This is a Grown Up’s Waterpark! These are rides and attractions for Big Boys and Girls who enjoy an adrenaline packed day! From white water rafting and kayaking to extreme tubing, Riversport Adventures is just really amazing! Check out my tips from our most recent visit, and get ready for a great day!
Located next to and on the Oklahoma River, which is actually just an impounded section of the North Canadian River, Riversport Adventures sits in the Boathouse District, and is really an incredible destination for a cool day on the water!
The complex offers white water rafting, white water kayaking, tubing and extreme tubing, body surfing plus a fun adventure park and ziplines across the river, as well as kayaking and stand up paddleboarding on the river! What we found out makes for some great tips to know before you go!
Know Before You Go:
Make Your Reservations Online. You will need to pick a time for your rafting experience.
You can arrive earlier than your rafting experience. Hours earlier. You can spend all day at the Riversport, it doesn’t matter when you check in. And it’s a good idea to arrive early and plan to spend the entire day, because some of the activities are just exhausting! It was nice to just sit down with a drink and relax occasionally, before heading off to the next adventure!
There is a $5 parking fee, and you can come and go.
The minimum age for rafting is 8 years. Younger children can still do the
Plan to arrive a minimum of 45 minutes before your rafting experience.
Save time and complete your waivers online.
Close-toed shoes are required for climbing.
We left Texas early in the morning, and while I made sure all the kids were in the car, I didn’t make sure my youngest was wearing shoes, or bringing them. Since it’s not the first, second, third or even fourth time this has happened, I really only had myself to blame, and him. Really? Luckily for him, since secure shoes are required for EVERY activity, they do sell expensive water shoes in the gift shop. While I am usually a promoter of cheap watershoes over sandals, I was constantly in fear that he was going to lose them in the strong current, and they did come off once or twice. Sandals styles like my Tevas held on great. Diving socks, like these on Amazon, work great for being snug on your foot, and still allowing you to swim. I am an Amazon affiliate, and if you purchase any items from my links I do receive a small commission. Thank You.
While many people simply raft in their swimsuits, since it is warm. I preferred wearing a rash guard over my shirt. My daughter loves this all-in-one rash guard from Amazon.
Once you check in, you are given a wristband that allows you access to all the activities. I also paid for a locker to keep my things, such as my camera.
Honestly, there’s nothing else you want to take on the river. The guy riding with us took his electronic car key, which of course was ruined when it was soaked, and he was lucky it fell in the boat and not the river. If you don’t want to lose it, don’t take it.
However, they do have some helmets with Go-Pro attachments. This is a judgement call on you, because should you fall out and hit your head on one of the blocks, you’re probably going to lose that $400 camera you had mounted there. Luckily, you’re probably not going to fall out and hit your head. If you decide to take your Go-pro, head down earlier than you’re called to find a helmet with a Go-pro attachment. It took me about 20 minutes.
Our Rafting Experience
We have rafted a few times before, in Colorado on the Arkansas River through Brown’s Canyon, the Rio Grande in Big Bend here in Texas, and most recently, the Upper Pigeon River in Tennessee, so my expectations for this controlled rafting was kinda low, plus it looks like a life-size version of the water tables at the Children’s Museum, but I was quickly put in my place. These are really some serious rapids! The guides are amazing at getting you through safely, and making it a little more exciting if you are comfortable doing so!
After a brief introduction and safety talk, we climbed in our boat and headed out! You are taken up a conveyor belt, which feels like a roller coaster! Once on the water, it’s all downhill, literally! We made it around the first lap like champs, then our guide asked if we wanted to turn it up! The next go-around was much more bumpy, and we lost our seating several times, and while no one fell out of the boat, during our day there I did see a few swimmers. No worries, they do prepare you for this should it happen. We went all out on our last trip, which was a solid Class 2 rapids. They are pretty strict on the age restrictions, and since our 12-yer-old was with us, that was the most extreme we could do. They also have a Class 4 rapids for 16 and up, and an Extreme Rafting in a smaller raft for 18 and up!
It was a blast!
We really had so much fun! The biggest bummer was that they don’t offer a photo of your experience, but you can bring someone to take pictures. There’s no charge if they aren’t doing any of the activities.
After rafting, we were starved! They don’t allow outside food or drinks, but do have a grill and a little stand with sandwiches and fruit. You can also keep a picnic lunch in your car, or even take it down to the river, but there’s not a lot of shade. We did the grill, which was basic concession type food.
They also sell adult drinks. Here’s a tip. Before you lock up your wallet, start a tab if you’re going to be drinking. You can keep it open all day. The Painkiller was amazing.
We did sit out and watched my youngest son on the Adventure Park, however the zip lines were closed due to Covid. My poor kid loves zip lining more than anything! While we watched him work his way up the course, we enjoyed the playground, water games and bouncy pillow thing!
After a short break, my boys were ready to try out body surfing!
I enjoyed finding a shady spot to wait for them.
You can also kayak in the white water! While the rapids are really great, it’s a safe environment to try some new things, instead of being out in the middle of no where with no one watching to jump in and help you out!
It’s a gorgeous facility.
Much like a waterpark, the water is chlorinated and recycled, although brown. There are not fish or turtles or anything living in the water with you.
Again, we did not have time to do everything, but on the Oklahoma River side of the park, there is flat water stand up paddleboarding and kayaking.
But we had time to go tubing. I was exhausted by now, and sat this out. But the boys loved it!
Again, my 12-year-old wasn’t allowed to do the longer, extreme tubing, but still enjoyed the rapids!
My husband did the longer course, and came off his tube at the end and had to remember his floating position to get down. They also have big yellow tubes you can do with a group!
It was a great day, followed by a great night’s sleep!
More Things To Do in Oklahoma City
Play
Wheeler Park in Oklahoma City has a fun ferris wheel, overlooking the river.
Bricktown is where to head after hours for great restaurants and fun activities, movie theaters, mini golf and more! It’s also where the Oklahoma Dodgers, the AAA franchise of the L.A. Dodgers play. I LOVE minor league baseball!
No trip to Oklahoma City is complete without a visit to the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, which memorializes the location of the Oklahoma City bombing.
Stockyards City Main Street is a fun place to explore, with great shops and historic information on Oklahoma City’s days on the cattle drives!
Eat
You must check out The Wedge for pizza in the Musically Historic Deep Deuce Neighborhood! It is so good!
Stay
If your kids love a good pool, they’ll love the Hampton Inn in the Brickyard!
Riversport Adventures
800 Riversport Drive, Oklahoma City, OK
Click HERE to visit their website.
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
Having Fun in the TEXAS Sun is on PINTEREST! Use it as a quick resource to find activities in different Texas towns! Click HERE!
© Having Fun in the Texas Sun, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Having Fun in the Texas Sun with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
I will occasionally post some of my favorite Amazon items with links to purchase. As an Amazon affiliate, I do receive a small, very small, commission should you choose to purchase using my link. If you do, thank you for supporting my small business.
