The upper section of the Ocoee was host to whitewater slalom events during the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics held primarily in Atlanta, about 100 miles (160 km) to the south.

[7] On February 16, 1990 flooding of the river submerged much of the central business district of the riverfront towns of Copperhill, Tennessee and McCaysville, Georgia.

Most often the riverbed is nearly dry in the ten-mile (16 km) stretch used for sporting, the water being diverted through flumes along the side of the river gorge.

When the flume overhaul was finished, the Ocoee River Council was formed in order to secure future recreational releases from the TVA.

After an extensive legal battle requiring an act of Congress, recreational releases were conceded by the TVA and the river runs most weekends from March through October.

One of the largest rapids on the Middle Ocoee, "Hell's Hole," runs right beneath the bridge leading to the power station, with "Powerhouse", a significant ledge with a strong hydraulic, right after it.

After the Olympics, rafting tours (including bus transportation) are provided by several different companies located in both directions on U.S. 64, which runs next to the river for a few miles (several kilometers).