May 9, 2024
Love an adventure? In Cabarrus County, NC, there are plenty of places where you can find a thrill — indoors and outdoors — all year round. Feel the exhilaration of indoor skydiving, the electrifying velocity of a speedway or the fascinating depths of underground mine tours. These wild outings might not be for the faint of heart, but they’ll bring you memories you’ll never forget.
Put the Pedal to the Metal
Cabarrus County is where racing lives, and for the ultimate high-octane thrill, nothing beats the iconic Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord. Rev your engine at the Speedway with the NASCAR Racing Experience. This driving school puts you behind the wheel to handle turns like a real NASCAR driver.
You can also sign up for the guided Feel The Thrill Tour, where you’ll feel the full-tilt force of the 24-degree banked turns during a ride around the track. You’ll learn about the venue’s history and also visit the NASCAR Cup Series garage, Pit Road, zMAX Dragway and The Dirt Track.
If you’re looking for something a little outside the fast lane, you’re in luck. Nearby at Concord’s K1 Speed or The Speedpark at Concord Mills, you can challenge your friends to a friendly go-kart race. Plus, The Speedpark offers miniature golf, bungee jumping, a 110-foot slide and more.
Plunge Down a Water Slide
Nearly a dozen water slides of all kinds of lengths, heights, twists and turns are waiting for you at Great Wolf Lodge’s indoor water park, located in Concord. This all-seasons resort invites the whole family to test their mettle on 11 slides at four heated pools, including the rip-roarin’ River Canyon Run, the hyper-fast Mountain Edge Raceway, the six-story funnel Howlin’ Tornado and the steep drops of the four-story Alberta Falls. Refuel post-plunge at the lodge’s restaurants and snack bars, then enjoy exciting dry land activities like the 4D experience inside the Howly Wood XD Theater.
Fly High in the Sky
Concord’s iFLY Indoor Skydiving offers the rush of skydiving without requiring you to actually leap from a plane. Certified flight instructors show you the ropes in a short training session. Then you suit up, step into a state-of-the-art wind tunnel and “free fall,” a simulated and safe experience that mimics the feeling of skydiving.
Daredevils of all ages are welcome, since flyers as young as three years old can participate. And for a fun bonus, choose from one of several virtual reality add-ons that let you fly over destinations from around the globe.
Explore the Trails on a Mountain Bike
Get a little dirt under your tires on a challenging outdoor adventure. Brown Mill, Concord’s first mountain bike trail, is a great place to start. Winding through leafy woods, the 4.25-mile trail welcomes intermediate riders to navigate jumps, dips, switchbacks, berms and corners.
In Harrisburg, the Harrisburg Half is a shorter, half-mile loop with a short ascent and a few switchbacks. Need gear? Check out Cabarrus Cycling Co. in Kannapolis and The Right Gear Bicycle Shop in Concord, both one-stop shops with everything you need: bicycles, accessories and apparel, plus tune-ups, service and repair.
Tour Underground Mine Tunnels
If you’re craving a subterranean adventure, descend deep into the earth at Midland’s Reed Gold Mine, the site of the first documented discovery of gold in the United States. On a guided tour, wander hundreds of feet of restored mine tunnels, most dating back to the 1830s. When you emerge aboveground, pan for flakes of gold, see the ruins of the 1854 mill house, hike trails to Little Meadow Creek and explore the Visitor Center exhibits on the geology of gold and of historic mining equipment.
Time to Relax
Thrill seekers need rest, too. That’s why Cabarrus County offers a range of accommodations. Find a hotel that’s right for you in our Places to Stay guide.
