Rhododendron Trail at Ocoee White Water Center

Trails to Walk Near Blue Ridge, Georgia

Trails to Walk Near Copperhill, Tennessee

Things to Do in the Blue Ridge Area

 

Last Sunday, the family and I enjoyed a picnic and a hike down on the Ocoee River. We accessed the river via Hwy 64 at the Ocoee White Water center. After eating our lunch and walking on the rocks in the middle of the river we hiked the Rhododendron Trail.

The Rhododendron Trail follows the river downstream on the far side of the river. This trail is a little more than a mile one way and ends at one of the power stations on the river with little grade. The trail is situated between the Cherokee National Forest and the Ocoee River, the forest side of the trail is a steep mountainside with huge boulders overshadowing the trail in places. This walk along the Ocoee is a non-strenuous, peaceful trek through beautiful peaceful surroundings. The Ocoee along the trail has some of the clearest, pristine looking pools I have noticed on the river. As I walked the trail I took a few pictures with my ipod of some of the scenery along the way.

The Ocoee White Water Center is in Polk County, Tennessee flows beside Hwy 64. From Chattanooga, you can access Hwy 64 from Cleveland Tennessee; from the Atlanta area, take I-575 north to 515, turn right onto Hwy 5 North at 3^rd red-light in Blue Ridge, Ga. Follow Hwy 5 until it dead ends at Hwy 68 in Copperhill, Tennessee and go left on 68 to Ducktown. In Ducktown, take 64 West to the White Water Center, which will be on your left a few miles down the road; you can’t miss it.