The pros and cons of the Ocoee’s busiest days.
The Ocoee’s busiest times are Saturday trip times between 10 AM and 2 PM in July, August and September.
There are several good reasons to avoid the busiest rafting times if you can help it. It’s hard to find a parking space. You have to book your trip early so you can get your preferred trip time. It’s difficult to bring extra people at the last minute. It’s harder for Raft One’s staff to give you the personalized attention you deserve. There can be long lines of rafts waiting to put on the river. And of course it’s the most expensive time to go.
On the other hand the rafting trip itself isn’t much different whether it’s a busy day or a laid back day. It’s true if everyone on the trip has time, we can add extra stops at play spots on non busy days but in general once on the river the quality of the Ocoee rafting trip is the same. All the extra rafts and kayaks on the river can be an added obstacle for your raft to maneuver around but then again if you fall out of the raft there’s a good chance you won’t go far before you bump into another raft. Lots of people like the festive atmosphere created by big crowds and the Ocoee’s busiest days definitely qualify.
All in all we still recommend avoiding the busiest times if your schedule will allow. Even if you can’t avoid going on a busy Saturday, spend Friday night in the Ocoee area and get on an early Saturday trip. Or book a late afternoon Saturday trip and spend Saturday night with us. The busiest days are also the longest days of the year. It doesn’t get dark in July and August until well past 8 PM so a 4 PM or even 5 PM trip gets you back to the outpost in plenty of time for an evening of good food, great people and awesome rafting stories.