Whitewater Kayak Parks

Charles City Whitewater Park • Iowa

Charles City Whitewater Park is one of the top five Whitewater courses in the US and the only white water play area in Iowa! The park is more than just some rocks in the water. This development beautifies the riverfront and includes an amphitheater, storm water play area, and a boat launch area.

Brennan’s Wave • Missoula, Montana

Brennan’s Wave was built to create a play spot for kayakers right next to Caras Park in downtown Misssoula on the Clark Fork. It is a man made engineered whitewater playpool. Brennan’s Wave is named after Brennan Guth a local Missoulian that was very active in the Msla Kayaking community. This playpool was designed to work at the different water flows that the river has during the different seasons. This $300,000 project has been a great addition to the Missoula Downtown. From early spring almost until the cold ices up the river you will find people enjoying this great little watering hole.

Stonycreek Conemaugh River • Somerset County, Pennsylvania

The whitewater course consists of the construction of a series of diversion and drop structures within the stream banks of the Stonycreek River adjacent to Greenhouse Park. These structures create a whitewater course approximately 500 feet in length, spanning the entire width of the river. There are no natural occurring rapids in this area. However, the Stonycreek River does drop approximately 4 feet over the length of the project.

The Stonycreek River is nationally known for its whitewater characteristics upstream of this project. However, this river is normally runable only in the spring, winter, fall, and periods of unusually high precipitation during the summer. The park is intended to be enjoyable for all levels of whitewater enthusiasts during periods of low flow (summer).

Avon Whitewater Park • Avon, Colorado

Whether you are a seasoned paddler or a curious sightseer, Avon’s Whitewater Park offers an exhilarating and fun freestyle kayaking experience. The Park offers a spectator viewing terrace and large flat boulders along the river’s edge for seating. In keeping with the humor of the name of the bridge that hovers above the park, the three water features are aptly named, Baby Bob, Bob Jr., and Bob Sr. Whitewater Park offers beginning, intermediate, and advanced paddling opportunities.

Glenwood Springs Whitewater Park • Glenwood Springs, Colorado

(Scheduled for completion in 2008) This park is being designed to provide safe passage to all types of watercraft. Rafts, kayaks, fishing dories and inner tubes. Learning pools are planned for beginner river users that will also created great fishing holes for anglers.

Casper Whitewater Park • Casper, Wyoming

The Casper Whitewater Park is a one half mile stretch of the North Platte River with four man made rock structures that create turbulent water for recreation. It is located parallel to First Street just West of Poplar Street and is designed for supervised beginner and intermediate boaters at normal water flows between 500 and 3000 cubic feet per second. Normal summertime water flow is just over 3000 cfs from June through September. There is no charge for the use of the facility.

Truckee River Kayak Park • Reno, Nevada

The only whitewater park in the United States that: is located in the heart of a downtown resort area, is walking distance from 24-hour hotel/casinos, is open year-round, offers a constant flow of clean, fresh water, has large size -11 drop-pools; total of 2,600 feet in length, or one-half mile, offers Great variety of whitewater activities for different skill levels, has easy public and spectator access, has a favorable year-round climate, is designed to accommodate low water flows to ensure usability during dry spells, is situated in mountain adventure area that also offers skiing, golf, mountain biking and more, and is easy to reach: close to Reno/Tahoe International Airport and Interstate 80.

Clear Creek White Water Park • Golden, Colorado

One of Golden's most unique recreational attractions is the Clear Creek Whitewater Park, built for recreational canoeing and kayaking. The course is located at the west end of Tenth Street, adjacent to Lions Park, and runs right through Downtown Golden! Tubing is popular in July and August, with lots of seating for sunbathing or viewing the activities on the course. This innovative recreational experience is divided into sections. The course is 800 feet in length, built with natural boulders and divided into sections. The top is a series of drops and pools of different experience levels and has some fast eddies. The middle portion consists of flat, broad, shallow surf waves with huge random boulders--a prime workplace for gates. The bottom section entertains paddlers with more extreme surf and wave drops. The class of this course will require paddlers proficient on fast moving, cold water, particularly during high flow season. There are no fees for usage and the course is unsupervised. Add'l info: Golden Visitors Bureau

East Race Waterway • South Bend, Indiana

Welcome to the East Race Waterway, the first artificial whitewater course in North America. The East Race has proven to be an exciting adventure for over 22 years. Opened in 1984, During this time, over 230,000 rafters have experienced the thrill of white water rafting.

Ogden’s Kayak Rodeo Park • Ogden, Utah

The Kayak Park, located near 24th Street and the Ogden River, is a premier hiking, biking, canoeing, fishing and kayaking experience. Situated in an urban setting located on the lower portion of the Weber River, The park provides local citizens and tourist with world class boating opportunities and also affords a point of access for fishing and trail use as well.

Lock 32 Whitewater Park • Rochester, New York

Lock 32 Whitewater Park is the only one of its kind in the country. Manmade and not dependent on Dam releases. The park was envisioned in 1996 by several kayaking enthusiasts. Their goal was to turn the Erie Canal spillway bed into a whitewater playground. The park provides a controlled environment for students and also offers a challenging practice site for experienced kayakers.

Pueblo’s Whitewater Park • Pueblo, Colorado

The Whitewater Park is located in downtown Pueblo. The park has eight drops and is approximately 1/2 mile long. The south bank has the world's largest mural. The names of the drops and pools reflect the paintings, Harpo, Marley and the Grim Reaper to name a few. The main access is from Chapa Place. Take out is at Union Ave. There is also a parking lot located on the southside of the Main Street Bridge on the left. You could also park on Corona Street and walk down to the river. This is a real river and not an amusement play park.

Gunnison Whitewater Park • Gunnison, Colorado

The Gunnison Whitewater Park is a series of rock structures along a several hundred-foot section of the Gunnison River, just west of town and downstream of the Twin Bridges (just west of the town of Gunnison, Colorado). These formations create various water dynamics that make rafting more exciting and turn the area into a paddle playground for kayakers, enabling them to perform all types of tricks while staying within the same stretch of the river.

Breckenridge Whitewater Kayak Park, Breckenridge, Colorado

The Breckenridge Kayak Park is located behind the Recreation Center, on the east side of Kingdom Park, between the Blue River pathway and Highway 9. The Park was completed in 2003 and consists of twelve features that are used by boaters. The Park is open to the public and is free of charge to use.

Buck Creek Whitewater Project, Springfield, Ohio

In an effort to reclaim the natural beauty and environmental habitat of Buck Creek, a group of local whitewater and kayak enthusiasts began working with the City of Springfield, Conservancy District, and state and federal agencies to remove the low-head dams from Buck Creek to create a recreational attraction in the heart of downtown. This project has a major impact on our community including: improving the safety of this waterway through our community and improving the natural water life habitat; providing recreational activity not found in the immediate region; and enhancing the natural feel of the urban core by providing an amenity that is not found in most downtown areas. For more information on the project please contact John Loftis, Buck Creek Whitewater Project Manager, 937-408-5849. Some information can be found at AmericanWhitewater.org

U.S. National Whitewater Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

The U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC) is the world’s premier outdoor adventure and environmental education center. Situated on roughly 400 acres of woodlands, the USNWC fosters an environment for people to come together to play outside. Dedicated to promoting healthy and active lifestyles and developing environmental stewardship, USNWC is home to the world’s largest, man-made whitewater river, offering premier outdoor activities with: whitewater rafting and kayaking, flatwater kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, zip lines, a canopy tour, team building and rope courses. The AllSport Pass is the most popular way to experience the USNWC, offering all day access to the AllSport activities. If you are looking for something fun to do in Charlotte, North Carolina then the adventure of the USNWC needs to be on your list of things to experience. The USNWC has hosted a variety of international competitions, trail races, music festivals and special events including the 2008 Olympic Trials. More information can be found at U.S. National Whitewater Center

Whitewater Kayak Parks in Europe

Augsburg, Germany

Built in 1972 for Munich Olympic Games, the course is 600 meters long, 10-12 meters wide with a 4.4 meter drop. Part of Riverside Park owned by the city, the area includes restaurant and clubhouses. Activities available include recreation, competition, training, schools, safety & rescue training, armed forces.

La Seu d'Urgell, Spain

Built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the course consists of 3 closed circuit channels, Class II, III and IV. Main channel is 340 meters long, 5-17 meters wide, with a 6.5 meter drop. Beginners channel 130 meters long with a 1.5 meter drop. The open kayak section is ntegrated into the public park that also includdes a 1840 meter circuit for roller-blading, jogging & walking. Located 2 hours from Barcelona, near Andorra. Owned and operated by the city of La Seu d'Urgell.

Nottingham, England

Holme Pierpont is Englands National Watersports centre based on the River Trent just outside of the Midlands city of Nottingham. It is also the home of the British Canoe Union (BCU) headquarters and many of the UK's top slalom paddlers. Hpp is a man made course that essentially diverts water from the main river down a concrete ditch. The course is some 800 metres long and has a number of playable features. Up until quite recently the nature of the features has been dependent on the gradient of the trench and the amount of water flowing down. But bolt-on features have been added to the course at the looping pool to create a much more playable wave. The system being used is very similar to that being used at the Teesside Whitewater course since its creation. Combines international facilities for rowing, flatwater canoeing & whitewater slalom. Includes 80 bed accommodation center with bar and restaurant, conference facilities for 120, covered training area for indoor sports, sports medicine testing laboratory, and 10 boathouses.

Teesside, England

The Tees Barrage White Water Course, formerly the Teesside White Water Course, is an artificial whitewater course on the north bank of the River Tees, in North East England. It is part of the Tees Barrage and is located in the town of Stockton-on-Tees, accessible by road only from Thornaby-on-Tees. Under renovation and slated to be re-opened in October 2010, the white water facility offers kayaking, whitewater slalom, playboating and white water rafting plus surfing on the 'surf wave'. The centre's facilities include log cabins, a placid practice pool; watersports centre, shop and cafe; carparking, camping, picnicing and caravanning areas; bandstand and landscaped amphitheatre, pub, restaurant and hotel. The course itself is a 'U' shaped loop,[2] 250 m long, 7 m wide with a 2.5 m drop and a flow of 10 cubic metres per second.[1] The immediate environs of the white water course include the Teesdale Way cycle path (National Cycle Network), the River Tees, the Tees Barrage and the placid grade A two star waters of Barrage Reach on the river Tees; the David Lloyd Leisure racquet centre, a superstore and Portrack Marsh Nature Reserve.