Need a little adventure in your life this summer? You can get all the thrills of rafting, tubing, river boarding and more without the hassle of traveling very far at all. The Boathouse District, located at the intersection of I-35 and I-40 downtown, offers all of that and so much more on the Oklahoma River. There are a variety of activities available for all ages with something for just about everyone. The Boathouse District was established in 2006 with the opening of the Chesapeake Boathouse but it has rapidly expanded and now includes a row of unique boathouses along the river, the Chesapeake Finish Line Tower, and RIVERSPORT Adventure Park which offers exciting outdoor activities including whitewater rafting and a kayaking center.

“RIVERSPORT Adventures is a place that screams “but wait, there’s more!” at every corner,” said Holland Taylor, the PR and Marketing Coordinator for the OKC Boathouse Foundation. “We offer whitewater rafting, tubing, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding, plus land adventures including the SandRidge Sky Trail, the Sky Zip across the Oklahoma River, high speed slides, extreme water slides and more.”

There are Adventure Passes available which allow you to participate in multiple activities in RIVERSPORT Adventures for just one price. You can get the Adventure Pass which includes all of the land and flatwater adventures; SandRidge Sky Trail, Sky Slides, Rumble Drop, Extreme Air Jumper, Velosolutions and Subaru Momentum Pump Tracks, Sky Tykes, Kids Zip, Cloud Bounce, Adventure Climb, Climbing Wall, Flatwater Kayaking, Stand Up Paddle Boarding and Bikes for $39 a day ($29 for ages 7 and under) or $99 for the entire season. You can also choose the Riversport Pass which includes RIVERSPORT Rapids whitewater rafting, Love's tubing and river boarding, plus all land and flatwater adventures for $49 a day or $179 a season. There are also hourly rentals and single experience pricing available as well.

In addition to the regularly offered activities, there are a few new special summer activities going on in RIVERSPORT Adventures as well. Every Thursday is ‘Surf Zone Thursday’ from 4-9 p.m. which will include live music and food trucks. The schedule for the weekly event includes Big Water Rafting ,which is Class 4 rafting, only for ages 16+ from 4-5 p.m., tubing and river boarding from 5-7 p.m., and floating the pond from 7-9 p.m. ‘Floating Films’ will also take place every Saturday through the end of August. Guests can watch the movie for free from the patio. They can also rent a tube or a raft for $10 to get the full floating films experience. A full list of movies is available on the website. There’s also ‘Urban Camping’ experiences available on August 12, September 2 and October 7.

“Guests can pitch a tent on Love’s Island for a getaway just steps from modern conveniences, an indoor restroom and dinner at Big Water Grill,” said Taylor. “$10 per person reserves a spot on Love’s Island or $79 per person for a reserved spot and two days of whitewater water rafting. Guests are allowed to pitch their tent at 7 p.m. and remove it by 8 a.m. the next day.”

Taylor also said there is one more summer event in the works but they aren’t ready to release any details about it yet, so keep your eyes open for that announcement soon. You can find out more detailed information about RIVERSPORT Adventures as well as information about upcoming events at www.riversportokc.org.

The Boathouse District also has its own foundation, the OKC Boathouse Foundation (OKCBF), which is involved with community building and service projects. They believe that the Oklahoma River has the power to change lives, and help Oklahoma City become a stronger, healthier community. The OKCBF mission is “to develop and operate facilities and programs to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma City, pursue the highest goals of sports and fitness, attract diverse involvement in the boathouses and related events that generate a positive public image and economic opportunity, and promote the use and development of the Oklahoma River as a world-class urban aquatic venue.” There are many different ways you can get involved with the foundation through volunteering and donations among other things. You can find out more information at www.boathousedistrict.org.