The U.S. National Whitewater Center will turn its upper pond back into an outdoor ice rink this month when Winter at Whitewater returns in mid-November, according to the center’s website. The seasonal program runs through mid-February and includes ice skating, an illuminated winter trail, nighttime zip lines, a Christmas tree lot and a pop-up market.
The center sits on the Catawba River in west Charlotte, upstream from Lake Wylie, close enough for families in Tega Cay, Fort Mill and Rock Hill to make an evening of it. A good share of the winter lineup costs nothing beyond parking.
Skating on the river
The rink covers more than 24,000 square feet, and the center bills it as the largest outdoor ice rink in the Southeast. Skaters can choose from four areas, two ice trails and two free skate zones, with an Airstream trailer parked in the middle of the ice serving hot and cold drinks.
Skating requires an activity pass. The center’s ice skating page says guests of any age can skate as long as they are able to walk, and staff sharpen the rental skates periodically through the season. The rink will be open on Thanksgiving and Christmas from 4 to 10 p.m.
Cask curling also returns on select days. It is included with an annual pass, a day pass or an ice skating single activity pass, but lanes must be reserved, either in advance or on site.
New animals for the winter
Whitewater’s newest highland calves will spend the season in Charlotte before joining the rest of the herd at Windfall, the organization’s property in Lansing, North Carolina. They will have company this year from two Grayson Highland ponies.
The ponies came from the annual fall auction held by the Wilburn Ridge Pony Association, which manages the wild herd that grazes the Grayson Highlands in southwest Virginia and uses the sale to keep the population in check. Whitewater already has a presence in the Whitetop and Grayson area, and the ponies will winter in Charlotte before moving permanently to Windfall. The center’s website lists interactive Whitewater Farms programming with the animals as coming soon.
Also listed as coming soon is the second phase of Wildwoods, the play area that started as an attraction for children. The center says the expansion keeps the original goal while adding experiences built for the whole family.
What you can do for the cost of parking
The Winter Trail, a lighted path through the woods around the Canyon with suspension bridges and activities for all ages, does not require an activity pass. Neither does the Tree Lot and Winter Market at the Overlook Barn.
The tree lot sells freshly cut Fraser firs from the Grayson Highlands region around Whitetop, Virginia, next door to the Windfall property. Trees and wreaths go on sale closer to Thanksgiving. The market, which sells winter gear, holiday drinks and gifts, opens with the rest of the season in mid-November.
There is no charge to enter the property, but parking costs $13 per vehicle and $25 for oversized vehicles. An annual parking pass costs $47 and is good from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.
After dark
The All Access Night Pass returns in November. It covers the lighted activities at Wildwoods, the ice rink, the North and South Rim zip lines and the Ridge Traverse. Night Pass activities can only be reserved on site the day of the visit.
Runners can join the Winter Run Club, which meets Wednesdays at 6:15 p.m. outside the Overlook Barn from Nov. 11 through March 10. Participants grab a headlamp and pick a 1.5-mile route through part of the Winter Trail or a 3-mile route on a section of the South Main trail. Running brands including On, Hoka and Run For Your Life are scheduled to make appearances during the season. Anyone who attends six sessions earns a free 5K or 10K race registration, and 12 sessions earns a Winter Run Club long-sleeve shirt. The club will not meet Nov. 25, Dec. 23 or Dec. 30.
Races, hockey and dinner on the ice
The winter calendar also includes A Shot in the Dark night trail race, a 3-on-3 pond hockey league, Channel the Holidays, the Rocky Road race, the Frigid Trail Race and Plunge, the Ride and Seek mountain bike adventure race and the Dog Days of Winter festival. Two dining events, Craft and Curl and Skate and Date, pair time on the ice with a three-course dinner at River’s Edge, the center’s full-service restaurant.
Pets are welcome on a leash outside the designated Off Leash area.
Hours vary by activity and by day. The Daily Activity Schedule and event dates are posted at whitewater.org/calendar. The center is at 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway in Charlotte.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
