Outdoor Playground

U.S. National Whitewater Center

Some rivers you ride. This one you conquer.

The U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC) in Charlotte offers its visitors adventure by water, land and air. In addition to featuring the world’s largest manmade whitewater river, the outdoor center is home to bike trails, a rock wall, ziplines and other attractions.

The U.S. National Whitewater Center offers whitewater rafting and kayaking

Located 15 minutes from uptown, the USNWC has rapids for beginners and experienced boaters alike. Visitors can enjoy two channels at the USNWC; the Wilderness Channel, which offers Class II and III whitewater, and the Competition Channel, which features Class III and IV whitewater. Guided trips include Family Rafting, which focuses exclusively on the Wilderness Channel, or Adventure Rafting, which includes multiple runs down both channels.

For those who prefer their adventure by land or air, the USNWC offers 17 miles of scenic woodland trails for hikers, runners and mountain bikers as well as an open-air, 46-foot climbing wall and a variety of ziplines and canopy tours. As with its water sports, the USNWC offers a number of trails and courses for all ages and skill levels.

Also onsite, visitors will find the River’s Edge Bar & Grill, which features a range of food, wine and craft beer on draft. The center regularly hosts food, music and adventure events such as the Microbrews Cruise, Zipline & Dine and the Whitewater River Jam.

By the numbers

12 million: number of gallons of treated water the river holds

536,000: number of gallons of water moved by seven pumps every minute – that’s 9,000 gallons per second

8 seconds: how fast the pumps could fill an Olympic-size swimming pool

21 feet: the total elevation drop from the upper pond to the lower pond

400: acres of land operated by the USNWC

added: December 23, 2008

updated: August 16, 2012