Blue Hole Ocoee

1. Take I-75 North out of Atlanta.
2. Take the ramp for I-575 and keep going north. This is yer basic freeway with two lanes in either direction, and controlled-access exits.
3. Stay on I-575. I-575 ends and the road becomes a four-lane divided highway (not controlled access), with the occasional traffic light and intersection. Keep going.
4. You're now on GA Hwy 5 (among others) heading north. Put a CD in and set the cruise-control for 65. It'll be about an hour. (I recommend Green Carnation's Light of Day, Day of Darkness, which runs an hour and six seconds...and it's one long song, a progressive-metal masterpiece. :)) You'll cruise through Jasper, and then East Ellijay. You can start paying attention again as you pass through the tiny hamlet of Cherry Log.
5. The next town is Blue Ridge. At Blue Ridge you'll come to a traffic light with a McDonalds on the opposite left corner and the signs will indicate Hwy 5 makes a left turn here. Follow the sign and make a left.
6. You're now on Hwy 5 between Blue Ridge and McCaysville, GA. This is a well-laid two-lane road with an occasional passing lane on uphills. It's about 10 miles to McCaysville. As you approach the town the road will go downhill to a river. Cross the river on the bridge. At the stop sign, where the road dead-ends, take a left. This intersection is actually located in Georgia and Tennessee, which explains why no-one's put up a traffic light yet. (!) You can see a blue dotted line on the ground which marks the state border, along with signs. As you turn left, you cross into Copper Hill, Tennessee. As a warning, the speed limit here is 20 mph. It gradually increases, but be extremely cautious with this since I've gotten a ticket here: just because the road becomes a four-lane doesn't mean the speed limit is 55mph...yet!
7. You'll go through two lights and cross some railroad tracks, passing a small railyard on the left and a smelting plant on the right. After a while the road will open up into a four-lane divided highway. Don't exceed 45mph until a sign says you can do so. After you go under a railway bridge keep to the right and watch for a junction sign for US 64. This area is under construction as of Summer 2025. Watch for signs for US 64 West. You may take a left at a temporary stop sign, or a ramp off to the right. This intersection is in Ducktown, TN.
8. Take a left onto US 64 west.
9. This part of US 64 is a wide two-lane road with some good hills. You'll go about 7 miles on it, entering the Cherokee National Forest. As you come down a hill you may see a brown sign for the Ocoee Whitewater Center, although they should remove it since the building is gone. Ahead of you it looks like the road gets narrower. Slow down.
10. As of Summer 2025 the upper parking lot by the ruins is open for day-use parking. Turn left into the parking lot. You can now park here for the day. The customary $3 fee applies; look for the fee payment kiosk. Go to one of the Daily Use fee kiosks and drop the $3 envelope in the slot, and put the stub on your dashboard. You're all set! Or, you can be like me and get an annual pass, online, at Recreation.Gov. :) A pass for the entire Cherokee National Forest is now $30 for 12 full months from the date of issue. That's a great deal, since it also includes places like Mac Point Beach, Parksville Beach, the Chilhowee Recreation Area, and all the other Daily Use Fee Areas in the Forest including boat ramps and shooting ranges. Note that it does not include overnight camping in developed campgrounds, which runs typically $12-30 per night. If the lot is full, continue down the hill to the original day-use parking area; you'll have to walk back up the hill. You can park in any space that doesn't have a sign marking it for official use.
11. From the upper parking lot, it is now a MUCH shorter walk to Blue Hole itself. You'll see steps to your left. Walk down the steps, turn left at the little "plaza," and then walk down the ramp to the trail. After you step across the flagstones in the brook, you'll see Blue Hole to your right. The tunnels where I usually "establish camp" are a couple of hundred feet further past there.
    

    Taken from the lower day-use parking lot facing downriver	Facing upriver: OWC was the red building in the distance at left	OWC itself, taken from the former short-term, now day-use parking lot. R.I.P.

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