As Montgomery Whitewater park gears up for its highly anticipated grand opening this weekend, the rafting guides have already bestowed catchy nicknames upon the park’s rapids. Sweet Caroline is one of them, with waves that sound like the unique “bah-bah-bah” in the chorus of Neil Diamond’s hit. Curly, Larry, and Moe are present. There’s also Baptism.
According to Rafting Operations Manager Anthony Lopez, those are some of the most difficult waves in Montgomery Whitewater’s Competition Channel, which contains Class IV rapids.
“All three of those sections are pretty similar in scale,” Lopez said. “None of these names are 100 percent definite if someone comes up with a better name. But if you talk to the raft guides, that’s what they would call it.”
The other river at Montgomery Whitewater is the 2,200-foot-long Adventure Channel, which has Class II rapids and is a little less exciting. You can raft and kayak on both waterways.
On Friday, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Mayor Steven Reed of Montgomery, and other public leaders spoke at a ceremony and cut a ribbon to open the park.
The opening party goes on until Sunday. In the 120-acre park, there are more things to do than just river sports. There is a diner, an outdoor bar, walkways, yoga, and vendors. On Friday night, there will be live music.
The park’s entry is free, but this weekend there will be a $10 parking charge. The rafting and kayaking are paid activities. The park is about a mile from downtown and right near to Maxwell Air Force Base.
“This park will have a transformational impact on the quality of life right here in the River Region,” Sewell said.
“This is a great day for Montgomery, it’s a great day for the River Region and it’s a great day for Alabama,” Reed said.
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, the park cost around $90 million to build and provided 120 employment.
Linda Holmes of Montgomery first noticed it on Friday.
“It’s more than what I expected it to be,” Holmes said. “And it’s beautiful. I’m proud of the city for doing this. I think it’s much needed. And people I believe will come once they find out. You’ve got music out here and all kinds of space where the kids can come. It’s a no-brainer. It’s just nice. I love it. I absolutely love it.”
Holmes stated that she has no intentions to go rafting. But she said families will enjoy the park even if they do not do the whitewater rides
“I won’t because I can’t swim,” she said. “If I could swim I’d be rafting away. I really would. I’m just excited that our city has decided to do this.”
Lopez said he has worked at whitewater parks in Auckland, New Zealand, Charlotte, N.C., and Oklahoma.
“This one is world class,” Lopez said.
Lopez believes the park has the right mix of activities and atmosphere.
“The model of whitewater, live music, and beer, that business model, people love those things,” Lopez said. “People love being around the water. There’s something magnetic about it.
“And having that combination, that business model, will definitely draw people. It might take a minute for them to find it. But once they find it, I think they’ll fall in love with it.”
Despite being open currently, Montgomery Whitewater is still a work in progress. There are more planned activities as part of the next stage of development. Rock climbing, mountain biking, ropes courses, and access to the Alabama River for kayaking and paddle boarding are anticipated to be part of that. Montgomery Whitewater claims that there are also plans for a hotel on the property and shops.
Controversy has surrounded park funding, especially the taxpayers’ portion, in part because of escalating expenditures. The park was expected to cost $50 million when it was first proposed in 2019. Two years ago, construction started.
Gov. Kay Ivey suggested this year that the Montgomery County Commission get $25 million of a $2 billion surplus in the education budget for the project. The Legislature rejected it, but it did give the county commission for Montgomery Whitewater $5 million from the state General Fund.
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