Natahala Outdoor Center

Get ready for the ride of your life, because if you have never been white water rafting then you haven’t quite lived yet. Just ask the guides at Natahala Outdoor Center.

Picture this: an imposing wall of white foam rises up to meet you. Its incredible height towers over you and only grows taller as you seemingly sink beneath its power. Every muscle in your body tenses in preparation for its weighty blow. Before you know it the tower has collapsed and you are dripping wet, only to find you must gather your scattered senses and repeat the process moments later.

Thrill seekers love the excitement of the sport, which can leave you tingling with adrenaline and gasping for breath.

Regardless whether you are a “river rat” or see rafting as a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, there are plenty of guides ready, willing and able to navigate your trip down the river.

While there are several rivers and rafting centers throughout the Southeast, the Middle Ocoee River rafting excursion is one of the most popular runs in the entire U.S.

And guides from the Natahala Outdoor Center know every nook, cranny, boulder and dip of the famous dam-released river in the middle of the Cherokee National Forest.

Just past the explosive rush of whitewater at Ocoee’s Dam #2, guided rafts of up to seven people put in every Thursday through Monday from mid-March until Halloween.

The non-stop rafting adventure, which covers five miles and can last almost two hours, is open to anyone 12 and over (no experience necessary). The trip begins with a demonstration, instructional video and a short paddling practice session in the calm water above the dam. Rafters are outfitted with a life vest, helmet and paddle before tackling class III and class IV rapids with nerve-inducing names like “Tablesaw,” “Broken Nose,” “Double Suck” and “Powerhouse.”

Guides often give rafters a thrill by “surfing,” during which a raft is sucked into the rapid before finally being spit out. For those of us yearning for calmer waters, midway through the run rafters may get out and float downriver.

The NOC also offers other guided outdoor adventure trips in fly-fishing, biking, hiking and jet boating among many other activities! 

- by Christine Foster, Chattanooga Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Christine Foster

Christine is a freelance writer currently living in North Atlanta. She has worked as a reporter for numerous newspaper, magazine and online media companies, including the Florida Keys Keynoter and The Sunday Paper in Atlanta. When she's not working Christine enjoys baking and antiquing.