The 50 best places to go out in Charlotte (2025)

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Came here for the first time and I loved it! Came for a social event for work and had an amazing time. It's located down a long, long road where you end up in a parking lot with plenty of parking spaces to choose from. You are then able to just walk into the center. They host a bunch of live concerts. They have a lawn where you are able to bring your own jackets, blankets and chairs and enjoy the concert. They also have various seating all around the location. They have a bar and restaurant also where you can sit down and enjoy dinner. They have various free obstacle courses down their walking trails, which the kids absolutely enjoyed! They offer rock climbing, zip lining, rafting, and canoeing. In order to do rafting and zip lining though, you do need to purchase an all day pass which unfortunately for us since our event started about 30min before those activities closed, it would not be worth it. Either way, they offer a lot of winter activities and such a great time just being there and walking around. Great people watching environment for sure!

Yoga, under the trees. Amazing space to share. They offer yoga classes all week, with varying times. Weekends as expected are usually a bit more crowded. Get there early. It is TOTALLY worth it. Nice place to get away from the city, yet close to home.

Last year it was 8$ to park. This year 12$. I wanted to see the new dog park. That's an extra 10$. It looked really nice but geez. Big dogs running without supervision as their owners read a book. So just be prepared.

I’ve been in Charlotte a few years now and never knew this gem existed! This place is amazing. The robe courses, zip lining, rafting, climbing walls and trails are great. Center is well kept, staff is very helpful and restaurants have good really quick bites. Few suggestions, bring a change of clothes (in case you want to go rafting), eat something (robe courses are challenging but fun) and stay hydrated, especially on hot days. And there’s live music at night which is so relaxing. Overall, awesome place for all kinds of activities, must go!

My son and I decided to go kayaking (first time for both of us) we had a wonderful time! Wish we got the day pass- we both decided that we could do the zipline. We will just have to do that next year when I come to visit him 😀 We ate at the Pump house- the food and service was excellent! After dinner there was a great band playing - stayed til 8pm then decided to head back home.Thank you for a wonderful experience!I highly recommend this place 😀

InsaneCan’t believe it’s this cool for a whole family of any age.We were hesitant is was annexed off the river and water would be iffy. But happy to report - proper maintained pool quality water. Food was great. A nice Biergarten. Amazing trails. Walk and bikeClimbing was surprisingly good.Going back to get an annual pass.

It was family reunion week and we visited the Whitewater Center and we all had a blast! The parking was convenient, entry into the park requires you to sign a waiver prior to paying, once inside the park, having purchased the all access pass, it was so easy to hop around from one event to the next. We were in a group of seven and we ranged in age between 9 and 58. All of the family members were able to get on a raft together and surprisingly no one fell off! We tried both the family and adventure rafting. We were able to sign up for three times! Truthfully on the last trip around we were hoping to fall off, but I guess we were all doing so well at navigating we ended up helping other rafters pick up their paddles and lost shoes. We all tried the climbing walls, one with a harness on and the other climbing wall where you could fall into a pool. We were on several zip lines and we were also tried the climbing ropes. We arrive just as they opened and we didn’t leave until they closed (we helped pull our raft in from the water). We rented a bin that we could put all of our belongings into and just simply tell them which bin number it is so we could access the basket at any time. I suppose the rules changed from the last time I went because now food is not allowed in the park, plan on leaving it in your vehicle or don’t bring any. It only rained for a short spell so we ordered lunch and we all agreed it was pretty good! I’ll be back!!! I would have posted more pictures, but it was difficult taking any while on the zip line or well rafting. Visit their website!

Facility is very impressive, very clean, and well maintained. All the staff was easy going, knowledgeable, and very helpful. Highly suggest getting the yearly pass, there are so many activities included with it that it is well worth it. You can walk the trails, do the ropes course, rafting, kayaking in the river, rock climbing, mountain biking, ice skating in the winter, and I am sure I am missing other activities.

This place is awesome! It is the theme park built for the folks that love the outdoors. Great staff, activities, and amenities. We have a season pass for our whole family and love it! The recent addition of the kids tree house play area supports enjoyment for my whole family from 42 to 2. They only get five stars because google doesn’t give the option for more.

The ONLY place you can hike the dog with a beer in hand! Love to take my real estate clients here to show off what living on the west side can look like for your day-to-day. Great place to hike, whitewater raft, mountain bike, catch a concert, and spend time outside! I wish more parks were like this one - and the whitewater rafting / kayaking is so cool to watch! Definitely worth an annual pass.

This place is amazing. If you have time to go. You should go. They have great whitewater rafting guides. They also offer mountain biking, zip lining, ropes course, rock climbing, and so much more. Plus outdoor concerts. The day pass covers it all. Which is the best deal. With the day pass you will have to pay an additional $10 for zip lining. But you still save money. The rest is included. I wish they had one closer to my house. Every part of the park is well kept. The staff is friendly like a chic fil a.

This place is amazing! It has all sorts of outdoor activities. Because of the recent weather we ended up kayaking instead of mountain biking! It’s also dog friendly and I love that. Literally fun for everyone!

The water course is entirely artificial, but they do a good job of simulating real rapids. It's like a very low key theme park with lots of dogs. Be aware the parking is $12 and the food is pricey, but you can bring your own picnic, chairs, hammocks, bikes etc. You only pay for the attractions you use (or get an all day pass).

Probably one of the coolest places I’ve ever visited. In town catching up with friends and we decided to head here for a few hours. They have a full-blown lazy river that is turned into Whitewater Rapids, which is amazing to see. They also have multiple rental bike centers, high ropes, courses, and hundreds of miles of mountain bike trails. It’s basically one stop shop adventure park with everything cool that you could ever want. Rock walls, beer taps every 50 feet, amazing restaurant on site etc. etc. Don’t miss out your chance to go check this out. It is extremely cool.

This place is magical.Having recently moved to NC, when I realized this place was here I was so excited to visit. Being just 15 minutes away, I ventured out on a warm sunny day to see what it was all about.The atmosphere is incredible. From people hanging out having drinks, combating the whitewater rapids, zip-lining, rock climbing, or hiking...there's something for everyone. My first visit was mostly soaking in the sun with a short hike down to the river. Since that first visit however, I've walked on the numerous miles of trails on the property. It looks deceiving at first but there is a lot of trail to cover. Each time I come back it is like the first experience all over again.The staff are friendly and the only real wait time for anything is to get food. However, even that isn't bad. A must visit for anyone in the area or passing through.

Such an amazing place for a reasonable price of so many activities!!! The staff very helpful with any questions. Be sure to immediately book your raft session, and double check sWhen ropes and zip line closes so that you can get it all in. The park is open late, but activities start to close around 6. We were able to kayak, zip line, bike and raft with well planned day.

I LOVE the whitewater center! I visit at least once a week and I live 25 minutes away. I enjoy going to river jam, off leash, yoga classes, walk the trails, paddle board, etc! The facility is always nice and clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. Pro tip: if you’re going to visit more than 3 times a year, buy the annual parking pass! It’s only $40.

This beautiful massive venue is a must visit place for anyone who loves the outdoors. There is so much to do, mountain biking trails, hiking/walking trails, rock climbing , zip line course , kayaking and white water rafting . There are more things to do such as bring your dog to Off leash , where your dog gets to run thru trails and swim in one of the many enchanting ponds/ lakes . My dog loved it , , so I got her the monthly pass for $20 . When you arrive, parking is daily or yearly , so if you plan on coming only once, it’s $12, otherwise pay the $40 and you get a yearly parking sticker , very worth it. Abby at the outfitters was super helpful my first time , she showed me a map how to get to off leash , she had amazing hospitality skills, very kind and caring . Lydia at off leash was also fantastic and took great care of us. Look forward to our next visit , my dog loved it too!

We went to the white water center for the new kid’s section the wild woods. The wildwoods just opened up. The attraction was great the area has multiple tree houses with ladders and bridges that kids and adults alike will enjoy. The area also has beginner level ropes/obstacle course and a balance bike loop trail. You can bring your own balance bike or your child can use one of the provided bikes. The area gave us a few hours of fun. It is a little pricey with it being $18 a person, however there is no time constraints and you can come and go while at the whitewater center. I would definitely go back.

An awesome local gem. While it serves some of the most competitive athletes, it also serves the larger Charlotte community for outdoor adventures. They offer both day passes and annual passes (and single activity passes) that get you access to some really neat adventures. White water rafting, mountain biking, kayaking and paddleboarding, zipline and ropes courses, and rock climbing, plus many more activities are offered here. Great weekend spot and evenings in the summer they offer live music. The food is decent and convenient. Overall it's a great place for the outdoorsy wanderers who are looking for some fun close to the city!

5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28214, USA•http://www.whitewater.org/•(704) 391-3900•Tips and more reviews for U.S. National Whitewater Center