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OCOEE, Tenn. (WDEF) — Polk County is a mecca for white water rafting, hiking, and outdoor activities. The Polk County Chamber of Commerce has seen how the rafters, explorers, local shops and businesses have impacted the community.
Lynne McClary, Executive Director, Polk Co. Chamber of Commerce, “So when people think about visiting us in Polk County, their first thought is probably the Ocoee River and white water rafting scene of the 1996 Olympics. And, and you can do that. Obviously, that’s a huge draw here. You can raft the exact same rapids that the Olympians did in ’96, but there’s so much more to do. It’s we’re not just a one day trip. You like hiking, you like mountain biking. You like swimming? Boating? We’ve got all of that right here.”
Angelo Giansante, Park Manager at Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River State Park, “One of the best things about living here and being in this area is it’s a family place. It’s a place where you get to have fun and grow together. What I really like is when I take my kids on adventures and we go out in the outdoors, when we sit down and we have dinner, what we talk about is what we did for the day. And a lot of times and where we’re at now in modern technology, we watch our own TV shows, we do our own things. It’s almost like we’re strangers that come by each other and rarely sit together, even to eat. And so I really, really love that. I live in a place, and I want you to come and visit a place where you get to share your adventures and share those moments and get your family back.”
Lynne McClary, “There’s so much more to do. And that’s one of the things that is our job is to educate people, come and raft, spend the night, but stay a few days. Take a hike to Benton Falls, rent some watercraft and paddleboard on the lake.”
Angelo Giansante, “We are here at Hiwassee/Ocoee State Park to help you plan your adventures. So if you want to get out and you’re not sure how, please get Ahold of us either on Facebook or our website, Hiwassee/Ocoee State Park and we can help connect you with nature. We can help orient you to the safety measures you want to take when you come down to these rivers. These are real rivers with real rapids. We can help orient you to water safety. You want to have a life jacket and you want to stay away from strainers. If you don’t know what a strainer is, please call us so we can help educate you. When you get out in the national forest, there are bears. There are snakes. We are in the woods. But if you call us and we talk to you, we can also help you understand that those are our neighbors. They live with us, but they very rarely bother us. And we can help you with some safety protocols to make sure that your trip with your family is enjoyable and fun.”
Lynne McClary, “It’s all ages. We are open for business. We’re open from toddlers to senior citizens. There’s something for everybody in the evening. You want to dine? We got places to eat. We got places to shop. Really something for everybody.”
