Blue Hole

Part of the Upper Ocoee River, Cherokee National Forest

A great place to go swimming/diving/suntanning!

Last  revised 28 August 2011

Summer 2012 Roadtrip Dates -- Two-day visits, every two weeks or so -- coming soon!

Summer 2011 Roadtrip Diary and all 2011 pics and vids  are below

List of photos and videos moved here

Blue Hole, seen from slightly upriver. The Centennial Olympic footbridge is in the background; the best-known underwater tunnels are just to the left out of frame; the Ocoee Whitewater Center is out of frame to the right.

Directions From Atlanta Things To Bring Photos and Videos -- Some underwater! Summer 2011 Release Schedule for Ocoee #3 Dam Summer 2011 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2010 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2009 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2008 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2007 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2006 Roadtrip Diary
Summer 2005 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2004 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2003 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2002 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2001 Roadtrip Diary Summer 2000 Roadtrip Diary Summer 1999 Roadtrip Diary Summer 1998 Roadtrip Diary

Background:
Ever since 1994 or so, I've been roadtripping a lot up to Cleveland Tennessee, where my longtime friends Dirk, Randall and Gabrial live, to visit them and go swimming in the Ocoee River Gorge. There's a place called Blue Hole, part of the Upper Ocoee River, where there are underwater tunnels shallow and deep, wide and narrow; nice wide swimming holes 10-12 ft. deep; places where you can jump in or go skin-diving and look at the rocky bottom, in clear mountain water. There are easy tunnels for the whole family to swim through, and some that only kids (and skinny adults) can attempt, and some that no-one I know of has succeeded in swimming through. It's terrific fun! :) Great weather, great swimming, great company, underwater tunnels....what more could one ask for?

First, some important things to know:

  1. It's about an hour and 50 min. from downtown Atlanta to the Ocoee Whitewater Center and Blue Hole using the quicker route, and a bit longer via the "scenic route", assuming you travel near the posted speed limit in most areas. It's only about 80-90 minutes from Atlanta's northwestern suburbs (Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee counties), since they're closer. From my house in Auburn, Georgia, it's about two hours and thirty minutes. :(
  2. Bring diving masks and fins if you have them, especially masks (buy some cheap masks or goggles at the very least). Blue Hole is ten times more interesting with a mask or a pair of goggles; there's a lot to see in the river and along the bottom. Water-shoes, sandals or an old pair of sneakers are a good idea, because the smooth, water-carved rocks lining the watercourse are "slippery when wet" -- and can also get hot under a strong summer sun. (So does the parking-lot asphalt!)
    Even with good traction, you're likely to slip, so use caution and stay low to the ground.
  3. A $3 fee applies to vehicles parking in the day-use Ocoee Whitewater Center lot. This is a US Forest Service "Fee Area" and for a whole day of fun, it's a bargain for a carload of people at twice the price. A Cherokee National Forest annual pass is only $20 after May 1st, though, and includes all of the Forest's 'fee areas' including the beaches on Parksville Lake and up at Chilhowee. This is now my preferred pass each year. The Whitewater Center no longer issues its own slightly cheaper pass.
  4. The water level in the Upper Ocoee riverbed at Blue Hole is controlled by the Tennessee Valley Authority at its Ocoee #3 dam. Before embarking on any long trip to Blue Hole, it's always wise to call the Ocoee Whitewater Center (operated by the National Forest Service, US Dept. of Agriculture) at 423-496-5197, 9am-5pm, to ask the nice folks there if the water is low and therefore safe to go swimming: "We'd like to go swimming in Blue Hole today. Is the water too high? Is there a dam release scheduled for today?"
    Here are some reasons why TVA might be running high water through the Ocoee at Blue Hole:
    • White-water "paid for" by the rafting companies. Since TVA would normally divert the water through the mountain tunnel to Ocoee #3 powerhouse and generate power from it, the water has to be "paid for." The summer schedule is located here; water is normally run high in the Upper Ocoee river-course on Saturdays and Sundays for rafting.
    • After extremely heavy rainfall in the Ocoee Basin
    • problems or routine maintenance can force TVA's Ocoee #3 powerhouse or the water diversion tunnel to be closed
  5. Summer schedule for the Upper Ocoee: Click here for the official TVA page.
    High water is not scheduled for weekdays at all, only Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day, but as we've seen several times, conditions can change, due to heavy rains in the Ocoee basin or other less explainable causes.
    TVA has now installed a lights-and-siren warning system along the riverbed in front of the Ocoee Whitewater Center, which is audible upriver at Blue Hole and at least as far as "Little" Blue Hole, ten additional minutes' walk up the path. According to the Center staff, the alarm will begin sounding when the flowgates are opened at Ocoee #3 Dam, and it sounds at regular intervals thereafter. The released water takes about an hour and a half to get from Ocoee #3 dam to the OWC part of the river.
    This improvement was long overdue, and I have to wonder if the 'Great Flood' of August 19th, 2005 was a catalyst for the change, as I complained bitterly about it to TVA and to a Polk County commissioner (who happened to be visiting Blue Hole with his family, poor guy).
  6. Although the water is usually quite clear (except for about one day after the river's been high), the underwater rocks can be muddy. Don't wear something that can't be washed at home afterward. Dirt generally washes out easily, though.
  7. This is, after all, backwoods Tennessee. Since this isn't a pool, swimming in shorts, cutoffs or whatever is okay. Thongs might look a bit out of place. :) "Skinny-dipping" is not impossible, but I'd suggest heading further upriver on the path away from civilization and the Whitewater Center before trying it.
  8. There are bathrooms at the Ocoee Whitewater Center, open 9-5pm 7 days, same hours as the visitors' center upstairs and the small gift-shop downstairs. There is a new 'waterless' restroom facility toward the bottom of the parking lot but it's basically an overgrown porta-potty. It's better than nothing but since it only seems to be emptied once every year, you might want to hold your breath while inside. :)
    A Coke vending machine and a PowerAde machine are located outside at the OWC, plus there's a pay phone.

Directions From Atlanta

So you've called ahead and the water's low, and the weather looks good. There are two routes to get to Blue Hole from Atlanta. The more "scenic" route takes you up I-75 to Hwy 411 and then along Parksville Lake, TVA's big Ocoee #1 dam and the Ocoee River Gorge itself. It is also significantly longer and has more two-lane roads as opposed to highways. I've moved those directions to this separate file since I haven't scouted that route in about five years. The second route, described below, is a lot quicker since it involves more freeway-speed driving, but it's not as scenic and oddly enough, involves more turns.

The Faster Route to Blue Hole from Atlanta

  1. Take I-75 North out of Atlanta.
  2. Take the ramp for I-575 and keep going north. This is yer basic freeway with two lanes in either direction, and controlled-access exits.
  3. Stay on I-575. At Nelson/Ball Ground, Georgia, I-575 ends and becomes a four-lane divided highway (not controlled access), with the occasional traffic light and intersection. Keep going.
  4. You're now on GA Hwy 5 (among others) heading north. Put a CD in and set the cruise-control for 65. It'll be about an hour. (I recommend Green Carnation's Light of Day, Day of Darkness, which runs an hour and six seconds...and it's one long song, a progressive-metal masterpiece. :)) You'll cruise through Jasper, and then East Ellijay. You can start paying attention again as you pass through the tiny hamlet of Cherry Log.
  5. The next town is Blue Ridge. At Blue Ridge you'll come to a traffic light with a McDonalds on the opposite left corner and the signs will indicate Hwy 5 makes a left turn here. Follow the sign and make a left.
  6. You're now on Hwy 5 between Blue Ridge and McCaysville, GA. This is a well-laid two-lane road with an occasional passing lane on uphills. It's about 10 miles to McCaysville. As you approach the town the road will go downhill to a river. Cross the river on the bridge. At the stop sign, where the road dead-ends, take a left. This intersection is actually located in Georgia and Tennessee, which explains why no-one's put up a traffic light yet. (!) You can see a blue dotted line on the ground which marks the state border, along with signs. As you turn left, you cross into Copper Hill, Tennessee. As a warning, the speed limit here is 20 mph. It gradually increases, but be extremely cautious with this since I've gotten a ticket here: just because the road becomes a four-lane doesn't mean the speed limit is 55mph...yet!
  7. You'll go through two lights and cross some railroad tracks, passing a small railyard on the left and a smelting plant on the right. After a while the road will open up into a four-lane divided highway. Don't exceed 45mph until a sign says you can do so. After you go under a railway bridge keep to the right and watch for a junction sign for US 64. The ramp will come up suddenly on the right. Take this ramp.
  8. At the foot of the ramp take a left. You are now on US Hwy 64. This intersection is located in Ducktown, TN.
  9. This part of US 64 is a wide two-lane road with some good hills. You'll go about 7 miles on it, entering the Cherokee National Forest. (As of June 2011 there is some bridge construction which may require a wait since the bridge is reduced to one very narrow, 11-ft wide lane.) As you come down a hill you'll see a brown sign on the right for the Ocoee Whitewater Center, and ahead of you it looks like the road gets narrower. Slow down.
  10. There will be a left-turning lane, and you'll see a parking lot on the left in front of the building. Turn here. Parking is now free for up to 30 minutes in this upper lot, so you can stop and visit the restroom and change, buy an annual pass, or sign in on the guest register. You'll have to move your car to the lower "day use" lot afterwards.
  11. Continue past OWC in the parking lot and at the exit, you'll see a sharp left marked with "Ocoee Whitewater Center parking." Turn down here and park in the first non-reserved space you find.
  12. If you haven't already paid an attendant (I think they're only posted now on weekends, if then), go to one of the Daily Use fee kiosks and drop the envelope in the slot, and put the stub on your dashboard. You're all set!
    Taken from the parking lot facing downriver Facing upriver: OWC is the red building in the distance at left OWC itself, taken from the short-term parking lot

Things you'll see at Blue Hole

The riverbed right by the Center mostly consists of rocks, with occasional deep pools and little waterfalls. I don't usually go swimming here because there are "neeter" areas up the river, but this is a great area to take younger kids since it's not too far from the parking area; you can walk across the suspension bridge and take the concrete path down to the water. The rocks are worn smooth from millions of years of waterflow in the river basin and look neet; they are slippery, so be careful. That intentionally rusty suspension bridge marks the upriver limit of the riverbed modifications for the 1996 Olympic Games -- the parking lot is where the grandstands were located.

You'll see a set of rock stairs leading down from the Center to the path along the river; Blue Hole is about a hundred yards upriver from the bridge. You can see it easily from the bridge.

Here's a rough sketch of the area around the Ocoee Whitewater Center (from Ducktown and McCaysville, you'd enter from the upper right-hand corner on US 64; from Cleveland and Route 411 you'd enter from the left side).


From OWC, take the stone steps down to the path near the river. Walking upriver on the footpath that runs beneath the bridge, you'll cross a small stream. Beyond this to your right is Blue Hole itself, a wide deep spot in the river with good places for jumping off rocks, etc. I generally continue onward and drop my stuff near the tunnels; later I swim back down the river to enjoy the deeper part of Blue Hole.
The best-known underwater tunnels are located beyond Blue Hole, a bit further upriver. This is where I usually park my stuff and enter the river, since you can walk across the rocks and hop into the tunnels right from the shore. So, go about another 100 yards past Blue Hole on the path; you'll see an expanse of solid rock that tilts down toward the river on your right.
In the middle of the riverbed at this point are a collection of small "holes" -- you've found the tunnels!


If you step carefully across the rocks toward the holes, "The Throne" is one of the first holes you come to from the path -- it's almost perfectly circular and about two-and-a-half feet across. You can recognize it because if you look down into it, you can see out the side into the next hole; you'll also see that a handy rock "shelf" extends across the bottom. This is where I usually enter the water since it's easy and not prone to slipping or sliding. It's really just big enough for one person and standing here kinda makes you feel One With the River, like you're the lord of all you survey, hence I call it "The Throne." :)
The Throne is that black hole to the left. Yes, there's water in it just out of view!

If you duck your head under you can exit from The Throne into the next hole, which is irregularly-shaped and wider. Here the bottom shelves down to about 7 feet deep. Angling off to the right is an underwater opening that leads you to a multiway underwater chamber. You can veer right and come out the "Main Entrance," you can go upward through an opening, or you can veer left and go thru a smaller tunnel into a wide, circular hole about big enough for four people. From this hole you can continue out through one of two exits into open water (perhaps five ft. deep) on the opposite side of the riverbed from the path.

None of these tunnels is more than 3 or 4 feet long, making them safe for most kids and nearly all adults, as long as you can swim. They can be done with or without diving masks or goggles, although masks or goggles make it a lot more fun and much safer, especially for large groups.
This is the narrowest tunnel (recommended for skinny kids and adults only) as seen from c. 5 ft. past the Throne From the same spot, this is the passageway to the left. A kid in the foreground (left leg visible) has just gone up thru the narrow opening; in the background is someone snorkeling in the "wide circular hole" mentioned above From the "wide circular hole" here are the two exits out to open water on the other side of the riverbed. And facing back, here's the pebbly bottom of the wide circular hole from one of the exit tunnels.

If you go back out to the path, further upriver about a 12-minute walk you come to an area we call "Little Blue Hole." This area tends to be a bit less crowded with casual tourists and whitewater-rafting parties and can be a more pleasant place to suntan, etc. We've gone "skinny-dipping" here before, when it was otherwise deserted.

Here's a view from midriver a bit downstream from the tunnels looking back at the "main entrance," from which the kid has just emerged.
From the same spot, here's a view looking downstream. In the background is the suspension bridge. Past the kids just right of center is a tilted rock in the distance -- there's an excellent tunnel running underneath it. Just to the right of the large tilted rock (left foreground) and to the left of the rocky "peninsula" (middle distance, center) you can see all the way to the far side of Blue Hole itself. The wide swimming hole seen here is actually the smaller, more distant swimming hole seen in this image from the bridge, facing upstream.

If you go up to Blue Hole this summer or any summer, be sure to drop me a note in email if you have any comments or suggestions. It's a great place to go swimming or snorkeling!

Things You Should Bring

 (Listed in approximate order of importance)
  1. $3 for the day-long parking fee. Or just get an annual pass once and enjoy the whole summer. :)
    For large vehicles, like buses and passenger vans, it's 50 cents per person.
  2. Mask, snorkel and fins. If nothing else, bring a mask, or at the least some goggles for your eyes. Blue Hole is ten times as much fun when you can see where you're going, and there's a lot to see on the bottom. Besides, then you won't have to borrow a mask from me! :) Fins aren't needed in the "cheese hole" tunnels, but they're really helpful for snorkeling elsewhere.
    Some of the tunnels are easier if you go through them upside-down, so a mask is better than a pair of goggles since it keeps your nose clear. Snorkels are especially good for the shallower area between the tunnels and the deep part of Blue Hole.
  3. Shoes, preferably water-shoes or old tennis shoes. On a hot summer day, the rocks in the riverbed and along the sides can get extremely hot, and shoes become really important. The rocks are also slippery when wet so choose something with decent wet-traction.
  4. A bathing suit. Note how this is listed below money, masks and shoes? :) You can also go swimming in shorts or cutoffs, and I've seen passersby, and locals on the way home from work, take a quick dip wearing long pants...and sometimes underwear. The farther up the river you walk, the less crowded the river tends to be, so skinny-dipping isn't out of the question once you're away from the crowds.
  5. A hat. That Sun'll bake yer brain. :)
  6. A disposable underwater camera. Not a necessity but hot damn, they work pretty well and on a clear day with sunshine you can get some awesome underwater shots, as you can see on these pages. Fuji's underwater disposable is the best I've seen, but Kodak's is okay too. I'm now using a Pentax Optio W30 digital camera for underwater photos and video, and it's worked quite well!
  7. Tanning lotion, preferably the allegedly-waterproof kind. I tend not to wear it but I probably should. :)
  8. Towel and/or blanket. --Especially if you're suntanning.
  9. A wetsuit, or something warm to wear if the water's a bit chilly. It can be chilly early in the season, when the water is flowing a bit higher than normal due to rainfall in the basin, or when the wind is really blowin'. Wearing a rashguard, or a shirt over longer shorts, or bike-shorts under cutoffs, etc., can help.
  10. A reasonably empty belly. For two reasons: it's a pain in the butt to walk back to the OWC to use the bathrooms there, and for you underwater swimmers and tunnel-explorers, you can hold your breath longer on an empty stomach. :)
  11. A cooler with drinks and stuff. If you picnic near Blue Hole, please save your trash and dispose of it properly...and give others hell if they don't. :)

If you'd like to make it an overnight trip, the closest motels are in Ducktown, TN; you passed them if you came via McCaysville and Copper Hill. There are also various lodges, campgrounds and cabin-rental places in the Cherokee National Forest. Thunder Rock Campground, across the river near TVA's Ocoee #2 powerhouse is only about 2 miles from Blue Hole. Apparently no permit is required for "primitive" camping up in the mountains within the National Forest, but there are bears and stuff.
For more information about primitive camping, go here.
In the event I can't stay with my friends in Cleveland, TN, I generally get a room in town there. There are several inexpensive ($35-$50) options there.
If you'd like to picnic at Blue Hole, a bridge by the lower "day" parking lot leads to a small picnic area across the river from the parking lot. These tables are first-come first-served.

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2011 Summer Roadtrip Itinerary

These Dates May Change Beginning in late July

Dates Plans Comments
June 15th and 16th Wednesday and Thursday Roadtrip made! Some really rough weather chased us out of the river about 3 hours after we got there on Wednesday, and although the water was fairly clear, there wasn't much sun, so I didn't get any underwater pics or video. Thursday was sunny and clear, but the water was about 4 inches higher and cloudier due to all the rainfall overnight so, again, I didn't try to get any underwater shots.
June 29th and 30th Wednesday and Thursday Roadtrip made! Went up solo this time since no-one had quite the right days off work (or, in my friend Ripper's case, he was back in Florida). Really awesome weather both days and I spent many hours in the river on both Wed. and Thurs...and I'm quite sunburnt to show for it! Still, it was well-worth it. Met and befriended several cool people including David and his wife Noell, both of whom have since become Facebook friends, Andrew and family, Dylan and friends (whose names I forget now), and several others. June 2011 pics are now posted here!
July 13th and 14th Wednesday and Thursday Roadtrip made! Went up this time with my friend Jason and his wife's kid Adam riding along. Not quite as awesome as last time but still really good. There was a storm in the area when we first arrived but rainfall remained light and we were grateful for the lingering high cloud cover.... The second day featured a few close-passing thunderstorms but it didn't rain until late on Thursday and even that was fairly light. Saw David and his wife Noelle again on Thursday along with quite a few other cool people. Both days also included the Church of the Compulsive Shampooers, who shampooed their hair right in the river. Hope it didn't kill off too many fish! Sadly didn't get any pics or video this time, mostly due to cloud-cover, stirred-up shampoo-water, or plain forgetfulness....
July 27th and 28th Wednesday and Thursday Roadtrip made! Really awesome weather both days, with no rain at all in the vicinity and enough sun that I got pretty well toasted. Convoyed up on the first day with my friends Lance and Jeff -- their first time to Blue Hole -- and they enjoyed it a lot. They returned to Atlanta Wednesday night to see to their injured dog and I stayed overnight in Cleveland and returned on Thursday. Got some videos of the more difficult tunnels on Wednesday including Chris, Zak, another Chris, Eddie and others, and on Thursday I sold an AquaSphere Seal mask to my friends David and Noelle for $15 (normally they're $25) and another "pro" goggles to a kid and his mom for $10. All in all, a lot of fun both days. Underwater vids of Chris, Zak and friends making it through some of the more challenging underwater tunnels are in this YouTube playlist from 2011!
August 10th and 11th Wednesday and Thursday Roadtrip made! Great weather on Wednesday and some high clouds on Thursday, which may have helped me burn a little less on this trip. :) No rain at all in the area, either. My friends Lance and Jeff returned for a one-day visit on Wednesday again as they had to work on Thursday, and also saw other familiar faces including David, Noelle, Chris and the guy with the white wolf. Some vids taken along the route from Cleveland and featuring the scenic river gorge are now posted in this 2011 video playlist on YouTube!
August 24th and 25th Wednesday and Thursday Roadtrip made! For this probably-last roadtrip for 2011, my friend Ripper, just returned from florida, came along. As usual for this late in the season there weren't too many people up there since school is back in session. Weather was great both days and it was nice having the area almost to ourselves for much of the time. Met some really cool folks including Brett, Gene and James. Pics for this last run are here.
August 30th and 31st Tentative Tuesday and Wednesday pre-Dragon*Con Roadtrip is possible but unlikely. This probably won't be happening, but let me know in email if you'd like to ride along, convoy up or meet-up at Blue Hole!

Photos and Videos

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2003 Roadtrip Diary | 2004 Roadtrip Diary | 2005 Roadtrip Diary | 2006 Roadtrip Diary | 2007 Roadtrip Diary | 2008 Roadtrip Diary | 2009 Roadtrip Diary | 2010 Roadtrip Diary |
2011 Summer Roadtrip Diary |

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