Blue Hole (Ocoee River): fees and safety
Blue Hole is a deep pool carved into river rock on the Upper Ocoee, popular for wading and cliff jumping, but water levels here can rise fast and without warning: the river is dam-controlled, and releases for whitewater rafting can reach the pool about an hour after they start upstream. Parking at the nearby Ocoee Whitewater Center runs $3, or is covered by an annual Cherokee National Forest pass. This spot rounds out our waterfalls in Tennessee guide's swimming holes section, the state's only entry so far in this locator.
No sourced coordinates are available yet for swimming holes — there is no government register for this category to map against (see methodology). Every spot is listed in the table below with directions in the text.
Fact box
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | Near 35.067°N, 84.461°W (Ocoee Whitewater Center), Polk County, per U.S. Forest Service recreation data |
| Access type | Public, U.S. Forest Service; a managed day-use site near the Ocoee Whitewater Center, not an unofficial spot |
| Water source | Upper Ocoee River, level controlled by TVA's Ocoee Dam No. 3 upstream |
| Depth | Deep enough for cliff jumping in places; depth varies with river level and hasn't been independently measured for this guide |
| Parking fee | $3 at the lower Ocoee Whitewater Center lot, or free with a 30-minute limit near the visitor center; $30 annual Cherokee National Forest pass covers this and other day-use sites |
| Legal status | Public land, Cherokee National Forest, U.S. Forest Service |
| Season | Best in late spring and early fall on weekdays; summer weekends bring crowds and scheduled water releases |
Access and fees
Blue Hole sits on the Upper Ocoee River near the Ocoee Whitewater Center, the venue built for the 1996 Olympic canoe/kayak slalom events and still used for scheduled recreational releases. Parking at the lower lot costs $3 for the day, or visitors can use the free lot near the visitor center building, limited to 30 minutes. Anyone visiting regularly can buy a $30 annual Cherokee National Forest pass, which also works at other day-use sites in the forest, or use any interagency America the Beautiful pass.
Unlike many of the informal, undocumented swimming holes in this locator, Blue Hole is a recognized U.S. Forest Service access point next to a staffed recreation facility, not a spot that exists purely by word of mouth.
Water levels and swimming
The single biggest thing to know before getting in the water at Blue Hole is that the river isn't naturally flowing: TVA's Ocoee Dam No. 3 controls the level, and on weekends and scheduled days during the warm season, releases raise water levels for rafting and kayaking downstream, making swimming considerably more dangerous than it looks on a calm day. The Ocoee Whitewater Center runs an alarm system for exactly this reason: amber lights and a siren mean a release is coming, and anyone in or near the river should get out immediately. It takes roughly an hour for a release to reach Blue Hole after it starts upstream, which gives a real but limited warning window.
Cliff jumping happens here, and it carries the same risks it does anywhere: misjudged depth, off-axis landings and current that can push a jumper away from where they intended to surface. None of that is unique to Blue Hole, but the added factor of a dam-controlled river makes checking conditions before jumping more important than at a natural, unregulated swimming hole.
How this guide was researched
This page was compiled from U.S. Forest Service recreation data for the Cherokee National Forest and the Ocoee Whitewater Center, regional news coverage of the site's water-release warning system, and published visitor guides. We haven't visited this site ourselves. River release schedules and fees change seasonally; verify current conditions with the Cherokee National Forest before you go. Last checked August 2026.
FAQ
Is there a fee to visit Blue Hole on the Ocoee River?
Parking runs $3 at the lower Ocoee Whitewater Center lot, or is free with a 30-minute limit near the visitor center. A $30 annual Cherokee National Forest pass covers it too.
Is it safe to swim at Blue Hole?
Conditions vary by day. The Upper Ocoee is dam-controlled, and scheduled releases for rafting can raise water levels with roughly an hour's warning via the whitewater center's alarm system. Check the release schedule and heed any alarm before getting in.
Can you jump off the rocks at Blue Hole?
Cliff jumping happens here, but depth and current change with river releases. Check current conditions before jumping rather than assuming they match a previous visit.
Is Blue Hole an official swimming area?
It's a recognized U.S. Forest Service day-use access point next to the Ocoee Whitewater Center, not a lifeguarded beach, but also not an unofficial or undocumented spot.
When is the best time to visit Blue Hole?
Weekday mornings in late spring or early fall tend to have the calmest water and fewer crowds. Summer weekends bring both higher water from scheduled releases and more visitors.
We haven't visited these places ourselves, and every page says so rather than implying otherwise. Details are compiled from public land-manager, USGS and NOAA sources and cross-checked where possible; conditions, access rules and fees change without notice, so confirm with the managing agency before you go. Page last checked August 2026. Read our full methodology.