Wildwater

What Wildwater does

Wildwater is a privately held, family-owned outdoor adventure company founded in June 1971 by Jim and Jeanette Greiner in Long Creek, South Carolina, operating today across four states (South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee) with three primary adventure centers on the Chattooga, Ocoee, and Nantahala Rivers plus an Asheville Treetops Adventure Park. Its core products are guided whitewater rafting on three rivers with distinct difficulty profiles (Chattooga up to Class V, Ocoee 10+ miles and the site of the 1996 Olympic whitewater events, Nantahala 8 miles of Class I-II rapids) and zipline canopy tours built to ACCT standards at each river location and in Asheville, including a KidZip course for young flyers. Around these anchors the company has layered on-site lodging (yurts, cabins, deluxe houses, a treehouse, group lodges, private camping) at Chattooga and Nantahala, plus Jeep tours, kayak/SUP tours, high ropes, Raft & Rail excursions via Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, photography services, on-site food service, and dedicated group/corporate/wedding coordination.

The business model is direct-to-consumer tourism with a sales-led group overlay: customers transact through a self-serve online booking platform (theflybook.com), a centralized phone reservations line (866-319-8870), or a dedicated group sales team handling parties of 10+. Revenue is generated per guest across multiple streams — rafting trips, zipline canopy tours, lodging (treated as recurring nightly revenue), bundled adventure packages with up to 35% discounts, photography commissions, and food/catering — with seasonal, weather-dependent demand concentrated in the spring-through-fall adventure travel window. No external funding, no institutional investors, and no public financial disclosures are present; the company has grown organically across 56 years and three generations of the Greiner family, with wholly-owned subsidiaries Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tours, Inc. and Asheville Treetops Adventure Park, LLC.

Name

Wildwater

Legal name

Wildwater Ltd.

Website

https://wildwaterrafting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wildwater is a family-owned outdoor adventure company operating since 1971 across four southeastern states, offering guided whitewater rafting on three rivers, zipline canopy tours, on-site lodging, Jeep tours, and group packages to individual consumers, families, and corporate/youth groups in the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Tourism

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (4872), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Campgrounds (721211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking & Canoeing Outfitters (THAAADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Marine Guiding Services (Kayak, Canoe, Raft, SUP, Sailing) (THAAALAB), Whitewater & Paddle Sports Centers (Rafting, Kayak, SUP, Canoe) (THAAAKAF)

Keywords

• Whitewater rafting adventures
• Zipline canopy tours
• Outdoor adventure tourism
• Guided river rafting
• Adventure vacation packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. White Water Rafting Trips: Guided white water rafting experiences on the Chattooga, Nantahala, and Ocoee Rivers. Pricing varies by river section, trip duration (half-day, full-day, multi-day), and season. Groups of 10+ receive discounted rates.
2. Zipline Canopy Tours: Canopy/zipline tours at multiple locations including Chattooga Ridge, Ocoee River Basin, and Nantahala Gorge. The Nantahala Gorge tour offers 11 different zip lines and 7 sky bridges.
3. On-site Lodging: Onsite lodging including yurts, luxury cabins, group facilities, and camping at Chattooga SC and Nantahala NC locations. Falling Waters Resort at Nantahala opened in July 1998.
4. Group Packages & Adventures: Bundled packages combining multiple activities (rafting, ziplining, lodging) with discounts up to 35%. Includes corporate retreats, youth groups, adventure camps, Jeep tours, kayak tours, and Raft & Rail excursions.
5. Photography Sales: Photography partner services where guests can purchase professional photos from their trips through Whetstone Photography (Chattooga), Rapid Image (Nantahala), and Digital Ocoee Photography.
6. Food Service: On-site restaurants and catering at some locations including Wildwater Willy's Mine Shaft Restaurant at Ocoee and The Well House at Chattooga.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wildwater is an outdoor adventure tourism company that operates professionally guided whitewater rafting trips on the Chattooga, Ocoee, and Nantahala Rivers, plus zipline canopy tours at four locations in the Southeast. It also sells on-site lodging (yurts, cabins, cottages, group facilities, treehouse, camping) and supplementary adventure experiences including Jeep tours, kayak and SUP tours, train excursions, high ropes courses, and multi-day adventure camps, marketed to individuals, families, and organized groups.

Product overview

Wildwater is a family-owned outdoor adventure company operating since 1971, offering a multi-location portfolio of guided adventure experiences centered on white water rafting and zipline canopy tours as its core products. The company spans three adventure center locations (Chattooga SC/GA, Ocoee TN, Nantahala NC) plus Asheville NC, providing white water rafting on three distinct rivers (Chattooga up to Class V, Ocoee 10+ miles, Nantahala Class I-II), three zipline canopy tour courses plus KidZip for children, and supplementary activities including Jeep tours, kayak/SUP tours, train adventures, high ropes courses, and teambuilding programs. Accommodations include yurts, cabins, cottages, a treehouse, and group lodging at the Chattooga and Nantahala centers. The company positions itself as the oldest outfitter in the Southeast and pioneered both commercial rafting on the Chattooga River and the first zipline canopy tours in the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• White Water Rafting Guided whitewater rafting trips on three rivers — Chattooga River (Class I-V, Wild and Scenic designated, GA/SC border), Ocoee River (10+ miles, America's #1 rafting destination, hosted the 1996 Olympic whitewater events, TN), and Nantahala River (8 miles of Class I-II rapids, NC). Available for ages 7 and up with weekend/weekday and seasonal pricing; group rates apply for parties of 10 or more.
• Zipline Canopy Tours Aerial zipline canopy tours built and inspected to ACCT (Association of Challenge Course Technology) standards, with 3 full-length courses across Georgia/South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina plus a KidZip option for the youngest flyers. The Nantahala Gorge tour includes 11 different ziplines and 7 sky bridges; Ocoee offers 9 zipline sections and 3 swinging sky bridges; Chattooga Ridge features the 1,200-ft Bell Tower Zipline (longest in Upstate SC).
• Chattooga Jeep Tours Fully guided 3-hour scenic Jeep tours through Chattooga backroads featuring waterfalls, mountain views, and fall colors. Designed for families with children (40+ lbs minimum), guests who want to stay dry, or visitors seeking variety to add to adventure weekends.
• Kayak Tours and Clinics

Quantifiable outcome

• Guide training exceeds US Forest Service requirements for whitewater guides
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Great Smoky Mountain RailroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for combined railroad and adventure packages. Wildwater offers Raft & Rail excursions that combine Great Smoky Mountain Railroad train rides with rafting or other activities at the Nantahala location.
• Whetstone PhotographyminorOthersOfficial photography partner for Chattooga River trips. Guests can view and purchase professional photos from their rafting experience through Whetstone Photography.
• Rapid ImageminorOthersOfficial photography partner for Nantahala River trips. Provides photo services for rafters on the Nantahala.
• Digital Ocoee PhotographyminorOthersOfficial photography partner for Ocoee River trips. Provides photo services for rafters on the Ocoee.
• Adventure Center of AshevilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner location for Asheville Treetops Adventure Park operations, extending Wildwater's zipline and adventure offerings to the Asheville market.
• Mercier OrchardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCross-promotional partnership with Blue Ridge, GA orchard. Joint marketing of family adventure traditions combining Wildwater rafting with Mercier Orchards visits.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC): Direct competitor offering guided whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River, along with ziplines, lodging, and retail in Bryson City, NC. Overlaps on the Nantahala River outfitter business and zipline canopy tours in the same region.
• Endless River Adventures: Direct peer operating guided whitewater rafting on the Nantahala River with similar trip durations, group packages, and on-site amenities. Closest head-to-head competitor on the Nantahala.
• Raft One (formerly Adventures Unlimited): Direct peer offering guided whitewater rafting trips (Nantahala and Ocoee), zipline tours, and lodging/camping in the Southeast. Comparable product mix of rafting, canopy tours, and on-site accommodations.
• Smoky Mountain Outdoors (SMO): Direct competitor offering guided whitewater rafting on the Nantahala and Pigeon Rivers in the Smoky Mountains region, with similar pricing, group packages, and target customer segments.
• Rolling Thunder River Company: Direct peer providing guided whitewater rafting on the Ocoee and Nantahala Rivers with similar trip configurations and family/group target markets in the Southeast.
• USA Raft Adventure Resort: Direct competitor offering whitewater rafting on the Nolichucky and Ocoee Rivers along with on-site cabins, camping, and adventure packages — highly comparable multi-activity resort model.
• ACE Adventure Resort: Direct peer operating whitewater rafting on the New and Gauley Rivers in West Virginia, with on-site lodging, ziplines, and a full adventure resort model paralleling Wildwater's integrated offering.
• Adventures on the Gorge: Direct competitor operating whitewater rafting on the New and Gauley Rivers with lodging, ziplines, and a multi-activity resort — comparable full-service outdoor adventure destination operator.
• Navitat Canopy Adventures: Specialized zipline canopy tour operator in the Southeast (Asheville area) overlapping with Wildwater's Asheville Treetops Adventure Park and canopy tour category.

Broad incumbents

• Great Smoky Mountains Railroad: Regional partner and broader tourism attraction offering scenic train rides in the Smoky Mountains; co-markets Raft & Rail excursions with Wildwater. Comparable as a regional Southeast experiential tourism incumbent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wildwaterltd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WildwaterLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildwaterRafting
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildwaterltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wildwater