When it comes to planning a family vacation, finding a something-for-everyone destination can seem like a high bar. But the Ocoee River Corridor clears it.
This Southeast Tennessee area is an outdoor haven, with activities appropriate for hard-core adventurers, families with young children, and everyone in between. Thanks to expert outfitters and others who do the hard work for you, planning the perfect outdoor-centric vacation is as easy as packing your bags.
The Ocoee River Corridor is popular for many reasons, one of them being because it is easily reached by car from so many cities (it’s less than four hours from: Birmingham, Alabama; Nashville; Asheville, North Carolina; Knoxville; and Chattanooga).
Get Wet
The primary reason people come to the region is because they want to play on the river that gives it its name. The Ocoee River is 93 miles long, technically a tributary of the Hiwassee River, flowing through the scenic Appalachian Mountain range. While locals have long known and loved their little piece of paradise, when the Ocoee River became the 1996 Olympic Site for Kayak and Canoe Slalom events, the secret was out. People all over the world saw the beauty of these waters. (The Olympic building is no longer standing, but the bridge and the river that flows under it remain.) The Ocoee is the only natural river that has been used in Olympic whitewater events (the others have used man-made waterways for the competition).
The Ocoee is sometimes called “America’s Favorite Whitewater,” an honorific bestowed because of its popularity as a travel destination and some of the many unusual features of this natural resource. The river flow is natural, and managed, meaning the Tennessee Valley Authority releases water on a schedule that is available to the public.
What sets the corridor apart from other outdoor destinations is that the river only runs fully guided raft trips; folks can’t just grab a raft and go out on these Class III and Class IV rapids on their own. There are 23 experienced outfitters whose guides know the river’s ups and downs like the back of their hands. That makes for a confident and enjoyable experience for first-timer rafters, who learn safety protocols and best practices for running rivers. The river is divided into two sections: the Upper (where the Olympic events took place) and the Middle. Both are open to first-time rafters. Shorter trips on either section (of a few hours) are great introductions, while day-long trips on the combined Upper and Middle sections satisfy experienced paddler and adventure enthusiasts.
Kids must be ages 12 and older to join an outfitter on an Ocoee rapids trip, but there are other ways for younger kids to get in on the fun. The calmer Lower Ocoee and nearby Hiwassee have easier sections to raft, and those are open to younger children. Lake Ocoee, also known as Parksville Lake, between the Middle Ocoee and the Lower Ocoee River sections, is a wonderful lake for paddleboarding, sit-on-top kayaking, and offers delightful swimming and picnic areas at several lakeside locations.
The Ocoee River is fed by dam releases from the top of the lake, making for much warmer water temperatures than other mountain rivers. In addition, the river runs through wide open areas with tons of sunshine, a boon to rafters! In summer, a swim will be refreshing, but you won’t need a wet suit to take a dip (whether that’s an intentional swim or an accidental one).
Get Dirty
The Ocoee River Corridor is inside the Cherokee National Forest, giving visitors access to pristine outdoor recreation, and is managed by and includes the Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park. There are numerous area trails for hiking and biking, including the Tanasi Trail System, and the John Muir trail, which wind along the river banks along the gorge, the Bartram Trail and Appalachian Trail also cross the Ocoee River.
The Ocoee/Hiwassee Scenic River State Park is a great addition to any trip to the corridor, whether you plan to raft or not. “Hiwassee/Ocoee State Park is a great base camp for exploring the area,” says Angelo Giansante, the park manager. There are also many other lodging and campground options, including Chilhowie Recreation Area, Thunder Rock campground on the Ocoee River, and area camping and lodging with Ocoee Outfitters and other local providers.
The Ocoee River Corridor is replete with hiking and mountain biking trails, organized activities like ziplining, and immersions in nature, which include fishing and birding. You may even see a bald eagle flying overhead as you cast your line. Beekeeping takes place in the State Park, contributing to the riotous display of wildflowers and presence of butterflies. The park is a Certified Monarch Way Station. Don’t forget to look up: Stargazing is easily on display from any of the terrific campsites in the corridor. In particular, the State Park and surrounding region has very little light pollution, so astronomy groups are known to gather here.
And you can enjoy all of these activities before or after you raft or in the off-season.
While the corridor is most popular in the summer, when the rivers are running at full schedules for people to go rafting, Giansante is a fan of spring and fall, too. The rivers run on the weekends for rafting then. He likes to see the abundant wildflowers in the spring, the leaves on the trees changing colors in the fall, and notes a particular joy of getting on a hiking trail with fewer bugs flying around and cooler air temperatures.
Other folks use the many Ocoee River Corridor campgrounds as a base camp for motorcycle riding, as the mountainous area is filled with curving paved roads popular with motorcyclists.
The Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park rangers are also an exceptional resource for visitors to the Ocoee River Corridor. Not only can they help visitors with information on both land and river activities, including connecting them with outfitters who run raft trips, and shuttle drivers for hikers, the rangers also can do guided hikes and campfire talks. The State Park created an all new Explorer’s Camping Package that includes a campsite set up with a 4-person tent, cookstove, lantern, and firewood, making for an easy first-time camping experience for those new to sleeping in a tent, or for visitors traveling who don’t want to lug all their gear.
See? You don’t have to do anything to have a good time but show up. Learn more at tnstateparks.com/parks/hiwassee-ocoee.
