Riverlog

Ocoee River Rafting: Stories Worth Living

Digging the Ocoee

Jun 12, 2019Uncategorized0 comments

In white water culture, “dig” usually means “to bury the paddle deep within the water, where the current is stronger than the surface.” You might hear your raft guide telling you to “dig”, that’s because if your paddle goes deeper in the water, the boat will move more and you’ll achieve better results. To “dig” is also to “like” or to “learn more” about a specific subject and to “bring to the surface what’s in the bottom”, like soil, or a forgotten past, a history that lies hidden from the surface.

Like the water, if the past sinks in the back of our memory, digging it up can bring a strong current of thoughts and enlightenment to the present. We often refer to the Ocoee River without thinking of where the name “Ocoee” comes from. “Ocoee” is a Cherokee word that refers to Passiflora incarnata, commonly known as maypop, purple passionflower, true passionflower, wild apricot, or wild passion vine. It is a flower the Cherokee used in culinary and in medicine; it’s also Tennessee state’s wild flower.

Hidden in words we use every day are sounds of a different culture, a different community that came before us and yet have seen some of the landscapes we can still see today. The landscapes change, as the sounds of words changes with time, with the clash of cultures, and with the arrival of newcomers that settle down. The river where we paddle used to belong to the Cherokees, a matrilineal community that was forced to move in warfare to new territory in Oklahoma, by the government that settled in the area. They were forced on the Trail of Tears in search of a new home.

The Cherokee might have cried a river of tears, but the river that’s named after the state’s wildflower is still in their language. The tea made from the roots of the Ocoee (the flower) has been used as a herbal tonic, to help restore, tone and invigorate systems in the body or to promote general health and well-being. The Ocoee River can be the perfect metaphor for digging our past in order to restore the well-being that was once broken and make peace with all communities that have lived here.

.

VIEW ALL POSTS

0 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

8 things you may not know about the ocoee river

5 ways to know if you got a good raft guide

Need more outdoor adventure rafting in your life?
check out our social!

Five Star Rated on

    
 
 
       Amazing trip, great guides and great company
My gf and I decided to take a quick trip to the mountains. We look at OAR for whitewater rafting. We called about 9pm and Sarah Beth answered and took our reservation for the next morning. Sarah Beth also ended up being our guide on a half day trip. She talked a lot about being assigned more office duties and spreadsheets versus guiding runs down the river. My gf does not know how to swim so I was a little nervous. Sarah Beth was truly amazing asking at every section of rapids if we want to go big, risky do 360’s take the hard path or easy path. Thankfully my gf agreed to go big every time. We did get completely thrown on the last run of the day and we loved that part of the experience. Sarah Beth should definitely be on the water more whoever makes up the schedule. She knew everyone on the river and had many friends from other companies stopping to talk to her. The 3 other rafts with OAR were also guided by great guides who were a lot of fun, very kind, funny and interacted with the guest so well. I am now trying to schedule a trip with my son and his high school buddy’s for a few days. Thank you Rick and Diana
  
 
     O8735XWrichards 
 04/05/2024
 
 
 
      White Water Rafting, Camping & Hiking
This was my first White Water Rafting trip. As a solo gentleman of 60, I was excited. I camped at their location for 5 days. The showers & restroms were large & clean. The Staff, friendly, accessible and accommodating. I did the Upper & Middle Rafting, along with a tubeing event. All the Guides were professional, explained each persons responsibility and explained Safety in detail. I will use OAR every year. This was a great location for trail hikeing and off road biking. The trails at the 1996 Olympic were fantastic to ride along, and to watch the rafters Also, with their location to Lake Ocoee, I was able to Paddleboard for hours, each day. If you brought your trailered boat, this campground with plenty of room for boat trailer & camping would be a top choice
  
 
     John-Lester G 
 23/03/2024
 
 
 
      Best Honeymoon Adventure Ever!!
In July my husband and I were celebrating our honeymoon in Tenessee, and I had never been whitewater rafting before. Now I can't wait to go back!! we signed up for the daytrip and requested Jon Hall which was the best decision ever! he was so skilled, and just the most fun guide ever, with an incredible blend of experience, immaculate vibes and knock your socks off adventure! It was worth every penny, and we can't wait to visit again for our anniversary and will absolutely be requesting him again! (P.S. the other rafting companies might have exciting pictures on their website, but this place is the real deal!)
  
 
     Jessica S 
 10/01/2024
 
 
 
      Great Weekend Experience
OAR hosted our Men's Retreat this weekend. Good people at OAR treated us like family!The food was great and they didn’t hold back any. they did everything possible to make this a retreat to remember. OAR had many activity options available, but I chose to rest in nature. I look forward to going back again. It was Great!!
  
 
     Michael W 
 16/10/2023
 
 
 
      Best trip of the summer
Best trip of the summer! Staff was fun and professional. Our guide asked what kind of experience we wanted and she delivered.
  
 
     Corey K 
 16/10/2023
 
 
 
      Amazing Men's Retreat at OAR!
OAR hosted our church's Men's Retreat this weekend. What an amazing place to grow closer to the Lord and to fellowship with other brothers. The kind folks at OAR treated us incredibly well. The food was delicious and plentiful; they did everything possible to make this a retreat to remember. OAR had many activity options available, but I chose to go river rafting! The guides were thorough and professional. Their knowledge of the river and equipment made this a safe and exhilarating adventure. Special thanks to my river guide, Tyler, whose skill and antics made this such a fun, exciting and memorable rafting experience.
  
 
     Scott D 
 08/10/2023
 
 
 
      We loved our trip.
We had a great time rafting this weekend! Rodney was a wonderful guide. I highly recommend the trip.
  
 
     Orrin T 
 02/10/2023
 
 
 
      Exciting and fun trip for a first-timer!
One of the most fun things I did the whole time I was in Tennessee! I joined a larger group of rafters as a solo traveler and had so much fun. I felt very safe even though it was my first time rafting, but it was such a blast! Cowboy did a great job guiding us through the rapids and answering all of my questions about the rafting industry and the natural/cultural/industrial history of the area. Wish I had signed up for a longer trip!
  
 
     Clara S 
 28/09/2023
 
 
 
      An absolute blast
Great fun for all ages - our group ranged from 12 to 50+ and everyone had the thrill of a lifetime. Our guide, Jon, was top notch and will definitely plan a return trip one day. OAR had great prices and very easy to book online.
  
 
     Gregory H 
 25/09/2023
 
 
 
      So much fun!
My wife and I went rafting as part of a birthday package I made for my wife. We had the best time with OAR and our guide Charlie! He was ver knowledgeable of the area in general and a very experienced guide on the water. He knew just how to cater to our experience to make it memorable. We will definitely be back with other friends, family, and colleagues!
  
 
     Rainer S 
 18/09/2023

Leave a Review

contact us

Outdoor Adventure Rafting

629 Welcome Valley Road
Benton, TN 37307

info@ocoee.com

(423) 338-5746

Reservation Office : 8AM - 8PM
Information : 24/7