Montgomery Whitewater, an adventure park that specializes in rafting and kayaking, has been in operation for just one year. But the 120-acre park at 1100 Maxwell Blvd. already is getting national attention.
Time magazine included Montgomery Whitewater in a recent list of the “World’s Greatest Places 2024.” The list, published on Thursday, highlights “extraordinary destinations to visit and stay this year,” with an emphasis on “new and exciting experiences.”
Time highlighted 50 places to stay — from luxury hotels to wilderness camps — and 50 places to visit. That’s where Montgomery Whitewater comes in, as the only Alabama travel destination on the list.
“Alabama has not historically been a destination for whitewater rafters,” Terry Ward writes. “But now they can paddle the Montgomery Whitewater park, designed by former Olympian and world champion kayaker Scott Shipley and fueled by one of the world’s most advanced man-made, recirculating whitewater channels. One of just three venues of its kind in the U.S., the facility opened in July 2023 with a mission to make outdoor activities and healthy lifestyles accessible to everyone. (Admission is free for visitors just looking to enjoy the green spaces, walking paths, and rollicking whitewater views.) Along with flatwater paddling, whitewater rafting, surfing, and summer camps for kids, free water-safety and beginner kayaking instruction is offered to locals as young as 18 months through partnerships with the Alabama Scenic River Trail and the YMCA.
“Additional programs to engage women of color with the outdoors in the birthplace of the country’s Civil Rights movement are slated to launch in September. The project has been thoughtfully rendered in other ways, too, including a backwash recovery feature that reduces water loss by 95%, and a system that recaptures and filters the 12 million gallons of water powering the course’s rapids. Future plans for the park include the addition of ziplining, rock climbing and ropes courses, mountain biking trails, and direct access to boating and swimming along Montgomery’s main waterway, the Alabama River, which flows through the heart of downtown.”
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Montgomery Whitewater is in good company on Time’s list, which highlights far-flung spots such as Kamba African Rainforest Experiences in the Congo, Hassan Fathy’s New Gourna Village in Egypt, the Saka Museum in Indonesia and Dive Tutukaka in New Zealand. Closer to home, Time recommends a visit to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Florida, the International African American Museum in South Carolina, CPKC Stadium in Missouri and more.
