Lodging near Ocoee Adventure Center is abundant. However my personal favorite place to stay is in a tent and sleeping bag. Sleeping under the stars has a great appeal. This blog is about a recent adventure. During the adventure my best friend and I enjoyed a night of Ocoee camping and Astrophotography. Enjoy the photos.
When we arrived we pitched a tent at Thunder Rock Campground and set out to explore the area that night. Thunder Rock Campground is located about 6 miles downriver from the Ocoee Adventure Center outpost. Thunder Rock is a US forest Service controlled campground. This campground is unique to the region since it is the only one with access to the actual Ocoee River from the campsites. It is located in the spot that the Upper Ocoee flows into lake number 2 and then the Middle Ocoee. Our camp site was directly across from the final rapid of the Upper Ocoee called Edge of the World. This offers great swimming access too. There are other camping accommodations nearby.
Our night consisted of hiking around and shooting pictures of the Milky Way. The Ocoee has so many wonderful spots for Astrophotography. Not to mention an abundant amount of local scenery to photograph. Through the night we visited a large number of scenic locations in the Ocoee gorge. If you ever get the chance to spend the night here make sure you stop by Boyd’s Gap, Blue Hole on the Upper Ocoee and Chillhowee overlooks. These 3 sites were our favorite of the night. If you want to stay up to catch the sunrise the best spot is up Oswald Road on the east side of Chillhowee Moutain. The views from there are breathtaking watching the sunrise over the mountains.
If you have any questions about the Ocoee River or Region feel free to contact us at Ocoee Adventure Center. We love to share our knowledge of the area with prospective visitors.