend more than one day here, particularly if this is your first visit. My recommendation would be to purchase an activity pass (about $ 60 for the day for an adult) so you can partake in rafting, land, and water activities.
My top activity at USNWC is the white water rafting. They have a course that can be adjusted for all ages and skill levels. The Family Rafting is what I’d recommend for first timers (adults) or those with smaller children. While it’s exciting, it’s just class II and III rapids so you won’t get any of those crazy, «knock-​you over» ones. Rodeo Rafting kicks it up to adding in class IV rapids, and –a word to the wise-​be prepared for some physically straining situations and definitely be prepared to fall over! Rodeo Rafting is an upgrade fee and is only available at certain times, announced on the activity board at the front of the center. You can also participate in whitewater kayaking and SUP, neither of which I tried… yet! They also offer Slalom (given it is where the Olympic Team trains) but I believe you need to schedule that in advance.
Flatwater activities are a great way to take a break as a family, particularly since most flatwater activities are all-​ages and skill levels. Kayaking is very scenic, and you get a great view of the wildlife and ecology along the Catawba. Be mindful that the Catawba River is a public waterway, and you will most likely run in to other boats and kayakers. Tandem kayaking is also an option. Also, you can participate in Stand Up Paddling (SUP). Don’t be afraid if you’re a newbie-​no experience is required!
In addition to the water activities, they offer rope courses, trails, climbing walls, and ziplines. The ropes courses were my favorite! They have 9 to choose from, although not all are open at any given time. The skill levels are marked for each course, and most have aerial portions so be prepared. One of my favorites (for the initial rush) is The Hawk where you climb onto a platform 41 feet in the air and just jump off and then you’re slowly lowered to the ground. For trail activities, they offer mountain biking or hiking on over 20 miles of wooded trails. They have two separate rock climbing areas, but be prepared as the lines are typically quite long. They have two separate ziplines, my favorite being the Mega Zip (1,123 feet long!) that goes over the rafting course.
On Thursday and Saturdays from May-​September, USNWC hots «River Jam» from 7−10pm. You can actually go to this (parking is $ 5) without purchasing a pass for USNWC. Lots of people bring their dogs and blankets to sit on. It’s a very scenic environment for a summer concert series! There are a few places you can eat at too while visit USNWC. The Trail Center is overlooking the bike rental area and is just quick snacks and beer. The Market is more a quick option too and, again, beer is plentiful here. The sit down option is River’s Edge Bar and Grill and this is better if you either don’t mind waiting (lines are long) or if you really want a break in the middle (or at the end) of the day. The Pump House Biergarten is new and has over 60 craft beers available for imbibing. Definitely make sure if you have the chance and are in town to pay a visit to USNWC! I look forward to this every trip to NC!

I’ve always done rafting, zip-​lining & mountain biking in Western, NC. I tried a pleasant fall day at the US National Whitewater Center & though it is expensive, I had a terrific time. I’ll return, not having tried everything yet. When it comes to zip-​lining, I’m getting my thrills at Navitat Canopy Adventures (Barnardsville, NC) though. NC has great outdoor activities!

Great Outdoor Adventures and Venue
The whitewater center has really grown over the past couple of years. I thought it was really neat idea ever since my 1^st visit when I lived out of state. The world needed a good outdoor enthusiast playground and this is a great start.
Rafting, Kayaking, Ropes Courses, Mountain Biking, Climbing, Music, Food, Beer all come together to give you a great time outdoors. If you enjoy being outside then you will definitely enjoy the WWC.
The new Tap-​house on the island really improves the process of procuring drinks.
Tips Patrons:
–Buy the Yearly parking pass.
–Beware of the crowds when 5k races are taking place at night, and summer weekend in general.
–In the Summer, come on Thursday Nights for free concert (don’t dress up, wear normal clothes)
–Free Mountain Bike rentals come with a year’s pass
–Using the Trail is free if you have your own bike, (you just need a parking pass)
–Thurs nights in the summer, the Rock wall is open later (normally 9pm-​ish)
Tips for Mgmt:
–It would be beneficial to adjust your hrs to those who work 9 – 5 Jobs. Everything seems to shutdown at 6 – 7 which is disappointing for us normal people.
–Maybe implement some type of badge/​certification system so regulars don’t have to listen to the each safe speech every single time for activities.

Beautiful place, Fun challenges, chill amenities
Lots of great outdoor activities
That water system seems awesome, but is currently closed down

Really fun place! Notice rafting isn’t natural but on a man made course! But Highly recommend rodeo rafting. Go when its a hot outside as we went in October and was quite cold but manageable. You end up flipping the boat a lot but its in a safe area. We also did biking which was quite challenging and a bit dangerous so be aware. Its also a lot of fun though! for the money its a fun place to do something healthy.

We visited here with friends who have the annual pass to take advantage of all the cool recreational activities available. We came for the live music on a Saturday night. The parking lot, which isn’t paved, was pretty full, even at 7. They checked our bags and our chairs to make sure we didn’t have any contraband.
After finding a spot by the course closest to the building, we got in line for the food and drink. They’ve got a plethora of craft beers to choose from, with almost all of them being local. They’ve also got a few food choices — (cheese)burgers, hot dogs, fish tacos. We got cheeseburgers for $ 7 each. They’re simple: burger, cheese, bun, with ketchup and mustard available. They took a while to serve us since they were quite busy. The burger was decent — a little dry.
We honestly couldn’t hear too much of the music, but we were mostly there to socialize, so we didn’t mind. Having glimpsed the rest of the facility, I’m eager to return and check out all that they’ve got. If I enjoyed it this much just in spectating and passing, I’m sure I’ll think it’s awesome when actually doing the activities.

I went here for a work event and it was incredible! Having the ability to hit class 4 and class 5 rapids safely is a thing of beauty. Couple that with the rock climbing, zip lining, and rope bridges and the stars come pouring in. More importantly, their beer garden has an amazing lineup on draft that left me impressed.
5 stars all the way!

A great place to play on the river without going to the mountains.
The staff are always friendly and nice with safety first.
My 10-​year-​old son said their summer camp was the best of any others that he attended even better than Camp Thunderbird. He has now been through their White water Kayak school and is loving it.

The National Whitewater Center is an amazing venue to have in the state, and super convenient if you’re interested in spending some time in Charlotte anyway. I would highly recommend a trip here for anyone in reasonable driving distance with an outdoor mentality.
There are a few different activities to do here, but I would suggest prioritizing the high-​ropes courses, zip lines, and rafting. Flat water kayaking is fun, but you can go kayaking pretty easily from most parts of NC anyway and it will probably be cheaper. The rock climbing walls are also not really worth spending much time at for adults, but it may be a nice introduction for kids.
The high ropes courses were my favorite area at the center, and I’d definitely recommend trying them out first. The last course can be pretty hard (especially if you lack balance) and I wouldn’t want to try it if I were already tired from other activities. The lines can be a little long, but it’s worth the wait. Bring tight fitting shoes with a good grippy sole if you don’t want to struggle too much on these courses. Balance is important or you’ll burn out your arms pretty quickly and have to rest between stations.
I didn’t get a chance to try the rafting because all of the passes had been booked in advance, but I’ll definitely be coming back in the future to give it a shot. The rapids course looks like a lot of fun, and I can imagine getting a lot of mileage out of a season pass for Charlotte locals. Overall, this is a great way to spend a warm weekend and I’m looking forward to my next visit already.

Came here for labor day concert. And the best thing about it? It was free! I believe the Whitewater Center does this every year. Luckily my friend invited me and let me in on the know. In addition to the concert, which starts around 5 – 6 (I arrived at 6:30ish), they had several food truck options and rest were just beer. Now what they also offered that day were fIreworks! The only thing that I had to pay was parking for $ 5 and of course beer for $ 7.50 for a 24 ounce. Note, that animals were welcomed when you
I think I’ll definitely come back for another visit to definitely try some new activities and check out what all the Whitewater Center has to offer!

Was here on Labor Day. This is a center with all the amenities you can imagine for an outdoor lover. Yeah! I am a fan of this place. Definitely plan on coming back. There is no way that anyone can do every activity at this center in a day. I would love to spend three days to a week here (May get seasonal pass which is less costly). There is something for everyone here. Spent the whole day here and some of the activities that we did was White Water Rafting, Zip lining, and Hawk Jump. The members in our group also Mountain Bike and Stand Up Kayaking. For 6 Adults with an All Sport Pass came out to total of $ 354.00 which included booking a Family Rafting time slot.
We had snacks at The Market and prices were reasonable for sandwiches, wraps, cookies, and soft drinks/​water. We ended the evening with dinner at the River’s Edge Bar and Grill.
Tips for first timers–
-$ 5 charge for parking in their lot.
–Once you walk into center– Fill out waiver, head to the ticket booth to get passes for land/​water activities. If it is packed upstairs, head downstairs they also have ticket sales below.
–For locker– we got a bin and can use it as many times we needed to change out of wet clothes & into dry-​for land then back to wet clothes for kayaking, etc…
–Get a map to guide you around the area which may get confusing in the beginning.
Reminds me of a resort area with the only things missing are hotel rooms, swimming pool and a spa.

This is a must for any of our visiting friends. There is a little bit of something for everyone to do. From rock climbing, to mountain biking, kayaking, zip-​lining, high ropes courses to full out white water rafting. My wife and I are season pass holders for the second year in a row, and we’re out here at least 2 or 3 times a month. Our dog loves to come with us and go paddle-​boarding (as do many other dogs). In the summer months, it does get pretty busy on the weekends with wait times over an hour for some activities.
The River’s Edge restaurant serves some awesome food, and its actually normally priced — not jacked up tourist prices like at Carrowinds.
Make sure you get here early if you’re interested in White Water Rafting, — raft times fill up FAST!
Through the summer months, River Jam is held on Thursday nights that packs people in for a night of music and drinking. A fun way to spend an otherwise boring Thursday night.

Bought a very reasonable two day pass for our first visit and even though we don’t live in Charlotte… We are contemplating a season pass for not much more. The staff is very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. The facility was clean and safe.
Only a few suggestions. Maybe some water stations around the facility. Also, since you can’t have money… Maybe your bracelet could scan to your credit card so you don’t have to keep going back to the bin where your stuff is?

This is such a unique venue that you really need to make the trip. If you are an outdoorsy person, and want to raft, climb, mountain bike, etc, then I assume this place is outstanding. But if you are wanting a little less strenuous time, its also a great place. Its a very busy feel to it, with people everywhere sitting in lawn chairs, on blankets, just enjoying being outdoors. The new Biergarten is a nice addition. They have a good number of Craft beers on draft here.
We went here on Thursday night for the River Jam, ate dinner, had a few beers, and enjoyed listening to live music, talking with friends, and people watching. You do need to bring $ 5 cash to pay for parking.

I didn’t do any of the activities, yet still had a fantastic afternoon at this incredible facility.
On a whim, my boyfriend and I decided to check out the place. We paid $ 5 for a parking pass and didn’t really know what to expect. We ordered a few beers at the beer garden. They’ve got lots of local craft beers to choose from. Then we walked around exploring, beers in hand.
The first thing we noticed is that you don’t even need to pay for any of the activities to have a great time. This place is perfect on a beautiful day to people-​watch, sunbathe, pet cute dogs, and sit on a rock to watch the rafters/​kayakers go by. I can see myself going for a run on the trails, and rewarding myself with a beer and food afterwards.
I can’t wait to come back and sign up for all of the activities. $ 54 seems like a steal considering that you might cross off some bucket list activities all in one day.
Remember, we spent a mere $ 5 for that parking pass and I consider that a steal for a fun afternoon.
One of the employees we talked to said that holiday weekends are crazy, so make sure that you reserve your adventures well in advance, and try to get there early in the day to avoid too much congestion.
We will be Charlotteans soon, and after visiting the center I am even more pumped to move here. Such a cool place.

Came to visit with my whole family (8 adults plus 2 kids ages 7 and 9).
Overall we had a really great day.
Cost was fairly high, at $ 54/​adult all inclusive, but anticipated a full day of activities. Shoe rental was an additional $ 9 which my mom took advantage of, as she had flip flops on.
We loved the rock wall and ended up spending a lot of time there. There were different difficulty levels and we all felt safe and secure.
Five of the adults went on the «adventure» white water rafting at 12:30pm. The safety briefing was thorough. Unfortunately it was only about 60 – 65 degrees and very cloudy and windy. We were ill prepared and not wearing appropriate clothes. You get WET! We anticipated getting wet, but those in the front basically went swimming. My boyfriend also fell in, as he was seated a little too far out on the raft. Guide may have wanted to tell us to lean in a little sooner. Lol
While we did that the others enjoyed one of the ropes courses. They had a lot of fun. After rafting (and buying out the expensive gift shop for all their sweatpants) we did the zip line which was really fun. There was a long line, but the adults and kids liked it a lot.
We also had some food at the restaurant. The food was pretty tasty though the service was definitely lacking/​slow.
My takeaways:
1. Go on a sunny warm day to get your money’s worth
2. Wear a swimsuit and rent the shoes for rafting (wet sneakers are not fun)
3. Be adventurous!

Als Kajakfahrer des VFL Günzburg, kann ich nur sagen: Das ist der beste Trainingsort den ich kenne. Ein muss für jeden Kajakfahrer!

The US National White Water Center is probably one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. We paid $ 60 (including parking) to spend 10 hours ziplining, white water rafting, hawk jumping, rock climbing and going through obstacle courses. We could have also gone paddle boarding and mountain biking but we ran out of time (what a problem to have!).
Some tips:
— Get there early or when they open (9am) because the lines got pretty bad around lunchtime
— Make a reservation for white water rafting so you can completely pick the time you want to go
— Do the dry stuff first so you don’t have to change multiple times
If you are visiting the Charlotte area this is MUST but make sure you give yourself an entire day. Also– stay away from visiting during Labor Day weekend because the lines were crazy and we were told its their busiest time all season.
If you live in Charlotte I recommend getting the season pass since there are so many things to do!

This place. I cannot stop talking about it. I want to go to there. All. The. Time!
It’s such an incredible time! Of course if I lived around town, I don’t know if I could afford it! At $ 39 for a «cool pass» entrance it is not cheap. But was it worth it? TOTALLY! The Cool Pass gets you access to everything except for the White Water Rafting.
So what can you do? Well, really, what CAN’T you do! We went zip lining over the white waters, kayaking in the river and went through the rope course. The zip lining is awesome because it’s fairly long and high up, but not scary high (for me at least).
The kayaking is super relaxing. It’s really just a push off the dock and you’re free to kayak wherever. They also offer paddle boarding, which I haven’t done, but seems a little more strenuous. I wanted to chillax a bit, so the kayaking was perfect!
So… the rope course. I imagined the rope course to be walking across rope bridges. My imagination was TOTALLY wrong! It’s HARD! I kept screamiing «I’M TOO OLD FOR THIS!» You’re strapped into a harnas, so I felt safe, per say, but it’s still totally terrifying. I barely got across the first one and thought, I cannot do anymore, but you’re pretty much stuck doing the rest after that. The point of no return! So I whined, and sweat and complained my way through the course. Would I do it again? Not sure, but if you’re up for the challenge, it’s worth it. Just remember, it is NOT leisurely like kayaking!
So did I sometimes look over longingly at the White Water Rafting? Yes, but I really assume I’ll be back when I visit Charlotte and I’ll be shelling out the extra dough for a pass to try it out!