Where Is the Ocoee River? A Complete Visitor's Guide
If you’re planning a zipline or whitewater trip, the first question is usually the simplest: where is the Ocoee River, exactly? Here’s the short answer, followed by everything you need to actually find it and plan your day.
The short answer
The Ocoee River is in southeast Tennessee, flowing through the Cherokee National Forest in Polk County. The whitewater section runs alongside US Highway 64, between the town of Cleveland, TN to the west and Copperhill / Ducktown, TN to the east, near the Georgia state line.
In driving terms:
| Starting point | Distance to the Ocoee | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga, TN | ~60 miles | ~1 hr 15 min |
| Cleveland, TN | ~35 miles | ~50 min |
| Blue Ridge, GA | ~30 miles | ~45 min |
| Knoxville, TN | ~90 miles | ~1 hr 45 min |
| Atlanta, GA | ~110 miles | ~2 hours |
Our zipline and canopy tour sits right in that corridor at 4599 US-64, Copperhill, TN 37317 — see full directions and drive times.
Why the Ocoee is famous
The Ocoee is one of the most popular whitewater rivers in the United States. The Upper Ocoee hosted the canoe and kayak events at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, the first time Olympic whitewater ran on a natural river, and that history still pulls hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
What makes it unusual is that the rapids are dam-controlled. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) runs scheduled water releases that create reliable, world-class whitewater on days when the river would otherwise run low. If you’re timing a rafting trip, it’s worth understanding the Ocoee dam release schedule before you go.
The towns around the river
The Ocoee region is rural and beautiful, tucked into the southern Appalachians. A few landmarks help orient you:
- Cleveland, TN — the largest nearby city, just west of the gorge and the last major stop for gas and supplies.
- Copperhill & Ducktown, TN — historic former copper-mining towns at the eastern end, right by the Georgia border. Copperhill sits on the Toccoa/Ocoee River and shares a downtown with McCaysville, GA.
- The Cherokee National Forest — over 650,000 acres of mountains and rivers surrounding the whole area, with hiking, camping, and overlooks.
It’s an easy add-on to a trip to Chattanooga, the Blue Ridge, GA area, or the Great Smoky Mountains.
How to get to the Ocoee River
From almost any direction, you’ll end up on US-64, the highway that runs right along the river through the gorge:
- From Chattanooga: Take I-75 North to Cleveland, then US-64 East into the gorge.
- From Atlanta or Blue Ridge, GA: Head north on US-76/GA-5 toward Copperhill/McCaysville, then US-64 West.
- From Knoxville: Take I-75 South to US-64 East at Cleveland.
A heads-up: cell service is spotty in the gorge, so download your map before you lose signal. For turn-by-turn help, use our directions page or call us at (423) 250-7511.
What to do when you get there
Once you’re on the Ocoee, the two signature adventures are ziplining and whitewater rafting — and you can do both in one day:
- Zipline & canopy tour: Fly through the forest canopy on 8 zip lines, 3 sky bridges, and a dual racer. Runs rain or shine; riders must be 50–250 lbs.
- Whitewater rafting: Ride Class III–IV rapids on the Middle or Upper Ocoee with our parent company, RaftOne.
- Zip + raft combos: The most popular way to visit — bundle both and save 10%.
If you’re coming from the city, we’ve also put together a guide to ziplining near Chattanooga with everything you need to plan the trip.
The bottom line
The Ocoee River is in southeast Tennessee, about an hour east of Chattanooga on US-64, running through the Cherokee National Forest near Copperhill and Ducktown. Close enough for a day trip, pretty enough to justify a long weekend. And there’s a zipline waiting at the end of the drive.
Ready to go? Book your Ocoee zipline adventure or get directions.
