What is the difference between upper and middle Ocoee?
Rafting the Upper and Middle Ocoee sections take roughly two hours each, spanning about five miles each. The Middle Ocoee’s two dozen class III rapids provide a thrilling, splashy roller coaster ride. Meanwhile, the Upper Ocoee starts off slowly but builds to intense class IV rapids.
The Upper Ocoee goes back in a remote canyon well away from the highway. The first mile and a half of the Upper Ocoee starts relatively easier with mostly class two rapids and a few class three. There are a couple of nice spots to get the raft into a small hydraulic and surf. After that you start getting closer to the section where the Olympics were held and the rapids start to really pick up. The Olympic Course features numerous back to back class four rapids. The class four rapids in the Olympic channel are the largest anywhere on the Ocoee River. After you leave the Olympic section there is one more large class four rapid. But then the last mile slows back down until you reach the lunch spot between the Upper and Middle Ocoee.
You will be constantly splashed as you raft down the Middle Ocooe, the “traditional” Ocoee. This section has more rapids than the Upper, though none nearly as large as the biggest ones on the Upper. Unlike the Upper which starts off gentler, the Middle has a immediate class three rapid as you put your raft in the river. These class three rapids occur one right after the other with only one good sized break about half way down the Middle section, making it one of the most continuous stretches of whitewater anywhere.
The great thing about the Full River trip is that you don’t miss a thing! Plus you get a nice break for a delicious river side lunch. The entire trip takes around six hours for this trip and out on the water/lunch for about four and a half hours. The lunch stop takes about 45-minute break which makes for a more relaxing trip.
