Each year, more than
300,000 people shoot the rapids on the Toccoa/Ocoee River in Blue Ridge. During
the March through October season, locals and visitors alike take the trip down
the river in rafts, canoes, and kayaks. The river has a constant flow rate and
continuous waves and holes to ramp up the sense of adventure. Flowing out of
Lake Blue Ridge as the Toccoa River, the name changes to Ocoee at the Tennessee
border. The class III and IV rapids that highlight the river begin just west of
Ducktown, TN. Rafting trips feature the Upper Ocoee, including the Olympic
kayaking course created for the 1996 Olympic Games at the Ocoee Whitewater
Center; the Middle Ocoee, a five-mile stretch of class III and IV whitewater;
and a Full River Trip which includes both sections. Full River Trips are only
available on designated days on summer weekends, so check on the dates before
you make your plans. Because of the amount of
For families with younger
kids, or for those who prefer a more relaxing float, tubing trips on the Toccoa
in Blue Ridge and McCaysville are available on both the upper and lower
sections of the river. Rafting and tubing is also available on the nearby
Nantahala River and offers a gentler trip than the Ocoee. New to Lake Blue
Ridge is stand-up paddling, an active way to move around the water at your own
pace.
Check out the water
adventures page on our website for more information on
local outfitters and other water adventures in the area.
