The Ocoee River is home to world class whitewater, so much so that the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta used the river's upper section, now known as the Olympic course, in it's kayaking events. The river has been dammed since about 2 decades before the great depression, and the dams were made a part of the TVA in the 1930s. Now, the river runs from Thursday to monday during the summer, and has sporadic releases due to rainfall and fluctuating water levels. The river also had a history of mineral extraction before it was incorporated into the Cherokee National Forest. It's still not advisable to drink the unfiltered water or eat fish out of the river or lakes downstream of the Blue Ridge Dam due to lingering copper & sulfur contamination from the mining operations that existed in McKayesville, Copper Hill, and Ducktown. 

The area is now an internationally known tourist destination for people looking to escape to the mountains but looking for a less commercial experience than Gatlinburg or Sevierville. this can mean that finding a spot during peak dates such as the fourth of July or any time during the peak of summer can become difficult, but it's so worth it.

With a Kayak, SUP, or personal raft, anyone can enter the river at either the upper or middle Ocoee put-in. However, it is important that paddlers are skilled and have the appropriate equipment to safely go down the river. The Ocoee features 6 miles of almost completely uninterrupted class III, IV, and V rapids and though deaths on the river are rare (only 6 since 1993), serious injury and drowning is extremely likely to happen to an unskilled paddler without a professional guide. A helmet and class III PFD are required to enter the river.

For amateur paddlers who want to experience the power of the river, a guide is recommended. Trips often sell from $90/person for a trip down the middle Ocoee, & $160/person for a full Ocoee trip. guided "fun-yak" trips are available as well for approximately $200/person. The Rock/Creek outfitters in Ocoee offers demos of their whitewater kayaks for $50, but paddlers must provide their own paddle, spray skirt, helmet, and PFD. 

A trip from the middle put in to the take out at lake Ocoee lasts approximately 3-3.5 hours, with an hour in transit and 2 hours on the water. the river contains class 3-4 rapids at normal water, with class 5 rapids at high water. As a general rule if you are forced to bail from your kayak, or if you fall out of your raft, it is better to swim right. This is especially important at the hole known as flipper due to a staircase ledge on the left part of the river. Additionally, if you fall out at the powerhouse ledge or hell's hole it is imperative that you swim to the right and away from the powerhouse as you will be sucked underwater into an extremely powerful hydraulic. The section of the powerhouse ledge has earned it's name, The Widowmaker. 

The full trip will last over 6 hours and will likely include a lunch break. The full trip includes the Olympic course as well as the classic middle Ocoee trip. you will have to portage your raft/kayak approximately 100 yards around the Ocoee Dam #2.