Upper Ocoee River Guidebook: 1996 Olympic Course Technical Beta

Welcome to the definitive Upper Ocoee River Guidebook (revised 2026), featuring the professional technical beta for the 1996 Olympic Whitewater Slalom Course. This world-famous section of the Ocoee is a man-made masterpiece of Class IV whitewater, specifically engineered to challenge the world's best paddlers during the Atlanta Games.

2026 Upper Ocoee Recreation Release Calendar

Note: This Upper Ocoee release schedule is subject to change by TVA and through the Ocoee Outfitter's Association by negotiation with TVA.

As a veteran Ocoee River guide and raft/kayak instructor, I have spent decades training guide trainees and coaching intermediate kayakers on the Upper Ocoee River. I provide the precise lines required to navigate the potentially high-consequence technical drops like Mikey's Ledge and Edge of the World, as well as the famous big water of Godzilla and Humongous. Whether you are a private boater or a professional in training, this "Virtual Scout" covers every rapid from the Dam to the tailrace at Thunder Rock.

Upper Put-in (Dam #3): Marked by an official sign and located off US Highway 64 via a steep service road. Gate closes at 5 PM.

• Old Copper Trail No 306 Trailhead: Follows river-right bank from the put-in to the Ocoee Whitewater Center.

Ocoee Whitewater Center: This site hosted the 1996 Atlanta Games and the Olympic Whitewater Slalom Events and has wide sidewalks and two bridges.

Upper Take-out (Rogers Branch - Dam #2): A significant access point along the river for managing trips with large parking lot along the narrow lake.

Interactive Google Map of the Upper Ocoee River

This is the long warm up section above the coming Class 4 water. Guides are wise to drill and teach crews how to paddle effectively here.

Note the paths through the "forest" in the river. There are a few minor hazards and hallow rocks to avoid. Once you have the crew dialed in you can entertain them with fun facts and jokes. For example:

Welcome to Bush Gardens! Sorry there are no kiosks selling beer here. This is not Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This is Bush Gardens Polk County Tennessee.

When in doubt it is often better to keep to the river left trails in the beginning. Kayaks can go almost anywhere but the same is not true for rafts. I could tell funny stories of lost guides! This section is easy just do not get lost.

As you exit Bush Gardens the gradient picks up to easy Class 3; this is Tombstone. You will see a rather large rock sticking up just river-left of the current. If you are stopping to surf use its eddy line and your crew to catch the eddy without running over surfers. There is a large queue along the small trees on river left. It is a large gravel bar so hop out and hold your raft while you wait.

I often use this time to check my guests gear again as well as adjust my raft to the crew weight and my preferences.

After surfing follow the current through a lot of read and run Class 2 until you finally arrive at Stump House Rapid just above Daytona Beach where many trips will regroup. This is the last chance to pee until the Olympic Course!

Mikey's Ledge is the first Class IV rapid encountered on most Upper Ocoee or Full River commercial rafting trips. The alternative is Alien Boof Rapid found across the island on river-left. Most rafting outfitters avoid Alien Boof due to a dangerous cave and sieves present. Many kayakers will run Alien Boof and then portage upstream to also run Mikey's Ledge. Know the hazard at Alien Boof or find a knowledgeable guide for your PFD.

Mikey's Classic Route

Rafts gather above the island splitting the river between Alien Boof on the right and Mikey's on the left. Rafts leave in intervals one at a time with plenty of spacing as the line is very tight and technical. You begin near the river right bank and just before the crux move your right tube is inches from a small boulder on the right bank. The left tube goes over a rooster tail. And immediately upon clearing the rooster tail the raft must pivot left to drop the ledge clean.

It is very wise to call an all get down command to your crew. The riverbed is not friendly to swimmers here. And additionally there is an under cut rock lurking just to your right. Is best to clear this rock before having your crew get up and start paddling. The rest of the run out is read and run. However be sure to hit the middle of each of the two following tongues over the ledges and nasty pin or piton rocks are lurking to the right of each.

Mikey's Ledge was named by my friend Rick Covington during a high water run down the Upper back in the day before there was an Olympic Course. If you follow my channel you may have noticed Rick in some of my more zany carnage videos providing commentary and scoring the crashes.

Alien Boof has an easy line just don't swim above the ledge. I don't recommend it for commercial trips but your Trip Leader will make that decision.

Alien Boof's Cave has killed an experienced Ocoee River Guide that was a well known private boater and Class V kayaker. He was the trip leader of a Sunburst commercial trip when a less experienced guide got stuck on the ledge. He attempted to swim to the stuck raft from upstream. Both Mikey's and Alien Boof are rated at Class IV at levels run commercially. Commercial rafting trips have a 3,000 cfs cut off. CFS stands for cubic feet per second.

Blue Hole is a technical Class IV rapid on the Upper Ocoee River. This section was named long ago by locals who used it as a swimming hole during the decades the riverbed was dewatered by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). On weekdays when the flume is carrying the flow, you can hike into the dry bed to examine the underwater hydrology, including the specific rock tunnels and caves that become consequence hazards when the water is up.

Blue Hole: Let's Make a Deal Door Number Two Route

There are two primary choices at Let's Make a Deal the opening of Blue Hole. I prefer teaching the Door Number Two route because it is straightforward and a lot of fun. When you drop the first small ledge through a narrow gate watch out for the small flake marking the river-right edge of the gate. If you clip the flake you will likely have to take Door Number Three.

Assuming you made it through the gate clean aim for the gap between the two standing rocks directly down stream. Watch out for several shallow rocks in play. Note the shallow rocks passing just to the right of my raft between the first gate and Door #2.

After clearing Door #2 gate look downstream and drive the raft toward the large hump downstream. I aim for its seam. This is no time to drift. Avoid Black Betty Rock downstream to the right if you blow the line; I point Black Betty out in the video. Once you clear Black Betty just follow the obvious wave train to the pool below.

Blue Hole: Let's Make a Deal Door Number Three Route

This line is often referred to as Screaming Left because the guide is often excited and screaming ha ha! If you get pushed right at the opening gate follow the water along the right bank. Be ready to pivot left and drive back toward the center of the river and dropping through Door #3 gate. Remember Black Betty Rock is lurking below; your goal is to get left of her.

Technical Cues: Watch the "gate rock" at the first entry ledge on your right. Striking this rock typically forces the boat into a "Screaming Left" trajectory toward Door Number Three. To maintain the clean line for Door Number Two, establish your angle early to clear both gate rocks without contact. Be alert for Black Betty Rock lurking on the right just past the halfway point of the rapid.

The entrance to the Olympic Course is really straight forward. The drop at Best Ledge features a large standing wave in the landing! Use it to test your crew or have some fun. Try to avoid the eddy lines to keep better spacing between you and boat behind you. Follow the current downstream towards the next fun ledge.

Smiley's Face Ledge is named for the only graffiti not removed for the Atlanta Games. The ledge is easy to see to river-left of a tall bolder. Follow the flow; the wave train leads the way.

Slam Dunk is downstream still on river-left. Follow the main flow and pay attention; it is easy to drift off course here. This ledge was named after a basketball stuck in the ledge at the time of construction. The drop is possibly the highest in the Olympic Course. Try to run it clean and stand in the current; this will make it easier to navigate to Callihan's Ledge with a clean entry move.

Accuracy counts here! The approach to Callihan's Ledge Rapid is technical. You need momentum, proper boat angle, and timing to set the stage for success. This should be apparent in the accompanying video. Note how I go to the river-right side of a small hydraulic near the river-right bank. If you go too far right you will find a flake rock hiding in the wave.

As you cross the breaking wave hole feature pivot your raft to point roughly 45 degrees to river-left and the coming ramp. Maintain your left boat angle and you aim for the river-right edge of Callihan's Ledge Hole. This is critical to catch the Conveyor Belt down to Godzilla and Humongous. As you are clearing Callihan's Hole pivot you raft right and center yourself in the middle of the wave train headed towards the main event.

The secret to success at Godzilla is in the approach. Your best tool is the Conveyor Belt; use the wave train to conserve and built momentum.

As you approach you will see the crowd river-right and Camera Rock on the river-left side of the channel. If you aim for the peaks of the waves you will hit the meat. Raptor the first wave can take momentum away on your way to Godzilla. If you want less meat line up your left tube just river-right of the wave peaks of Raptor and Godzilla. For lefties there is a narrow hero line just river-right of the peaks next to Camera Rock following a small tongue.

Assuming you survived Godzilla aim for the tongue through Humongous and make certain you have some downstream angle unless you want to surf or flip. Be aware as you pass through this zone and try not to run over any swimmers from the previous raft or rafts in front of you.

Catch an eddy, grab your throw rope and help set safety. If you eddy out above the bridge pull you raft well out of the river or catch the big eddy on river-left just below the bridge.

There are a series of shallow gate rocks to watch for in the approach. The first breaking wave hole can stall and redirect the raft hard to river-left. Build momentum and maintain your angle through the hole. Next you aim for the big waves and holes for maximum fun and safety.

The second offset hole makes a nice splash; my crew missed a stroke so we carved just left of it. Then work back towards center for a nice hit at the third offset hole called Hungry Mother. It is wise to hit these holes perpendicular; there's a carnage reel on YouTube that shows what happens if you hit it sideways bunched up with other rafts (those guides were suspended by their outpost and missed a few trips afterwards).

As you exit Hungry Mother center your raft in the steep wave train. The frothy whitewater river-right of the wave train is littered with pin rocks likely to eject you and others from the raft (I am speaking from personal experience). The landing zone is also very shallow.

When you pass under the bridge to Thunder Rock Campground and Ocoee Powerhouse #3 be aware Edge of the World is a few hundred yards away. TVA dug a tailrace for the powerhouse during WWII. The drop into the tailrace creates a pour-over effect very similar to a low-head dam. Swimming here is bad as the highly aerated water lacks the density to allow you to float. I have rescued two people from this feature over the years; one was an experienced kayaker.

It was named Lucky Larry's Ledge because while he got a beatdown there he did not drown! See William Nealy's Ocoee River Map for reference.

This is an easy feature to run. The approach is shallow. The classic first-timers line is river-left just right of the tree line along the man-made ledge. Run it perpendicular and get you crew down to prevent accidents. Many outfitters take photos here so remember to smile.

Once you clear this area and the hydraulic you can let your crew float in the tailrace along Thunder Rock Campground.

Generally speaking outfitters on the Ocoee River wait until guides have mastered the Middle Ocoee before training them on the Upper. Bear in mind many first year guides that do not have a background in private boating struggle to read water. More than a few outfitters only train exceptional first year guides on the Upper Ocoee. Private boaters already competent on Class IV water or competent guides from other Class IV rivers are exceptions to the rule.

Upper Ocoee guide training generally begins with ride alongs to learn the river. Learning the rapid names is clearly one of the first tasks. Private boaters often have the advantage of being able to read water and if local they likely know the river well already. Local river knowledge is a huge plus. Whitewater rafting guide jobs seldom pay much so guides rely heavily upon tips. That said having the proper personality and attitude is priceless to the guide as well as the outpost and paying guests.