Detailed information about whitewater rafting trips on the Class III-IV+ Ocoee River in Tennessee near Atlanta, Georgia.

Location: Southeastern Tennessee, USA

The Ocoee River is the most popular whitewater rafting river in the East and for good reason. The river is only an hour from Atlanta and provides challenging Class III (beginner) to IV+ (advanced) whitewater. Ocoee river rafting is available on the Upper and Middle sections, which are controlled by upstream reservoirs.

Middle Ocoee Run: Class III-IV / Intermediate

The Middle Ocoee is characterized as a pool-drop river. This means most rapids are followed by a calm pool where rafters can regroup. The run is five miles long with an overall gradient of fifty-seven-feet per mile. The Ocoee offers more than twenty Class III & IV rapids. The most notorious rapids are Broken Nose, Double Suck, Tablesaw, Hell Hole, and Powerhouse. Highway 64 follows the river almost the entire way making it easily accessible.

Upper Olympic Run: Class IV+ / Advanced

The Upper Ocoee has been named the Olympic run because it played host to the 1996 Olympic Whitewater competitions. The Upper Olympic run provides an additional five miles of Class IV+ whitewater. With rapids like Humongous, Let’s Make a Deal, and Slam Dunk, this half-day whitewater rafting trip will challenge even the most experienced rafter.

Season: March – November (Specific Days and Dates)

Middle Ocoee river rafting trips are available on the weekends from March through the first weekend of November. During the summertime months of June, July and August, the Ocoee runs everyday except Tuesday and Wednesday.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the water managing agency, only releases water into the Upper Olympic section on certain weekends, usually on Saturdays from June through August with a few other release dates intermingled.

Tennessee offers some of the best whitewater rafting in the Southeast. Tennessee whitewater rafting trips are available on the Pigeon River and the Middle and Upper Ocoee Rivers. The Ocoee is located one hour north of Atlanta and is considered the most popular river east of the Mississippi. The Pigeon River is located just outside of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has been gaining more popularity over the past few years.

Ocoee River Rafting Trips (Class III-IV+): The Ocoee River is divided into two runs, the Upper Olympic Run and the popular Middle Section. The Upper Run is advanced Class IV+ and the Middle Ocoee is rated beginner – intermediate, Class III-IV.

Pigeon River Rafting Trips (Class III-IV): The Pigeon River runs through Smokey Mountain National Park, launching in North Carolina and crossing into Tennessee within minutes.

Location: Western North Carolina

Nantahala River rafting includes Class II-III rapids through a beautiful and scenic gorge. The Nantahala River runs clear and cold as it is released from the bottom of Aquone Reservoir. Rafting trips are eight miles in length with an overall gradient of thirty-five feet per mile. The name Nantahala is a Cherokee word, which translates into “Land of the Noonday Sun,” because the canyon gets little sunlight until the sun is almost at its peak…around noon.

Level of Difficulty: Class II-III- / Beginner

Most of the popular rapids are on the upper half of the river. With good current and consistent waves, the Nantahala is the perfect river for a family whitewater adventure. The biggest rapids are Patton’s Run, Delebar’s Rock and Nantahala Falls, a Class III drop just above takeout. Nantahala Falls was once considered Class V before techniques and equipment improved and the rating came down to Class III-.

Season: April – October

The Nantahala River is dam-controlled, so water is released for rafting and kayaking throughout the summer.

North Carolina whitewater rafting can only mean one thing…the Nantahala River. Located just minutes from Great Smokey Mountain National Park, the Nantahala River is the heart of southeastern whitewater. The Nantahala and Blue Ridge Mountains in Nantahala National Forest, are some of the highest peaks in the Appalachian range. A network of bisecting streams meander down the steep slopes and make their way to Aquone Reservoir.

Nantahala River Rafting Trips (Class II-III):
The Nantahala River is a dam released river consisting of beginner rapids. The rapids are long continuous wave trains in a narrow canyon.

South Carolina is home to the Chattooga River, one of the best known whitewater rafting runs in the southeast.

Chattooga River Rafting Trips (Class II-IV):
Whitewater rafting trips on the Chattooga River range from self guided Class II runs to Class III & IV overnight wilderness adventures.

More About Rafting in South Carolina

The Chattooga River flows out of North Carolina and creates the border between Georgia & South Carolina. The Chattooga was designated National Wild and Scenic in 1974 for it’s rich Native American history, excellent scenery and numerous recreational opportunities.

Location: Maine

With more continuous white water than any other river in the East, Dead River rafting provides unparalleled action with rapids from Class III to Class IV.

Level of Difficulty: Class III-IV / Intermediate

Put-in for the Dead River is below Grand Falls, a thirty-foot horseshoe waterfall spanning the river. The easier white water of the beginning stretches of the river allow you to warm up before you enter into the steeper gradient. Once the Dead River steepens, the Class III to Class IV whitewater begins. Some of the Class III-IV rapids you will encounter are Spencer Rips, The Minefield, Humpty Dumpty, Elephant Rock, Mile Long Rapid, and Poplar Hill Falls. You end your day in the town of The Forks where the Kennebec and Dead Rivers meet.

Season: May – September

A water release schedule is provided by the agency governing flows for Dead River rafting. Scheduled releases occur from May through September with high volume releases on the third and fourth Mondays in May.

Location: Maine

Penobscot River Rafting is one of the most spectacular and challenging experiences in the East. The Penobscot River has a reputation as a river of contrasts as it alternates between exhilarating rapids and breathtaking scenery. Rapids on the Penobscot River are short with sheer drops plunging into calm pools.

Level of Difficulty: Class V / Advanced

The trip begins with the Ripogenus Gorge section. Here the river is its most turbulent, dropping over 70 feet per mile through a narrow, granite walled canyon into the Exterminator and Staircase rapids, both advanced Class V. The excitement continues as you travel another 14 miles through a series of steep drops and calmer stretches under the shadow of Mount Katahdin, Maine’s highest peak (5,267′). After Ripogenus Gorge, there are still plenty of Class IV rapids like Big Ambejackmockamus and Nesowadnehunk Falls, a sheer twelve-foot waterfall spanning the entire river. Other major rapids include Abol and Big Pockwockamus Falls.

Wildlife Viewing

As you exit the steep gorge the river spreads out creating the opportunity for wildlife viewing. It is not uncommon to see deer, river otters and eagles if you are not too distracted by the whitewater. You may also find runs of Atlantic Salmon and native Sea Lampreys.

Season: May – September

The challenging Penobscot River has water releases all summer long.

Location: Western Maine

Kennebec River rafting is famous for its remote wilderness setting, big roller coaster waves and summer-long flows. The source of the Kennebec River is Moosehead Lake, Maine’s largest inland body of water.

Level of Difficulty: Class IV / Intermediate

The Kennebec River is a high-volume river with great Class IV whitewater. It carves its way through a deep gorge for the first four miles of advanced whitewater. Some of the more well known and difficult Class IV rapids on the Kennebec are Rock Garden, Three Sisters, the Alleyway, and the Class V Magic Falls. Scouting the upper section is virtually impossible because of the sheer walls of the Gorge, and the remoteness of the river.

Wildlife Viewing: Deer, birds of prey, otter, and fish

As you exit the steep gorge the river spreads out creating the opportunity for wildlife viewing. It is not uncommon to see deer, river otters, and eagles if you are not too distracted by the whitewater. You may also find runs of Atlantic Salmon and native Sea Lampreys.

Season: May – October

The dam-controlled Kennebec River has normal water releases of 5,000 cfs from early May to early October.

Location: Grand Canyon, Arizona

Rafting vacations in the Grand Canyon, considered to be the adventure trip of a lifetime, are so popular that most commercial trips are sold out an entire year in advance. A typical Grand Canyon River rafting trip is 15 – 18 days long and 280 miles long.

If you are short on time or just want a shorter trip then you have the option of choosing to run either the Upper or Lower sections of the Canyon. Shorter trips require a 9 mile hike on the Brite Angel Trail between the river and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. If you have the time, it is highly recommended that you raft the entire 280 miles of the Grand Canyon.

Level of Difficulty: Class IV / Intermediate

The Grand Canyon is rated Class IV with few Class V rapids and numerous Class I – III rapids as well. Because options range from paddling and navigating the rapids as a team to riding along in an oar-powered raft, the Grand Canyon is a great rafting trip for people of all ages and abilities.

The Upper Canyon: Lee’s Ferry to Phantom Ranch

The Upper Canyon from Lee’s Ferry to Phantom Ranch is approximately 88 miles. Grand Canyon River rafting trips on the upper section through Marble Canyon are 5 days in length. Along the way you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take side hikes in Paradise Canyon, Nautiloid Canyon and Nankoweap Canyon (one of the Canyon’s most popular side hikes).

From Put-in at Lee’s Ferry, you’ll take a geologic tour through time. The Kaibab Limestone that appears at put-in is 250 million years old and quickly rises to form the rim rock of the canyon within the first 30 miles. As the Kaibab Limestone rises it is succeeded at river level by even older formations.

The Lower Canyon: Phantom Ranch to Lake Mead

The Lower Canyon is by far the most popular section of the Grand Canyon. River rafting trips through the Lower Grand Canyon are 192 miles in length and experience some of the biggest rapids on the river… Crystal Rapid and Lava Falls. Not only will you experiece the most difficult rapids, you’ll also experience the highest concentration of Class IV rapids in all of the Canyon.

This trip floats through the awe inspiring Granite Gorges and past the Grand Wash Walls which mark the western edge of Grand Canyon National Park. The side hikes in the Lower Reaches of the Grand Canyon are unsurpassed. Some of the most famous side hikes are Tapeats Creek, Deer Creek, and Havasu Creek… just to name a few.

Season: April – October

The Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is dam-controlled and water is released year-round. Commercial trips typically run from April through October.