Setting
About 170 miles from Atlanta, the Ocoee River flows through the Cherokee National Forest in eastern Tennessee. Whitewater rafters take on the river 112 days out of the year, when the water is not diverted to a power generation station.
Recreation
Full of Class III and Class IV rapids, the Ocoee is a favorite destination for serious whitewater adventure seekers. Rafting outfitters schedule trips down the river from the middle of March through the beginning of November. The Middle Ocoee, where most of the rafting takes place, is five miles long and takes about two hours to raft. Hikers and bikers beat the 20-mile network of trails that branches out from the Ocoee Whitewater Center. Pools of water by the OWC provide a way to get wet without challenging the rapids.