North Carolina's Top 19 Adventure Travel Companies
North Carolina's Top 19 Adventure Travel Companies
The adventure travel industry in North Carolina is vibrant and varied, offering a diverse set of experiences that cater to thrill-seekers and nature lovers alike. Companies in this sector provide an array of activities - from whitewater rafting and kayaking to rock climbing and hang gliding, and even yoga amidst nature. More than just tour operators, these firms are also educators, equipment providers, and facilitators of connection to the natural world. Expectedly, this dynamic industry continues to grow, with a marked trend toward sustainable practices and immersive, tailor-made experiences.
Top 19 adventure travel companies in North Carolina
1. Whitewater
- Website: whitewater.org
- Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2006
- Headcount: 501-1000
Whitewater.org is a company that provides outdoor recreational activities and experiences. They offer a wide range of activities such as whitewater rafting, kayaking, paddleboarding, climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and yoga. With a focus on facilitating access to the outdoor lifestyle, they also organize events, festivals, and races. The company operates an outfitters store, catering services, and a bed & breakfast facility. They cater to individuals, families, and groups seeking adventure and a connection with nature.
2. Kitty Hawk Kites, Inc
- Website: kittyhawk.com
- Headquarters: Nags Head, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 1974
- Headcount: 201-500
Kitty Hawk Kites is a company that offers a wide range of adventure activities and products, including kite flying, hang gliding gear, wind art, toys, apparel, and gifts. With over 45 years of experience, they have been teaching the world to fly since 1974.
3. Nantahala Outdoor Center
- Website: noc.com
- Headquarters: Bryson City, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 1972
- Headcount: 501-1000
NOC.com is a premier adventure outfitter providing a wide range of outdoor activities and training programs. They offer whitewater rafting, zip lining, kayaking, mountain biking, and more. With locations across the Southeast and international tours, they cater to individuals, families, university groups, corporate teams, and outdoor enthusiasts. Their business model focuses on providing exceptional experiences and retail products through their online and physical stores. They operate in the adventure tourism industry and serve a diverse customer base.
4. Adventure Treks
- Website: adventuretreks.com
- Headquarters: Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 1993
- Headcount: 51-200
Adventure Treks is an outdoor adventure camp for young people, offering programs and gap semesters that provide opportunities for personal growth and exploration of natural spaces.
5. North Carolina Outward Bound School
- Website: ncobs.org
- Headquarters: Asheville, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 1967
- Headcount: 51-200
North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) is a nonprofit organization that provides experiential learning programs for teens and adults. They help individuals develop essential skills such as emotional intelligence, problem-solving, active listening, communication, resilience, and compassion. NCOBS offers year-round courses ranging from 4 to 72 days, focusing on outdoor education. They operate in multiple locations and have a strong emphasis on safety and risk management.
6. Navitat Canopy Adventures
- Website: navitat.com
- Headquarters: Barnardsville, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2009
- Headcount: 51-200
Navitat is a company that offers zipline canopy adventures and off-road vehicle (RTV) tours in Asheville, NC and Knoxville, TN.
7. Lundy Charters
- Website: lundycharters.com
- Headquarters: Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2007
- Headcount: 11-50
Lundy Charters offers curated adventure travel experiences.
8. Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions
- Website: lillardflyfishing.com
- Headquarters: Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, United States
- Headcount: 11-50
Lillard Fly Fishing Expeditions is an adventure education company providing exciting fly fishing camps for middle and high school students and custom wilderness fly fishing adventures for families, groups, and schools. The company is dedicated to educating future generations of fly fishing conservationists through adventure education, service learning, and leadership training.
9. French Broad Adventures
- Website: frenchbroadrafting.com
- Headquarters: Marshall, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 1981
- Headcount: 11-50
French Broad Adventures is a company that offers outdoor adventure activities such as whitewater and calm water rafting, ziplining, and canyoneering trips in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, NC.
10. Palm Coast Tours & Outings
- Website: palmcoasttours.com
- Headquarters: New Bern, North Carolina, United States
- Headcount: 11-50
Palm Coast Tours offers boat tours for eco enthusiasts to explore majestic wildlife sites and calm waters, providing a relaxed adventure that leaves a light carbon footprint and allows for stunning photo opportunities. Book a pontoon tour today and discover the wonders of the outdoors!
11. Tavia Thomas Keller Williams
- Website: searchthemountains.net
- Headquarters: Waynesville, North Carolina, United States
- Headcount: 11-50
SearchTheMountains is a company that provides guided adventure tours in mountainous regions to both experienced and novice outdoor enthusiasts. Their tours are designed to be safe, educational, and enjoyable.
12. Liquid Spark, Inc.
- Website: liquidspark.com
- Headquarters: Bryson City, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2007
- Headcount: 1-10
Liquid Spark is a full-service marketing agency specializing in adventure tourism and eco-minded brands that serve people, place, and planet.
13. White Water Adventure Center
- Website: usnwc.org
- Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2001
- Headcount: 1-10
The US National Whitewater Center (USNWC) offers outdoor recreational activities such as white water rafting, kayaking, climbing, and zip-lining.
14. Around Lake Lure
- Website: aroundlakelure.com
- Headquarters: Lake Lure, North Carolina, United States
- Headcount: 51-200
AroundlakeLure.com is an independent, locally-owned guide that serves Lake Lure, NC and the neighboring mountain towns by sharing fun things to do that help people enjoy the area. Their goal is to help their audience celebrate life in this Crazy Good Place called Lake Lure!
15. WB Surf Camp
- Website: wbsurfcamp.com
- Headquarters: Wilmington, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2001
- Headcount: 11-50
WB Surf Camp is a surf camp that offers beginner to advanced surf lessons to kids, teens, adults, and families. They aim to cultivate a love and respect for the ocean, building confidence and character through safety, fun, and learning.
16. kelloggshow
- Website: kelloggshow.com
- Headquarters: North America, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2012
- Headcount: 11-50
KelloggShow is a website that provides travel guides and adventure ideas for families and outdoor enthusiasts. They also offer a range of gift ideas for adventure lovers.
17. Travellers Quest
- Website: travellersquest.com
- Headquarters: Dallas, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2010
- Headcount: 51-200
TravellersQuest is an online platform that offers a wide range of tours and travel deals from around the globe that allows travellers to search, compare, and book meaningful trips with the best providers.
18. Trouvaille Travel International
- Website: trouvailletravel.com
- Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- Founded: 2021
- Headcount: 1-10
Trouvaille Travel is a luxury travel brand founded by Kimberly Davis, a former cultural anthropologist and mental healthcare consultant and coach, with a history of extensive global travel for work and leisure. The vision for Trouvaille was born out of Kim's passion in both of those careers, her commitment to authentic human and cultural connections to create new global awareness, and her ability to harness the power of travel, and the wonder it can engender, to push us outside of our comfort zones to create empowering and affirming experiences. She has stayed in $5/night hotels with bedbugs, and $1000/night hotels with butlers (preferring the latter). She has hiked across the Andes, snorkeled with sharks in Belize, cooked curries in Sri Lanka, and been blessed by monks in Cambodia. Throughout those experiences, she found that stepping into an adventure with curiosity, compassion (for herself and others), and a little touch of fearlessness, can allow us to discover a whole other side to ourselves and our world that we often did not expect. Will you join us on that journey? If you do, what will you discover? https://www.trouvailletravel.com
19. Visit Charlotte
- Website: charlottesgotalot.com
- Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
- Headcount: 51-200
Charlotte's Go All Out is a comprehensive guide to the city of Charlotte, offering information and resources on various attractions, events, neighborhoods, and dining options. It serves as a one-stop destination for both locals and tourists to explore and navigate the city.
Want to find more adventure travel companies?
If you want to find more companies that offer exhilarating experiences like kayaking, climbing, mountain biking and more you can do so with Inven. This list was built with Inven and there are hundreds of companies like these globally.
With Inven you'll also get to know the company's:
- Ownership: Which of these are private equity backed? Which are family-owned?
- Contact data: Who are the owners and CEO's? What are their emails and phone numbers?
- Financials: How do these companies perform financially? What are their revenues and profit margins?
...and a lot more!
