Alabama has not historically been a destination for whitewater rafters. 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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