Ocoee Whitewater Center

The Ocoee Whitewater Center, near Ducktown, Tennessee, United States, was the canoe slalom venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The Olympic race course was built in the dry riverbed of the Upper Ocoee river. The Upper Ocoee is the 3.5 mi (5.6 km) section between Ocoee Dam #3 and its downstream powerhouse. The Middle Ocoee is the 4.5 mi (7.2 km) section between Ocoee Dam #2 and its downstream powerhouse. The same river in Georgia, upstream of the lake behind Dam #3, is called the Toccoa River. The river was narrowed by two-thirds, and natural boulders were moved and cemented into place to create the drops and eddies needed for a slalom course. It is the only in-river course to be used for Olympic slalom competition. A visitor center, parking lot, and suspension foot bridge were part of the Olympic construction project.

Today, the course is watered only on summer weekends, for use by guided rafts and private boaters. The hanging slalom gates have been permanently removed. Because the river rarely has water, the Center, now operated by the U.S. Forest Service, serves primarily as a site for hiking, mountain biking, conferences, weddings, and receptions. It receives about 300,000 visitors a year.