Heading East

Rapids bellow Ocoee Dam No. 2

Ocoee Dam No. 2

Ocoee Dam No. 1 and Ocoee Lake
Traveling back east from Alabama we took the scenic route along Interstate 64 through Tennessee and North Carolina. This route takes you through the Cherokee National Forest and the Nantahala National Forest. Probably the most scenic portion of the drive is the section in Tennessee that runs next to the Ocoee River Gorge and the Ocoee Lakes. There are many pull-offs along this section where you can stop and watch kayakers and rafters play in the rapids. Also, just below Dam No. 3 is the whitewater course where the 1996 Olympic kayak events took place.