US National Whitewater Center

US National Whitewater Center

Rafting, climbing, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, zip-lining and ropes-course crossing. So, I may not have gotten to all of these activities in one day, but for the outdoor enthusiast, the US National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, NC offers a great variety of activities to sample. We happened to poorly plan our trip on a holiday weekend and for adventurers, the USNWC is like Disney World – the best vacation spot you can imagine. A great place for family activity and open to all skill levels, this turned into some pretty long wait times, but if you’re going to stand in line for an hour to get to a ropes course, this is the place to do it. Awesome, natural scenery plus really great company. Oh, and a delicious black bean cake salad at a riverfront table.



I packed up the Angstrom 25 that morning with dry clothes, flip flops, camera, snacks and bottles of water. The side mesh pockets fit water perfectly and you never have to worry about the bottle leaking on your stuff inside. Also plenty of pockets for my phone, cash, keys, and ID. We were set for the day. Unfortunately at the USNWC, you can’t carry a pack when in the raft or on the zip-lines, so the Angstrom 25 went into a locker for the day. I was bummed that I didn’t get to put it to the test, but it proved its worth by the end of the day.



The “river” is man-made, pumping so many tons of water through it every day that I can’t remember how many zeroes were in the number. Of course, the water is recycled through the surrounding waterways. But all this water results in a pretty good whitewater environment of class 3, 4 and 5 rapids. They’re especially fun when the guide gets you intentionally stuck in them. For sure, you end up completely soaked at the end of it – as you should be. That includes the closed toe shoes that you need to wear. You know how nasty wet sneakers and socks that you’ve been walking around in all day smell? Yeah, you do. This was the best part about the Angstrom 25. Nasty shoes get strapped on the outside by the daisy chain and don’t have to touch the rest of your gear. This was only my second time whitewater rafting, but I think I’m ready for the real thing.



I also got a chance to brave the climbing wall, my first try at this since I definitely have a fear of heights! I took it slow and tried the easy route and was pretty psyched to make it to the top hold – of course once there, I looked down and started panicking a bit. Auto belay – awesome invention! I was back on the ground in a flash. But I was ready to try again. Think I might be up for another climb again soon, too!

TNF Raleigh

Mary Peck

Never Stop Exploring