Five stars all around for our experience with OAR. My husband wanted to go whitewater rafting on the Ocoee for his birthday this year, and after a quick search through Yelp and beyond, OAR is one of the best rated rafting companies in the area. We booked the Middle River trip, which totals about 3 hours and includes 1.5 hours on the river itself. I booked our trip a couple of weeks in advance online, and I'm glad I did, because they sold out for the day! It was $65 per person, which feels like a fair price for the experience. They recommend arriving 30 minutes early, which will give you plenty of time to get checked in and get your party situated. Definitely bring sunscreen and a plastic water bottle, along with the proper water shoes and attire. You're instructed to leave everything in your car, and then drop your keys off with the front desk staff for pick-up after your rafting trip. The safety briefing started right on time, and basically consists of what to do if you end up going overboard. It's not meant to be scary, and most of it is self-intuitive. There were about 60 people in our group, and the majority of rafts held 6 people. After the safety talk was over, everyone gets their own lifejacket, oar, and helmet. Then you and the rest of your crew hops on a school bus, which will take you to the drop-off site about 20 minutes away. This is where we met our rafting guide, Cleveland, and after a quick demo on paddling and how to sit in the raft, we were off on our adventure! Our time on the water was so much fun, and I want to shout out how incredible Cleveland was from the beginning to the end. He was an awesome mix of friendly, engaging, and informative, which made our trip all the more memorable! As a group of two, we were paired with two other random couples to fill out our raft, which was a great way to meet some new people. Overall this was an amazing experience, and we can't wait to do it again soon. We'll definitely be booking the full river trip next time! read more

My friends and I came from out of state, this was most of our group's first time rafting and it was an incredible introduction. Everyone was friendly and informative, the guides made sure you had fun but stayed safe. I would absolutely go again anytime, such a great time and shout out to our guide Hugh, he was great fun and is clearly passionate about rafting and outdoor adventure. Thanks for an awesome time!! read more

Loved itttt! It was soooo much fun! Definitely will be recommending this company to all my friends and family read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

I was looking for a fun activity for my students to do while on a service trip, and we saw that OAR had some openings for a whitewater rafting trip. We took it! It's mid-October so the pricing wasn't peak pricing and at $40/person. My GPS glitched and turned us around a couple times so we made it just in time. We were given the safety briefing after checking in. Then we got our gear and got on the bus to get to the river. Our small group of 5 got to raft with James. He was phenomenal! James is so much like my husband's family where he can joke with a straight face and you don't know if it's a joke or not. James did an amazing job of guiding us and leading us down the Ocoee. Several in our group had never been whitewater rafting before. Everyone had a great time! It was truly amazing. Thank you so much for memories we won't ever forget! read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - Jumping off a rock at a stop! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

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Hugh was fantastic!!!!! We will be back and definitely request him again. He kept us entertained and feeling very safe. I was petrified at the beginning and still can't believe how exciting it was and how much fun I had! Can't wait to come back in the spring. Will make this a regular event. Thanks Hugh! read more

I highly recommend Oar Adventure Rafting! We had an exciting, adventure-filled day rafting down the beautiful Ocoee River. The scenery was incredible, and the rapids provided just the right mix of thrills and fun. Our guide, Tito, was outstanding. He kept us entertained with great commentary throughout the trip, made us feel safe and confident on the river, and added so much energy and enthusiasm to the experience. His knowledge, sense of humor, and professionalism made the trip truly memorable. If you're looking for an unforgettable rafting adventure, Oar Adventure Rafting is the way to go! It is great for the young and old.. read more

Fantastic experience with our guide Cleveland! Couldn't have asked for better weather or better water temperature. The entire experience was well organized, and well done. read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

OAR is a fun local rafting outfit that that does the ocoee River about 10 mi from Cleveland Tennessee.#James is the bomb! #AdventireAGoGo read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - James my river guide. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

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So, we did the white water rafting earlier this morning, and I/we had the time of our lives. I'll start by saying I don't do a lot of outdoorsy things, and I also have some intense anxiety. I research everything I do before I do it so I know what to expect, but I choose not to do that for this adventure so I wouldn't psych myself out. When everything started, a very charismatic and funny guide went over the rules and safety things. After that, we got our equipment, then headed to the bus. Our bus driver, Terry, was fantastic and had a great sense of humor. Once we got there, our group of four and a couple (who happened to be where we are from) were put together in the same raft. Our guide, Crista, was amazing throughout the whole experience. She cracked jokes, was very knowledgeable about the conditions and names of everything, and definitely knew what she was doing. At one point we got stuck on a rock, and she got us out, and got us unstuck. There was never a moment during the experience where I was scared for my safety, which is huge for someone who is scared of everything. The rafting itself was fantastic, and I will try to do it as much as I can, wherever I go, because of my great experience here. If you are looking for a place to do white water rafting in this area, pick this place, and you won't be sorry. Every single guide (and Terry), cared about all of us, even if we weren't in their group. They are an amazing team, who will keep you safe and make you have fun, while you take a great adventure. I can't say more good things about them. read more

Had an amazing time rafting the middle river with Daniel as our guide. Felt safe and had just the right amount of excitement. Can't wait to return to run the full river. read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

Tyler and Griffin were awesome guides! My brother and I went tubing with them on the lower ocoee and if you're looking something a little more tame than rafting, this is it! We will definitely be back for everything else that OAR offers :) also Laura, who I spoke to over the phone, was incredibly helpful and sweet. read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

Tons of fun!! We had a great guide, I would highly recommend. The rapids were not too extreme, however you do get moved around a lot.

I went to TN for the first time over the weekend and did all the tourist things(rock city, ruby falls, etc) but white water rafting with Cherokee was hands down the best experience. This was our fist time white water rafting and it did not disappoint. It's everything you imagine it to be. They have a good system of how they operate and get everyone on the level. Our guide Thomas was awesome lol. Dudes a wild man and definitely knows his stuff. I'm sure all the guides are great but he kept us engaged with the river the whole time. Meaning, if we(the company) pulled off after a rapid to ensure their team and clients all made the section, he'd have us still actively engaged with the river and not just watching. There's a lot of company's and rafting on the water at the same time but it makes it more intense. The guides navigate you through what seems like bumper carts like it's nothing. It's definitely more than just a lazy river experience. On top of everything, they have a camera man posted at a certain part of the river who took great photos. This was the cheapest part of our TN visit and we'll worth the price. 10/10 experience read more

Went out with Leon, trip was insane! Great guide, great service, great time! Much more than expected for first time rafting. read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

Tens across the board! Let me start off by saying my only fear in life was to go white water rafting. This experience and these guides have totally made my fear into a new passion!! The staff and guides are hilarious but very professional and knowledgeable about the area and what we were doing. I felt very safe in the hands of our guide, Anthony. If you get a chance to request someone, ask for him. When you arrive you check in and complete a safety talk. Then you grab your equipment and jump in a bus for about ten minutes to the launch site. Then get ready for two hours of awesomeness!! This was honestly such a great experience if you have rafted before or, like me, are deathly afraid and have never done it. Tip: ask for Anthony! read more

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The directions on being safe were very clear and concise. Clean bathrooms and our guide, Dan, aka, caveman, was knowledgeable and fun!!

I had not been rafting in 20+ years, and now that I live in TN, I thought it was crazy that I was not taking advantage of having the world class Ocoee near me. I took my daughter, along with another friend and his daughter. First of all, these guys were toward the cheap end of all of the other places on a busy Saturday. Great. Second, the setup was simple. Book online, sign a waiver (online), show up, they prep you for what to do, then outfit you for the trip. You hop onboard a bus, make the 20 min trip to the top, get a raft, and head down. Third, OAR is closer to the river than many other places. Its less of a bus ride, therefore less time in those cramped school buses. Last, and most important, our guide was absolutely fantastic. Darby was so good, he allowed us to do some extra things along the river I had never done before, and the whole time he was in complete control. So much in control that he made up for other rafts' mistakes and was still able to show us a fantastic time. Because of him, my 12 y/o daughter never had any anxiety or fears along the way. She loved it. In addition to being brilliant, he was chill and really nice. We all got along well. I'd highly, highly, recommend getting this guy as your guide. He makes OAR worth it on his own. I'm going to take more folks next year, and hopefully Darby will be there again. Cheers, OAR, well done. read more

You can raft 1/2 or full Ocoee or take the whole fam tubbing in calmer waters. We went 3x last summer. Doing the full next summer! read more

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Hannah is a great guide! All of the guides clearly had a great team vibe. This place is also a camping spot so there is bathhouses so I recommend bringing some clean dry clothes to change into since you can. River was awesome , the rafting was fun! Booked online , fill the waiver out online. Check in then they walk ya through safety. The bus ride wasn't to far to get to the river, bus driver was great too! The entire experience from start to finish was so good! It started raining when we got to the river but that actually added even more thrill to it and I was not excited about it to be honest but let me tell you! Soo fun! I say book with these folks and go have a blast!!! read more

We love OAR! Jon Hall is amazing at his job. We enjoyed our first trip so much a few years ago that we returned this summer, not once but twice. Highly recommend! read more

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Total 5 Star Rating!!!! Our group felt very safe with Jack as our guide while he still pushed the limits for adventure. If you are planning a trip on the Ocoee River, OAR is the only way to go and make sure you request Jack as the guide, HE'S THE BEST!!!! read more

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Our first time white water rafting and our first time with OAR. Man! The experience was excellent. Our guide Abel was awesome, energetic and sweet. So glad abel pick our boat to guide. I really hope hes there when we return next summer. read more

my boyfriend and I went this past saturday in october! they provided wet suits, shoes, and life jackets! our guide was 'Caveman' he was so funny and super experienced. I can't wait to come back during May to do the full length of the Ocoee River!! Never have been white water rafting before this was so much fun read more

So when I was on the bus ride my heart rate was practically at 300 beats I was so nervous and so scared even though they told me that they were professionally trained and stuff well when I got in the water I was super nervous but after the first rapid I got a little better and then after the second and the third I feel a lot better about us going down the river and I'll tell you something I fell out but they are professionally trained and they got me back really fast and you know what it was kind of fun getting flipped out you know and shout out to Tino or Tiko Whatever his name is he was the best guide ever I definitely recommend this business and you should definitely go on the 10 mile trip we went on the 5 mile trip but it felt like 10 minutes because it was so fun! read more

On a whim decided to go rafting, OAR's staff was wonderful securing two spots on their afternoon trip & made the process super easy. Our guide was Brett & I highly recommend you request him to have the time of your life!! Brett made the experience by showing us his favorite tricks & spots on the River. I'll for sure be back to complete the full River! read more

We called on Friday to book for a Saturday rafting adventure. We were a group of two. Had we been a part of a bigger group, I wouldn't have waited so long to call. The weather at the beginning of our trip was rainy so we waited to book this adventure. It was an early morning. Leaving Chattanooga by 7 to be there by 8am to be on the water by 9am. All the staff were super professional and polite! Once we got to river by their bus, we went through a standard safety lesson. This made me a little nervous. I really had no idea what to expect when I got on that bus. Whitewater rafting is not a passive activity folks. There is a chance you are going to go over board. Our guide was Pock. He is a cool man. Super chill and great at instructing us. He made sure to explain some entertaining stories about parts of the river. Called out all of the rapids before we entered them. We ended up getting catch up on Hells Hole and flipped our raft. We all went over board. I lost my helmet, my shorts went down to my ankles and another guy lost his shoe. I got pulled under water multiple times by the rapids before surfacing. Once I surfaced Pock grabbed me and directed me to shore. The he even gave me the helmet off his head before we got back into the raft. I was shaken but calmed knowing he was by my side. We tipped him well because you should when someone goes above and beyond. I will do this again but when I'm in better shape. Thank you to all who made our adventure a good one! read more

WOW! We had an incredible white water rafting experience with OAR! Brett was our guide and he was so fun, kept us safely going down the river, while having a blast! He had great tricks to show us, including surfing some big waves, taco party (hilarious and trilling) and couch chilling (also hilarious). We were so impressed at his knowledge of the river and all the courses he has completed in outdoor skills and safety. My husband was a bit more wild than I was and "rode the bull". He did get bumped out but was retrieved ok and said it was worth it! You have to check this place out! We fully believe we were at the best rafting outfit on the Occoee! Well be read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - White water rafting Brett-guide with OAR Benton, TN - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

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I work for a church and we have been bringing our students here for years. We usually bring a group of 60 students and leaders and we are never disappointed with the customer service OAR provides. We went rafting with OAR on Friday, August 2, 2019 on the Middle Section of the Ocoee River. We had over 10 groups on the Ocoee at once. Each and every student had an amazing time and each guide knew the river very well to provide a safe and fun atmosphere for our students. If you ever want to go white water rafting on the Ocoee, this is the place to go! Shout out to Raphael - my group of six's amazing guide on the trip. He was constantly making us laugh, was a pro, learned the students names, and lead all 10 rafts at the same time. Highly recommend OAR! read more

Outdoor Adventure Rafting - White water rafting - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Benton, Tennessee

Our guide Matt was high energy and funny the whole trip. You could tell all of the guides really enjoy their work and make the most of it. Nothing felt rushed. They offered a good training before the trip at the HQ. We got right in the water once arrived at the put in and started the white water. We had a great time. read more

The folks and guides at OAR are top notch! Everyone is incredibly friendly and works very hard to ensure you have a great time on the river. I really appreciate the guides asking those in the boat what they would like to get out of the trip, level of adventure, etc... It was extremely clear they have a wealth of knowledge of the river and the conditions and can make the trip down to match your level of adventure as desired. Will absolutely do another trip with them in the future. read more

So much fun. Great guide! Ask for Jon Hall! Fun for the most adventurous and the somewhat tentative! We had ages 23-61 in our boat and everyone had fun and couldn't stop talking about it! read more

Our guide, NIck, was awesome!! All the guides to tricks but he let us take a turn riding the bull and was talkative and personable - - taking the time to get to know us. Request him if you want to have a great guide!! read more

This was awesome. Make sure to bring some water shoes! You can buy them there too, $12. Also, wear a swimsuit. I wore shorts... wear a suit, you won't regret it. I went with a big group of my family. Some did the "lower" aka the slower option. They got off and told me it sucked because it was waaaayyyy too slow. Think lazy river. My group however, did the "upper". This one very's from lazy river to LV 4 rapids. IT WAS AWESOME! our instructor was Russ. An ex army ranger with an awesome sense of humor, with safety being the top priority. Super nice guy. All and all, super fun. There were times where it gets a bit dicey, but in a fun way! Photos at the end were $35. Highly recommend doing the uppers! read more

Are you perpetually looking for ways to stay cool in the summer when it's like a million degrees outside? Well, I've got a really fun idea for you... head up to the Ocoee and go whitewater rafting with OAR! We bought vouchers through Half Off Depot for the Full River Trip (regular price is $98), and the booking process was very professional. Elizabeth H. booked us on the 1:00 trip on 8/13, and they quickly provided us with an email confirmation. Last Saturday was the big day: armed with our water shoes and a change of clothes, we road tripped to Middle of Nowhere, TN. After a brief orientation, we each grabbed a smelly PFD and paddle (still wet from the last trip!) before loading onto the school bus. Oh, the hot, packed school bus that allowed for no personal space whatsoever. That was the worst part of the adventure, but it was totally worth it for the beauty that was about to surround us. When we got to the Upper River, we met our totally awesome rafting guide, Mark A. I would definitely request him again if we go back. He was a great guide-- very energetic and trustworthy. OAR had 850 (!!!) people out on the Ocoee that day, which was a new record for them. The Class III and IV rapids were so much fun, and before we knew it, it was time to break for lunch between the Upper and Middle Rivers. They had simple sandwich and drink stations set up, which was all we really needed. The Full River Trip is 10 miles long; we started at 1:00 and didn't get back to the car until 7:00 or so. What a fun, challenging, and memorable day! SUGGESTIONS: * Bring water shoes. If you forget them at home, they do sell them for $12 in the check-in office. They also sell straps for your glasses ($2) and waterproof cameras ($12). * The picture CD ($25) is actually worth buying. Ours included 45 pictures that we could not have taken on our own. * Do the Full River Trip. You won't regret it. read more

If you're looking for a fun adventures excursion OAR is the place! Laura W., James H. and I headed up to the Ocoee River on a Saturday morning, it was a 1.5 hour drive north Atlanta. We had purchased coupons through Half Off Depot - so we got the full day for 50% off! The trip is about 5 hours and you start with the Upper Ocoee, then break for lunch and finish on the Middle Ocoee. Our tour guide, Mark A., was fun and adventurous - he took us through some Class IV and V rapids. This trip is for anyone and every skill level. You don't have to be athletic to have a good time! Just listen to your guide and he will take care of you! Be sure to wear a bathing suit and water shoes - you are going to get wet!! Even in August the water is still a little cold, so be sure to bring another set of clothing to change in to for the ride home. Thanks for a fun trip! I can't wait to go back! read more

My friends and I had a Groupon for rock climbing, rappelling and a whitewater rafting trip down the middle portion of the Ocoee. The rock climbing portion was first. They had a wooden wall set up with footholds on it. There were three sections -- the easiest one, which was just a flat wall. Then a wall with a slight incline, and then a wall with portions jutting out. Matt assisted us with our climbs. He had a great sense of humor and was very personable. He mentioned this was his first summer at OAR, so kudos to him for doing a great job. Though our session was supposed to start at 9am, we probably held them up for half an hour or so because part of our group arrived late and then there were multiple trips to the bathroom and some people needed to put on sunscreen, etc. Rappelling was next. It went by pretty quickly. Both Matt and Leigh assisted us with this one, though Leigh had to leave halfway through. They had set up a wooden platform on top of an actual cliff that was maybe two stories high. I was really nervous, but the rappelling part was pretty easy. Matt let one of my friends go a second time before he had to leave to guide a rafting trip, so that was cool of him. Lastly, the rafting trip. What an experience. We had a brief training session beforehand and then boarded the bus for a 20 min. trip to the river. Katie was our guide. She mentioned beforehand that this was her third trip today and she was tired, but assured us she would be on top of things. She also proudly mentioned that no one had fallen from her raft today, which was a good sign. Unfortunately, I broke that streak. The trip started out "rocky" (pun intended) because our group had problems paddling in sync. Once we got the hang of things, the ride was a lot more fun. At some point during the ride, we hit a pretty large rock and I flew out of the raft. Luckily, I didn't land far and Katie managed to pull me in very quickly. It was over before I knew it. Overall, it was a great experience. Would definitely come back. read more

OAR is pretty much where it's at. This place has everything you could need for an adventurous trip. The bunkhouse we stayed in slept 24 people, had male and female restrooms, a fridge, a microwave, AC, picnic tables, mattress pads, and outlets. Outside, there were more tables and a fire pit and access to more showers and a gift shop. As far as the adventure we experienced, whitewater rafting with the OAR guides was awesome! This experienced staff offers a fun trip for the crazy adventure rafters to the less wild rafters. I experienced a "reasonably wild" ride. They're personable and so much fun! I felt confident during the rafting and actually safe. I can't wait to do it again next year! read more

We had a blast today! Shannon was a great guide- none of us fell out but several times she let us jump out.

I went with a bachelor party to this place. Let me say, 5 stars to the rafting guide Jenna. I had never been whitewater rafting before but she kept all of us alive and having a fun time the entire trip. I had no complaints whatsoever about the rafting portion of our trip. Loved it. The rest... 1 star for the paintball After the trip we needed some food but we had a paintball game coming up in an hour. We went to the nearest place to eat which was something like 4 minutes away and placed our orders and waited and waited and waited and waited - it finally reached the time we had no food and we informed the waitstaff that we had to go / had been waiting 40 minutes. We called back to OAR and informed them we were going to be about 3 minutes late getting back to the paintball game and asked if they could possible hold up for us as we had a fairly decent sized group and we were looking at 10 minutes on the outside. They said no problem. We got back 4 minutes late, went in, they told us to sit outside and that a guide was going to come out to take us to the main group. So we sat, ate the food we finally got and paid for to-go (none of the food part was their fault btw, that was another company) and waited... 10-15 minutes go by and nobody has shown. We send someone in, they have completely forgotten about us. They got someone to take us to the briefing area where the briefing has already finished and everyone has their guns and is heading on the field. Our person explains the mixup to the marshall there, he asks if we've all played before, we all say yes, he says good, you're briefed, keep the goggles on, etc and sets us off. I spend the next 6 games walking back and forth from the table where the guy is fixing jammed guns. At one point there were 12 other people with jammed guns there (this was a little under half of the playing field). I managed to shoot a maximum of 11 shots before the gun would start jamming. I end up going through 6 guns and 3 CO2 containers. I started with a box of paintballs and I ended with roughly half. The final game was the bachelor party only. My gun jammed at 3 shots, I walked off the field, which is what I had been doing all previous games. We attempt 3 more guns, I tell the fixer to not bother. One of the guys goes back and located another gun that had not jammed from some of the other people who were playing. This is gun 7 I go onto the field with. I fire 4 shots. The game was over. The marshalls were complaining the entire time about the paintballs being environmentally friendly but completely useless. I don't know what the problem was but I wasted an hour and a half waiting to have someone unjam / replace / etc my gun. I mean, it was so bad I would rather have not played - there were moments before I was firing that it was fun, but really, most of the game was ruined by crappy paintballs or equipment. I would never play there. Raft yes, paintball no.. even if they got the issue fixed, they spent the first half of the game sort of blaming it on the people, when we were 12 deep to get it fixed they started blaming the equipment. read more

We had a great experience here in the summer of 2014 and I forgot to write my review. Luckily I remember it well. My fiancé and I were going to Memphis but really wanted to try whitewater rafting. We packed up our camping gear and hit the road. After a few days in Memphis we made the drive. We arrived a little late but didn't need to check in, so we found our campsite with no problem. Nite that the gate for campsite is locked at 11pm. We had to run out for supplies and barely made it back on time. The prices are super reasonable. We had the camp area to ourselves the first two nights, but the third night, a school bus of teenagers showed up. It was like our worst nightmare came true but it didn't ruin our experience. The shower and bathrooms are really clean and spacious. I've been camping a lot of places but this was the nicest I've seen. The whitewater rafting was so much fun. Our guides were funny and made our day so enjoyable. I was nervous and normally don't admit when I feel fear. But the guides gave us a thorough safety briefing. Once we were on the water, we were laughing and having a great time. We didn't get stuck but another raft did. All the guides banded together to help one another. Since going here, I've wanted to go back again. I enjoyed my camping and the rafting trip. I'd recommend OAR and would come back again for more rafting. The staff in the gift shop were super friendly and treated us like family. The campgrounds are nice, bathrooms and showers were clean, and the price is very reasonable and worth every penny. read more