Ocoee River Championships

July 19, 2018 by Grant Outlaw Leave a Comment

Ocoee River Championships

The first (of hopefully many) Ocoee River Championships (ORC) are going to be held on the Olympic section of the Ocoee river. On August 24th – 26th of this year the Olympic section of the Ocoee will host a new kind of whitewater event reminiscent of what this section of the river was created for. Within these three days there will be world class contests in slalom, freestyle, downriver, boater cross, squirt, SUP, rafting, and ducky cross.

For the first time in nearly two decades the Olympic venue at the Ocoee Whitewater Center will cater to a world class whitewater event. This section of river was designed and altered for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games to host the whitewater events. Since then has the river bed has been dry, only running on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day for whitewater rafting.

This event will be much like a festival with outdoor vendors, food, and awesome whitewater. So unplug and bring the family to the Ocoee river to see some of the top names in our sport battle to be the best at the first ever Ocoee River Championships.

To get more information about the Ocoee River Championship check out there web page.

All Military Raft For Free

June 22, 2018 by Grant Outlaw Leave a Comment

This July 4th All Military Raft For Free On The Ocoee River

You heard that right this July 4th all active and retired military get to raft for free on the middle Ocoee river. We could think of no better way to honor the great individuals that have chosen to serve our country. So get out your bathing suit and get ready to crash through the waves of the middle Ocoee river on us. We would love to see all branches of the military represented so please share this post with others. This trip is likely to book up fast so please call and make your reservation today.

What Is The Carolina Ocoee Difference?

August 3, 2017 by Grant Outlaw Leave a Comment

On the Ocoee River there are many options a guest has in choosing a white water adventure company, 23 outfitters to be exact. Out of all these companies everyone of them has an outpost, boats, paddles, life jackets, and buses. We all raft down the same river and go through all the same rapids. So what would make anyone of the Ocoee River outfitters different than the others?

There is a lot of smoke and mirrors when it come to how a white water outfitter markets themselves. Some will boast about there outpost, gear, store or even a cheap price. Don’t be fooled into thinking that these things correlate into a quality white water adventure. You must look at our industry as you would a museum or a hospital. All hospitals are the same for the most part, the difference between them is the staff and doctors. A museum’s value is in the art, not the check in desk.

So when we are asked what makes us better than the other companies down the road the answer is always a definitive “OUR GUIDES.”

Now this is a bold statement I know, but it is totally true and this is why we feel so confident in making this remark.

At Carolina Ocoee we do not hire first year guides. No guide is going to cut their teeth trying to learning how to guide while you are in there boat. We hire seasoned and highly experienced guides only. We pride our self on being able to guarantee you a great trip.
Our sole focus is on providing the highest quality white water experience on the Ocoee River. Our guides have chosen guiding as a profession and they take it very seriously. To them this is not just a summer job of partying and playing on the river; this is there profession and they aim to be a pro at it. Seventy-five percent of our guest are repeat customers and we really pride ourselves off the quality of our trips. We will stop taking reservations before we put you with a guide that we don’t trust 100%.
We are unmatched when it comes to our level of experience. We have 9 nine guides on staff with a total of 115 years of experience.

Meet The Carolina Ocoee Guides.

This team gets it done every trip, every time. They are ready to give you the best trip possible on the Ocooe River.

Don’t forget you can request a guide!

5 Questions You Should Ask When Booking A White Water Rafting Trip

June 28, 2017 by Grant Outlaw Leave a Comment

5 Questions You Should Ask When Picking A White Water Rafting Company

When choosing a rafting company to go rafting with it can be difficult to find any differences between outfitters. Let me tell you though that there is a wide variety of trips that are offered. Not every company puts the same attention to quality, service, experience and safety. So here is a short list of questions you should ask for the answers to when picking a rafting company.

1. HOW MANY ROOKIES DO YOU HAVE THIS SEASON?

What you are wanting to know is how many first year guides does this outfitter have and what are the chances that you will get one of these guides. In our industry this is called the raft guide lottery. You don’t want a new guide learning how to run rapids with you as the guinea pig. There are companies that are mostly new guides and then there are some with none.

2. HOW MUCH TIME ARE WE GOING TO SPEND ON THE RIVER?

This is an important question. On the river that we operate on, the Ocoee River, there are outfitters that give a 45 minute trip and then there are companies that give a 2 hour trip. That can be over a 100% more time on the river. When asking this question you will want to emphasize time on the water and not the whole trip time.

3. HOW FAR IS YOUR OUTPOST FROM THE RIVER?

It is better when an outfitter is close to the river. This gives you a shorter bus ride to the river and allows for more of your trip to be spent on the river. You should look for a company within 10 miles of the river you are rafting. There are companies that have over an hour ride just to get to the river.

4. WILL YOU GET PICTURES OF OUR TRIP AND AT HOW MANY RAPIDS?

Every company should get pictures of you going down the river and if they don’t you should be worried. What you really want to know is about how many pictures and at how many different locations. Also you will want to know if those pictures are going to be available for you to view and purchase when you get back to the outpost.

5. WILL WE GET TO SURF AND PLAY ON THE RIVER?

There are two parts to this question. First does the company allow playing and surfing on the river and second does the company have guides that can play and surf in the rapids. There are outfitters that strictly do not allow anything other than a straight down the river trip. Avoid these companies, there is a lot of fun that can be had in white water and you want to experience all of it. The companies that do allow playing and surfing don’t always have guides that can do it. So what you want to look for is a outfitter that allows playing and that has highly experienced guides.

We hope that this list will help you in finding the best outfitter on the rivers you are hoping to raft.

Happy Rafting!

During This Holiday Season Make The Most Of Your Time With Friends & Family

December 22, 2016 by Grant Outlaw Leave a Comment

The holiday season is upon us and most of you will be getting some well deserved time off. It’s a season of friends and family. A time of gathering and a time of sharing. Here are a few ideas to make to most of your holiday.

5 Reasons To Go Rafting This Spring

April 20, 2016 by Grant Outlaw 6 Comments

5 Reasons Why You Should Try Whitewater Rafting This Spring

When most people think about whitewater rafting they think of summer. The weather is hot and the kids are out of school. As a result, the prices are high and the river is crowded.

Spring is the best kept secret in whitewater rafting adventures. This article highlights some of the main reasons you should consider the spring season for your next whitewater rafting adventure.

1. MORE TIME ON THE RIVER

In the spring we typically run only one or two trips a day, which means lots of time to play on the river. This extra time makes for a more personal trip where you see and experience more. There is no rush so we take our time and make sure your whitewater adventure is more than you expected.

2. THE RIVER IS LESS CROWDED

The spring months see only about 10% of the whole season’s traffic. This means that you get the feeling that you have the river to yourself.

A lot of why the river is less crowded is because families are waiting for school to end. So for couples and friends not burdened by a school schedule, whitewater rafting in the spring is a excellent choice.

Both the Ocoee River and the Nantahala River are just a few hours from numerous major cities: Chattanooga, Knoxville, Asheville, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Because of our locations a whitewater rafting weekend is accessible to everyone in these cities making a awesome weekend adventure.

3. THE DAYS ARE WARMING UP

Spring weather means cool nights and warm days. So by planning your trip in the middle of the day you can raft in the spring and enjoy the river while keeping warm.

For those concerned about being too cool we provide splash jackets to help keep the water out and the body heat in.

Here is a great resource for dressing right for your trip: What To Wear.

4. YOUR RAFTING TRIP WILL COST YOU LESS

Whitewater rafting prices can vary a lot depending on when you want to go. By rafting in the spring you can save as much as 25% off your trip as compared with summer prices.

Because our areas are so seasonally focused you will most likely see considerable savings by rafting in the spring.

5. OUR RIVER GUIDES ARE SO HAPPY TO BE BACK ON THE RIVER

Most river guides either head to the ski resorts or find odd jobs to get them through the winter to the next season. Whichever they do, by the time the river season starts back they are excited to be back on the water. This excitement is most evident in the beginning of the season.

Take advantage of this spring and come have a whitewater rafting adventure with Carolina Ocoee.

Best White Water Rafting Near Atlanta

March 4, 2016 by Grant Outlaw 1 Comment

White Water Rafting Near Atlanta, GA

Atlanta summers can be brutal with temperatures sometimes exceeding 100 degrees. This leaves most quickly darting between air-conditioned environments to maintain cool.

Life in the city has a lot of perks: plenty of restaurants, museums, and activity. But with it comes congestion, stress, and anxiety.

The cure for the heat and craziness of Atlanta can be found in the rivers just a few hours north in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. Whitewater rafting on the Nantahala and Ocoee Rivers will cool the body and refresh the soul.

The Nantahala River and Ocoee River are awesome whitewater experiences with adventures for all ages and skill levels. Both are located in National Forests, which insure a slow paced natural experience. These mountain rivers are exactly what’s needed to cool down, relax, and have fun.

Ocoee River Rafting

The Ocoee River is located only two hours north of Atlanta in the southeastern part of Tennessee. Atlanta and the Ocoee River will forever be linked because of its part in the 1996 Olympic Games, as the home of the whitewater canoe and kayak events.

An Ocoee River rafting trip is an experience like no other with over 30 named class III-IV rapids in a 10 mile stretch. The Ocoee River in broken up into two sections, the Upper Ocoee and the Middle Ocoee. The Middle section is the classic Ocoee run with non stop action that keeps your heart pounding and your face soaked.

To experience the Middle Ocoee and the Upper Ocoee River, where the Olympics were held, get a seat on the Ocoee Combo trip. The Ocoee Combo trip is a full day trip where you get the full 10 miles of the river with a riverside lunch in between. This trip runs on the weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day and spaces do fill up so you will want to reserve it as soon as practical.

Nantahala River Rafting

The Nantahala River is located just three hours from northern Atlanta in the Nantahala National Forest of western North Carolina. Sitting at the bottom of the Nantahala Gorge, the Nantahala River is as beautiful as it is fun.

With eight miles of exciting class I-II whitewater and one class III at the end, Nantahala Falls, the Nantahala River is a great river for beginners river. There are 3 different options for trips on the Nantahala River, each providing you with more freedom on the river to seek your own adventure.

The Guided Nantahala Trip puts a guide in the back of your boat to steer and show you the best the river has to offer. Non-Guided Nantahala Trips give you and your group the ability to tackle the river on your own, working as a team to navigate through the rapids and around the rocks. The Ducky Trip is for the adventurer looking to experience the river on their own, creating their own adventure.

White Water Rafting From Atlanta

From Atlanta both the Ocoee River and Nantahala River are great day trips. You can easily get to the mountains, go whitewater rafting, and get back home for a awesome day adventure. Being so close to Atlanta makes it great for groups to get together for a day of fun, making the Nantahala and Ocoee Rivers popular with churches, scouts and universities.

The best way to go white water rafting near Atlanta is to get out of the city and make a weekend of it by rafting two rivers in two days. On Saturday raft the Nantahala River, it will relax you with its beauty and get you primed with a taste of white water. On Sunday go Ocoee River rafting and finish up your weekend with big waves and fast water.