Facing The Challenges At Riversport Adventures OKC

Old dogs may not be able to learn new tricks, but humans are never too old to have new experiences. This was certainly the case when we visited Riversport Adventures OKC for an afternoon of fun and thrills. With three locations, one of our biggest choices was which site to visit. Since the majority of our time in Oklahoma City was being spent downtown, we decided to check out their Boathouse District location.

We want to thank the Visit Oklahoma City and Riversport OKC for their hospitality. Rest assured that all opinions are our own.

Adventures Galore at Riversport OKC

We have had the opportunity to visit a few adventure parks, but none of them were on the scale of Riversport. This place is a mix of family friendly (all age) attractions, as well as some high adrenaline, action packed thrills. As we pulled into the parking lot, the most obvious structure was the Sandridge Sky Trail. This 80′ tall rope and balance course is the tallest of its kind in the world. Participants work their way up the trail by crossing balance beams, zig-zag obstacles, and rope bridges. All of this is done with safety in mind. Once you reach the top you have a few options on how to get down. You can power down the 72′ slide, drop down the 80′ free-fall Rumble Drop, zip-line the Sandridge Sky Zip across the Oklahoma River or just walk back down the stairs.

While we were in this area, we explored some of the other attractions available. There are multiple climbing walls at Riversport, so everyone feels welcome. Youths and adults can slip into the climbing harness and safely challenge their climbing abilities. There is also a littler wall suitable for smaller kids. Nearby, there is a fun mini-golf course, for when you want a break from the more strenuous activities. An indoor simulator allows guests the chance to challenge themselves at a variety of other sports. At the Extreme Air Jumper  you can jump up to 20′ in the air. For more high flying fun you can also check out Jump Shot, which combines trampolines and basketball.

Time For My Main Event

Riversport OKC was not on our schedule during our first draft of an itinerary. Even with all of my practice at creating itineraries, sometimes I can still overlook certain sites. While I had seen Riversport on the map, I hadn’t really taken the time to look at it in depth. Tabbi, our contact at the Oklahoma City CVB, made the suggestion for a visit during our communications. The way Tabbi described it made me go back for a second look. That is when we discovered just how much this attraction has to offer. We were hooked and it was added to our schedule. The part that really caught my attention was their white rafting opportunities. While I have done a little rafting in my youth, none of it was very challenging.

Riversport, in the Boathouse District, has invested over $45 million in their whitewater rafting and kayaking facility. We made our way over to this section of the park and watched a few of the rafts passing down their two courses. Crystal immediately decided to pass on this adventure, so it fell upon me to be the participant. After a short “trip talk”, which includes safety lessons, it was time for our groups to gear up for our turn on the water. With vests and helmets in place, we made our way to our craft to board. I’m not sure about the rest of our group, but my adrenaline was flowing pretty well by now.

Running The Rapids

We started out with a little paddling, as we made our way to the conveyor that carries the rafts to the staging area. Once up top, the real paddling started. The two paths offer completely different experiences. We began on the easier of the two and ran it all the way down without any issues. Our raft leader, Greg, guided us easily through the course giving voice instructions all along the way. Soon our group was working like a well-oiled machine, so it was time to challenge the second course. This one offers Class IV rapids, so needless to say we got pretty wet. During this pass the intensity was super high, but once again we passed through without incident.

The video above shows a little slice of how the participation plays out. The middle portion is from the easier (Class II) course, so you can imagine the intensity of the other course. Towards the end of our time, our raft leader asked us to switch places, so that the two younger participants would be up front. The guys moved to the back, which redistributed the weight distribution for the upcoming event. We paddled to the final drop and when we crashed down the front of the raft popped up high, which bounced the girls up to be weightless for a brief second. Everyone found this amusing, as we ended our time with this fun display.

Your Turn!

I have to be honest, after our turn on the water, my arms could certainly feel the effects. It’s funny that during our time on the water this never crossed my mind, but now that the adrenaline was subsiding, it became more apparent. We finished our time up at the park, and changed our clothes before heading out to our car. I’m guessing we had a little extra swagger in our walks (At least I did!) after such a wonderful group of experiences. This will certainly be one of those life moments that will stay with me. To be honest, I have a picture from my experience as my screensaver, and I still feel a bit of pride about my participation. We know that this may not be the kind of place that everyone would want to experience, but for those willing, you will find that they stress safety at Riversport OKC. When you visit you will want to take a change of clothes, and don’t forget to bring a camera to record your amazing journey. Would you be up for the challenge of whitewater rafting?