Gas-cautious vacationers seeking a blend of leisure and adventure are in luck. Ocoee Adventure Center presents a delightful escape from everyday life, along with an added benefit of close proximity—just three hours from Murfreesboro.
The center offers a range of exciting ventures, such as biking or hiking through the woods, and kayaking or rafting down the river, to balance its secluded atmosphere in the depths of the Cherokee National Forest.
Though the setup and activities may vary little from outposts across the country, the Ocoee River has a unique bragging point: the 1996 Olympic whitewater course. Visitors can choose tours that traverse those legendary rapids, known as Humongous and Godzilla.
“We named the rapid Godzilla during the Olympics, because no matter what language people spoke, they understand it as something fierce, something that could maybe eat you,” said Peter Horne, general manager of Ocoee Adventure Center.
The rafting tours cover several other “fierce” rapids, many just as intimidating as Godzilla. In fact, the ferocity of the other rapids frequently unseats more amateur rafters than the Olympic course. However, between the adrenaline-inducing bursts of rapids, the rest of the river floats quite amiably, allowing people to sit back and enjoy the scenery.
“Without a doubt, the best time to tour the river is in the fall,” Horne said. “The foliage is beautiful, and the water’s actually warmer sometimes than in the summer.”
Even without the fall colors, the mountains and gorges of the Ocoee are unbelievably picturesque. On the river, the backdrop further removes vacationers from civilization, lulling them to a deep tranquility before the dips and jostles of the rapids.
With its propinquity to the Ocoee River, the Adventure Center, like many businesses in the area, thrives off kayak and rafting interest. The center helps to ensure a repeat clientele by taking care to employ a knowledgeable, enthusiastic staff.
“We make sure everybody’s qualified,” Horne said. “Each river guide undergoes a thorough training process, and we make sure they know what they’re doing.”
Thanks to the guides, every river tour stays on course, and the odds for river mishaps significantly decrease. The enthusiasm and keen banter of the guides also boosts the “oomph factor” of the river trips, and helps bond members of the rafting groups, many of whom arrive at the outpost as complete strangers.
“We [guides] have the best jobs in the world,” Horne boasted. “It’s hard not to get excited when you get to do what you love as a job.”
Guides are also responsible for orienting first-time rafters. Within moments of arrival at the outpost, guides instruct the rafters on safety procedures, as well as ideal rowing technique. The guides also instill various pieces of rafting jargon, such as “lily-dipping,” for weak, shallow rowing. While on the river, guides further edify river lingo by explaining terms for various types of rapids, and tell the histories of various areas of the river.
The educational aspect goes even further with the Adventure Center’s new Eco-Tours on the Tennessee River. The tour takes place on the Blue Moon luxury liner, and while it lacks the exhilaration of rafting, the outing explores nearly a hundred species of migrating birds, and other natural wonders.
The center’s adventures are available in full-day packages, complete with lunch, adding to its convenience. Over the years, people have been discovering OAC’s memorable, enthralling river getaways, and its clientele has been steadily growing. For more information, visit ocoeeadventurecenter.com.
