Spend Your Fourth of July Weekend with NOC

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From adventurous raft and zip packages to entertaining bands and brews, NOC is the place to have fun this Independence Day! We are gearing up for a great week of festivities and adventures with these highlights:

Raft and Zip Packages
Enjoy a full day of fun with the family and save some money by booking our new-for-2013 raft and zip packages:

• River to Ridge - Save $13 per person
  Nantahala Fully Guided Rafting + Mountaintop Zip Line Tour
• Float'N'Tarry - Save $13 per person
  Nantahala Fully Guided Rafting + Zip Line Adventure Park
• All Day Air - Save $25 per person

  Mountaintop Zip Line Tour + Zip Line Adventure Park

See all of NOC's Raft and Zip Packages.

NOC Outfitter's Store Independence Day Sale
Shop till you drop at NOC's Outfitter's Store! Save up to 40% on select brands from July 1st to July 7th.  Featured brands include leading manufacturers like The North Face, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, Keen, Chaco and others.

Also included in the sale, are some amazing deals for whitewater enthusiasts. The sale includes the following discounts:

• $200 in store credit with the purchase of a fully-priced boat
• 30% off on 2012 Jackson Rockstars
• 15% off on Esquif L'edge canoes
• Up to 20% off other select boat models

Kayaking Lessons and Mountain Bike Rentals
Looking for to expand your outdoor skill set? NOC's Paddling School is staffed with the top whitewater paddling instructors in the nation. If you've ever wanted to paddle a whitewater kayak there's no better place to start than NOC. Try an Intro to Kayaking lesson this summer.

NOC also rents high-end mountain bikes so you can enjoy one of the mountains best thrills. Tsali, Flint Ridge and Jackrabbit trail systems provide exceptional riding for riders of all skill levels. Stop by the NOC Bike Shop, and NOC guides will fit you with the right bike for your day on the trail.

Dining and Dancing for All
Big Wesser BBQ + Brew is hosting three great bands for Fourth of July Weekend! Be sure to hang around in the evening to dance the night away and unwind with some delicious food.


    •    July 4th - 8 to 11pm - Rick Rushing and the Blues Strangers
    •    July 5th - 7 to 10pm - Jean Ellison and the Treatment
    •    July 6th - 7 to 10 pm - The Broadcast

For more information about NOC festivals and events, click here.

So that's the plan for the 4th at NOC. We hope to see you on the river, but no matter what you do, we hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Announcing NOC's 2013 Canoe Club Challenge Series

June kicks off the first of the three-part Canoe Club Challange series at NOC! For those of you new to the event, you just need to come out and see it (i.e. be a part of it) for yourselves. Featuring both a downriver and a slalom race, the event is designed to give paddlers of all skill levels a chance to get on the water and take part in some good natured, low-key competition. Talk smack with your friends, cool off on the river, and challenge yourself to a personal best time in the downriver or a clean run on the slalom course. Following the event, enjoy time with friends at Big Wesser BBQ + Brew, catch some live music, and hang out for your chance to win great prizes courtesy of NOC and Dagger.

For those of you who are Canoe Club Challenge veterans, there are a couple of changes to this year's event format that are worth noting:

• Thank you to Dagger for once again sponsoring NOC's Canoe Club Challenge. Following the Canoe Club Challenge Championships in August, we will hold a drawing for the Grand Prize, a new 2013 Dagger kayak (model is the winner's choice).
• $5 race registration includes: downriver race, slalom race and Series t-shirt (each competitor only gets one shirt, even if they come to multiple events). Competitors who come to both June and July races will receive FREE entry to the August event.
• Bring your kids! We're trying to make competition special for our smaller paddlers, and will have awards to recognize all our paddling kids aged 16 and under.

We thank you for understanding that your event entry fee goes directly towards the purchase of prizes and t-shirts. We still won't break even on the event, but the entry fee will help to recoup some of our costs.

 

Slalom Race Format Changes:

• Once the race starts, the course will be closed to practice runs.
• Competitors get two race runs in each class, and can compete in a maximum of three classes.
• Each completed run earns the paddler one raffle ticket.
• Each completed CLEAN run earns the paddler two raffle tickets. (A clean run means making it through each of the gates in the designated order without touching any poles.)
• As always following each event, we will hold a raffle for prizes. Individuals win prizes when their name is picked at the Canoe Club Challenge drawing.

Downriver Race Format Changes:

• This year, each Canoe Club Challenge Downriver Race will be a different length. 
• June: Sprint race from above Nantahala Falls to NOC Founder's Bridge.
• July: Classic race from Ferebee to NOC Founder's Bridge.
• August: Marathon race from Wayah USFS Put-in to NOC Founder's Bridge (GCA Southeastern Whitewater Championships)

Please visit the event page for more information and a full event schedule. We look forward to seeing you out on the water!

Summer is Here: Make the Best of It

Finally, it's summertime! It's the best season for relaxing, spending family time together, enjoying the great outdoors and making memories!

But summer gets shorter every year, and before long the Back-to-School sales will be here. So start making your summertime plans today. Fill your weekends with fun activities and ensure that when fall gets here your desk, wall and mantel will show great photos from summer 2013, your family's best summer yet.

Of course NOC offers many great adventures for active families. Below is a quick review of our rafting and zip line offerings to help you formulate your plans. These exciting adventures will create lasting memories and provide an exciting, fun day together.

"Get Your Feet Wet"- Beginner Rivers
These family-friendly rivers offer class II-III rapids that are easy to navigate, giving you a taste of what whitewater rafting is all about.  For an extra challenge, select rivers offer rental and ducky (inflatable kayak) trips, giving you the opportunity to guide your own adventure.

Heading into Nantahala Falls

• Nantahala River - near Bryson City, NC - minimum age is 7 or must weigh at least 60 lbs
  * Enjoy Nantahala River Campus featuring riverside dining, shopping, zipping and many more on-site adventures
• French Broad River - near Asheville, NC - minimum age is 8
• Lower Pigeon - near Gatlinburg, TN - minimum age is 3
• Lower Nolichucky Float Trips - near Johnson City, TN - minimum age is 4

"Make a Splash" - Intermediate Rivers
NOC's intermediate river trips offer continuous, splashy class III-IV rapids that are great for those looking for excitement, beautiful scenery and a day full of fun. These river trips number among the best whitewater runs in the region.

Big splash on the Middle Ocoee

• Middle Ocoee River - near Cleveland, TN - minimum age is 12
  *America's Favorite Whitewater Rafting Run
• Upper Pigeon River - near Gatlinburg, TN - minimum age is 8 or must weigh 70 lbs
• Chattooga Section III - near Clayton, GA - minimum age is 8
• Nolichucky River - near Johnson City, TN - minimum age is 12

"Take the Plunge" - Advanced Rivers 
For our adrenaline-wired guests, NOC offers several high adventure trips featuring class III-V rapids and promising a day of excitement you will not soon forget.  These trips are recommended for guests who have previous whitewater rafting experience and can actively participate for the duration of the trip.

All smiles on Chattooga Section IV

• Upper/Middle Ocoee Combo - near Cleveland, TN - minimum age is 13
  
• Chattooga Section IV - near Clayton, GA - minimum age is 13
  *Geogia's Wild and Scenic River
• Cheoah River - near Robbinsville, NC - minimum age is 16

Don't forget about the Zip Line Tours!

As of this season, NOC now offers two unique zip line adventures at NOC's Nantahala River Campus.

NOC Zip Line Adventure Park will challenge your skills and encourage you to face your fears on an aerial obstacle course featuring 17 fun, unique components, including the Wesser Zip, which runs around 550' long.

NOC's Mountaintop Zip Line Tour features a half-mile mega-zip with breathtaking 360 degree views above the treetops, just one of 10 zip lines leading you along a ridge top tour of the lush and scenic Nantahala Gorge.  Take a minute to check out this preview of NOC's newest aerial tour:



For information about raft and zip packages click here. 
We look forward to seeing you on the rivers and in the air this summer!