Many Reasons Remain to Raft this Summer

Back to School commercials are running on TV, the presidential nominating conventions are almost here, and there's a tropical storm out in the Gulf of Mexico--all signs that time's running out on summer 2012.  So, before you get back to the year-round routine, time remains for one last hurrah outside with friends and family. What better way to end the summer than out on the river with loved ones?

Some of our guides at the Nantahala River agree, and they offered a few more reasons on why it makes sense to end the summer at NOC:

"Here at the Nantahala everything is in one spot; it's an all-in-one weekend destination!" - Kim, Whitewater Rafting Head Guide

"Because when the weather is hot, the rivers are cold. It feels great." - Jen, Retail Manager

"Whitewater rafting brings the whole family, or group of friends, together for one last summer shindig on the river." - Taylor, Adventure Center

"We have the best trained guides, and they'll show you a great time on our rivers." - Curt, Nantahala Rafting Assistant Manager

"NOC's river trips are unlike anything else. You will leave with much more than just a great time; you'll have memories that will last forever." - Rachel, Guest Relations

Savings to Look For This August


Chattooga Section III & IV
Save $10 on all Chattooga Trips on Sundays in August. Section III is a family-friendly trip with mostly class II/III rapids and one optional class IV rapid.  Section IV is a beautiful wilderness run with many class IV/V rapids including the famous "Five Falls"stretch. Both sections are full day trips and include a delicious and fun riverside lunch.

Rafters launch off Bull Sluice, the optional Class IV rapid on Chattooga Section III.

Pigeon River Discount Trips - as low as $24.99
The Pigeon River, just outside of  Hartford, TN, offers discounted trips in the late afternoon through August.  The Upper Pigeon boasts class III and IV rapids,  and is great for beginners who are looking for some big splashes.  Kids as young as 8 years old can raft this section, so it also makes for a fun family trip! A perfect addition to a weekend in the Smokies or in Gatlinburg, TN.

Upper Pigeon Rafting

Ocoee River Discount Trips- as low as $24.99

With fun, bouncy waves and class III and IV rapids, the Ocoee is a classic southeastern river.  In August, the Middle Ocoee offers discount trips early in the morning or late in the afternoon on Sunday's.  This section is a nice step up from a beginner river for folks who are looking for some exciting whitewater.  You must be 12 years old to raft this section of whitewater.

Middle Ocoee Rafting

To book a rafting trip click on the links above to go to noc.com, or call 800.905.7238.

NOC's Exciting June Rafting Specials

It's June, and we're about to hit peak season on the South's whitewater rivers. But that doesn't mean there aren't any specials or discounts out there for savvy shoppers. In fact, we went ahead and collected these for our blog readers, enews subscribers and and Facebook friends so you could see them all in one place.

Here's a list of the top NOC specials going right now:

1) Ocoee River rafting trips for only $20. Yes, you read that correctly; the 3pm, 4pm and 5pm trips on Sunday the 24th are only $20. That's 60% off peak day rates on the most popular river in the world! Don't worry there's no catch: the rafts are still inflated, there's a great NOC guide in the boat, and you're running the same awesome rapids. This will be NOC's best Ocoee deal of the season. Take advantage of it!

Big splashy fun on the Ocoee River. You can see why it's many rafters favorite run!

2) Nantahala Rafting and Zip Line Adventure Park Combo: NOC opens its new Zip Line Adventure Park this Friday at the Nantahala. It's the perfect compliment to the very popular half-day Nantahala trip: a 550' zip line into a 16-obstacle aerial adventure park 40' above the ground. The entire raft and zip experience only costs $89.99—the normal price for most zip line tours.  

NOC's new Zip Line and Adventure Park features exciting zip lines and complex aerial obstacles testing  concentration, focus and mettle!

3) Save $20 per person on 7am Chattooga River Section IV trips on June 16, 17 and 24. Yes, 7am seems early, but consider these factors:

Perhaps my personal favorite summer experience: approaching the drop
at Seven Foot Falls on the Chattooga. 

a) Scarcity: weekend Chattooga trips tend to sell out throughout the summer—the outfitters only have a very limited amount of availability on the Chattooga, which contributes to the river's wilderness feel.

b) Quality: the morning trips are the guides' favorites due to more plentiful wildlife, moderate temperatures and the early-morning river ambiance.

c) Convenience: yes, it doesn't seem convenient to be at the Chattooga River at 7am, but you'll be finished in the middle of the day, and you'll be able to make it back home or to the cabin for more time with family and friends.

And, to boot, you save $20 per person. Just book as normal, and we'll apply the discount at the end of the transaction.


4) Nolichucky High Adventure Ducky Trips. These are the most exclusive rafting trips NOC offers. When water levels get just right NOC offers exciting guided duck trips through the Noli's Class III and IV rapids. Non-kayakers, will experience the rush that's hooked the hard boaters. If you've enjoyed a duck trip on the Nantahala, this is the big next step. These trips are for paddlers 16+ and include a very high guide-to-guest ratio to ensure guests are appropriately supported. Don't miss this opportunity.

NOC guide demonstrating the line through a large rapid on the Nolichucky
High Adventure Ducky Trip.

5) Pigeon River rafting. So, if you are really flexible you can still grab spring pricing (30% off) on Pigeon trips through Friday. If you can't just drop everything and go rafting, that's ok (get your priorities straight for Pete's sake!). NOC offers standard late-day discount trips for $29.99 and $24.99. Just to put this in context: if you live in Knoxville, and you can get off work a bit early, your group can go rafting on select 5pm trips and save money. Think of that as adding a bit of weekend right into the middle of your workweek—always a good thing.

Family fun on the Pigeon River. These happy rafters will remember this trip forever.

America's Most Popular River: Tennessee's Middle Ocoee

The "Middle" section of the Ocoee river flows through the far Southeastern corner of Tennessee, just over the state line from Georgia and North Carolina. It's in a wonderfully beautiful area, surrounded by lakes like Blue Ridge, Nottely, Parksville and Ocoee. The locale is part of the Cherokee National Forest, and there are some great ways to spend a weekend outdoors there.

Nonetheless it seems like an unlikely place to boast the country's most popular whitewater river, considering it's not in the Rockies, Sierra Nevada Mountains or near the highest peaks of the Appalachians. So what's the deal? Here are the two simple reasons why the Ocoee is the capital of whitewater rafting in the USA:

1) The Ocoee should be the most popular river in the country because its fun rapids, moderate difficulty, continuous action, favorable water temperatures and dependable releases constitute the ideal mix of a mass-appeal whitewater trip. The only thing missing is a true "wilderness" section, but it probably couldn't be the most popular river in the country and maintain a wilderness atmosphere anyway. Despite its popularity though, it's a very beautiful river, and morning and late-afternoon trips do control the impact of heavy summer crowds.

2) It's an easy day-trip from Atlanta, Chattanooga and Knoxville, and it's reasonably close to Nashville and Birmingham too. There are some other Ocoee-like runs out there that just aren't all that close to big cities, and therefore they're not as accessible. It's not just the fact that there are nearby metro areas though; these are scorching-hot metro areas in a part of the country that wants to cool down on the water. (See today's article in the Huntsville Times if you don't believe me.)

Ocoee Rapids

In whitewater rafting popularity, it's all about the rapids. How many are there, and how fun are they?

Well, sometimes paddlers go on a trip and they ask the names of every rapid. Don't even bother on the Ocoee. There are a few big ones you'll certainly want to know, but 75% of this river is going to be splashing your boat. There's only one five minute pause in the action, and most folks are actually ready for a bit of a break by then. As for the big rapids, the short list of "the biggest ones," if you ask an enthusiast like me (I'm not really an Ocoee guide) is:

Grumpy's

The launch site for this trip is right below the dam separating the Upper and Lower sections, and it's a bit intimidating, especially considering that a pretty powerful rapid called Grumpy's is less than 100 yards into the run. The actual Grumpy hydraulic is tops on my list of "places where I'd like to remain in the boat on the Ocoee." You can see some footage of Grumpy's on this video from :28 to :46. Note the "hydraulic" is the big splash the raft kicks up at :36.

Broken Nose
Basically a curvy S-turn above two ledges, Broken Nose isn't as threatening to rafters as it's name suggests, though upside-down kayakers can attest to the reasoning behind its title. Footage of this rapid runs from :47 to 1:22, but the farthest-back boat in the shot beginning at 1:11 is probably the best illustration of the full length of the action.

Double Suck

Like most Ocoee rapids the route here is over a ledge and through the biggest obstructions--in this case two large hydraulics. Note the big spray coming off the first hole at 1:25. This is a fun rapid, though it's super fast. When you're at the top, the ledge is surprisingly large.

Double Trouble

Not to be confused with Double Suck, Double Trouble could be the most beloved rapid on the river. It unselfishly gives the people what they want: gigantic splashes, a fast bouncy ride and a relatively paddler-friendly environment. (If I had to swim the length of a rapid I suppose I'd choose this one.) See 1:37 till the end of the video.

Tablesaw

We don't have great video of Tablesaw because the river runs away from the roadside at this point, but this is the biggie. Here the river channels all its 1250 cfs of water through a tight rocky slot. This means you've got a fast, bouncy, powerful straight shot through some turbulent (pleasingly turbulent) whitewater.

Tablesaw rapid with a boat full of rafters midway through.

Diamond Splitter

This gets the "editor's choice" award from me. Easily the most photogenic rapid, Diamond Splitter gives paddlers multiple route options and a splashy ride over the sticky, but not-to-worrisome Witch's Hole.

Diamond Splitter rock proudly bisects its eponymous rapid.

Hell Hole

Site of the last ICF Freestyle World Championships held in the US (1993), Hell Hole, for rafters, is just one quick splash. But when you're on the bus ride back to the outpost it's the wave you'll be remembering as 15-foot wall of water to your nodding companions. See the photo, and you can understand.

A raft stalls out briefly on its way through Hell Hole on the Middle Ocoee.

When to go:

The Ocoee runs Thursday through Monday in the three main summer months, and on the weekends from March to October. It's controlled by the TVA so releases are fairly standardized, but if you pay attention to weather and other factors it is possible to get a beefed-up Ocoee trip with some extra water in the river.

Otherwise go when it works for you. Most trips are the same, but early-morning and late-afternoon trips are a good avoid-the-rush option.

Ocoee Discount Special Trips

Also note that you can save almost 50% by booking an off-peak time on select days. Book one of these trips and you'll get the same Ocoee rafting experience for only $25 per person.

Reserve one of these limited spaces here.

Also, consider participating in the American Cancer Society's "Fight the Rapids for Cancer" event on July 17. NOC will donate $1 for every rafter we take down the river this Saturday, and guests will also have the option of purchasing an event T-shirt that day as well. Book now to participate in this great event.

To book, use NOC's secure online reservations system or call 888.905.7238. More information is available at NOC's Ocoee rafting page.

The Ocoee's Popularity

Up until 2008 there was some confusion on what the nation's most popular river actually was. The Arkansas River in Colorado used to have more total rafters than the Ocoee, but it also has numerous popular sections: Bighorn Sheep Canyon, Brown's Canyon and the Royal Gorge are all very popular. Without a doubt the Middle Ocoee is the most popular of all these stretches of river, and though the Ocoee has a second section, the Upper Ocoee, its tight release schedule limits its runs. (The vast majority of Upper guests do the combo trip anyway, meaning they run the Middle section as well.)

Now this section-by-section analysis is unnecessary anyway. The Ocoee has continued to grow and maintain its popularity and now has more rafters than the sum of all the Arkansas's sections. So, the Ocoee can brag about being "America's Favorite" whitewater without having to use an asterisk.

There's no reason not to be gracious though; the Arkansas and the Ocoee are actually pretty similar (splashy, continuous and comfortable during peak season) even though the Arkansas's desert environs and big runoff flows are nothing like the Ocoee's. (It's a river worth experiencing if you head off to Colorado sometime.)

When You Go to the Ocoee:

If you'd like to make an overnight trip our of your experience, here are some places to stay. The Cherokee National Forest offers excellent opportunities to adventure-lovers looking for more than whitewater:

Mountain bike at the Tanasi Trail System, Old Copper Road Historic Trail or at the Jackrabbit Mountain Bike and Hiking Trail system in Hayesville, NC.

Dayhike to Benton Falls or enjoy the scenic spur hike.

Drive the beautiful Cherohala Skyway.

And, if you really like rafting the Middle, you'll probably want to consider coming back for the Upper/Middle combo trip sometime.