OCOEE, Tenn. – The economic lifeblood for much of Polk County flows through the canyon of the Cherokee National Forest here where America’s most popular whitewater rafting river usually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.
But the COVID-19 virus shut down the commercial rafting industry for two months and has delayed – and will likely limit – the number of persons booking such rafting trips down the Ocoee River this summer.
But as the Memorial Day weekend kicks off the traditional start of the busy summer rafting season here, tourist industry leaders here are hoping that Americans tired of being cooped up at home will seek the outdoor adventures offered along the TVA-controlled Ocoee River and its class III and class IV rapids.
“People are tired of being in the house and eager to get outside and we’re taking the right steps to be safe and have fun,” said Alex Storgion, owner of Ocoee Paddleboarding & Watersports. “I think we can still have a good season – at least I hope so. We’re getting calls from people in Chicago, New York, Georgia, North Carolina, Indiana – they’re calling from all over asking if we are open again.”
Last weekend, Storgion said he rented out all of his available paddle boards. But the commercial rater had only a couple of trips down the 5-mile middle section of the Ocoee River on Sunday. Among the 23 licensed commercial rafters operating on the Ocoee, there were fewer than 700 passengers last weekend on the first two days after federal authorities authorized the return of commercial rafting on the Ocoee earlier in the week.