Outdoor Playground

National Whitewater Center

North Carolina is the capital of NASCAR Nation, as well as the home of some of the most fun whitewater in the country. So, where else would you expect to find NASCAR speed combined with whitewater excitement into a single attraction?

It’s all at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, set on the banks of the Catawba River only 10 minutes outside of uptown Charlotte, NC. Here you will find the world’s largest recirculating artificial whitewater river and the only multiple channel one in existence. Huge pumps churn more than 536,000 gallons of water per minute into Class III and Class IV rapids, enough water to fill an Olympic-size pool in less than 20 seconds.

At the U.S. National Whitewater Center paddlers also will find the world’s steepest slalom channel, highest volume big water paddling channel and a seven-foot high surf wave. These features and more can be adjusted and manipulated by a variety of controls. You can even hit the river after dark thanks to a powerful lighting system.

Paddlers of all skill levels can find an exciting experience on the 3,750 feet of river that is separated into channels. There’s the big water channel for seasoned paddlers, and even the less experienced can run this route in a raft with a guide. A beginner channel offers a little slower water, big eddies and places to swim. The freestyle channel is a place for intermediates to hone their paddling skills. And up to 50 rafts can be on the river at once.

What’s the coolest element? Many people say it’s the 120-foot long conveyor belt at the end of the river. You paddle up, place the nose of your boat on the belt and it gives you a lift back to the upper pond. And you never have to get out of the boat.

Did we tell you that this is the new Olympic training site and home of U.S. Canoe and Kayak? That should tell you something about the challenge that awaits you.

Whitewater’s not your thing? No worries. Check out the rock climbing center that features 40 routes up 47-feet and 37-feet tall towers. There’s a high rope challenge course, 11 miles of trails for running, biking and hiking, and flat-water paddling on the real river. There’s a restaurant and other retail facilities on site, too.

So, the next time you feel the need for speed, you can hit the water as well as the track in North Carolina – the home of fast cars and fast water.

The Science Behind the USNWC

• The river holds 12 million gallons of treated water. The filtration and treatment system does not utilize chemicals and treats the entire 12 million gallons every 24 hours.


• The USNWCboasts three different types of movable obstacles that aid in creating adjustable waves: hydraulic, pinball flippers and pegboard.


• The flippers let the USNWC turn a two-foot wave into a seven-foot wave with the turn of a crank.


• In eight seconds, the USNWC pumps could fill an Olympic-sized pool.
• The seven USNWC pumps move more than 536,000 gallons of water per minute. That’s 1,250 cubic feet per second, or 9,000 gallons per second.


• The river channel averages six feet in depth.


• The total elevation drop from upper pond to lower pond is approximately 21 feet.


• There are 4,000 cubic yards of boulders in the channel.

added: December 23, 2008

updated: March 10, 2009