In 1996 the Olympic canoe slalom events were held on the Ocoee, the first Olympic whitewater competition on a natural river. The Forest Service built the Ocoee Whitewater Center for the Games on U.S. 64 inside the Cherokee National Forest, and a half-mile stretch of the river was shaped into a channel that sharpens its rapids. The Ocoee runs northwest through Polk County to join the Hiwassee near Benton. The Hiwassee was the first river in the state's Scenic River program, and a state park follows 23 miles of it.
The Ocoee you see is a managed river. The Tennessee Valley Authority operates its dams, and Ocoee No. 2, built in 1913 to power aluminum production at Alcoa, sends most of the water through a flume along the gorge wall, which leaves the riverbed dry much of the time. A rock slide in 1976 damaged the flume, and while TVA rebuilt it the river ran undiverted. Paddlers and rafting companies found it. After a long legal fight that took an act of Congress, recreational releases were won, and the river now runs on a published schedule.
The center's building burned on April 26, 2022. The Forest Service has reopened the trails and the parking lots, while the fenced visitor center stays closed. Check TVA's release schedule before you plan around the water.
The closest stops worth working into your route
Roadside plaques and monuments within a short detour