NOC Milestones

A comprehensive look at NOC through the years.

1942
Work is completed on the Nantahala Dam, located near the village of Aquone, NC. The dam is built by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) along with the Cheoah Dam to supply electricity to Maryville, Tennessee, home of ALCOA. At the time, large amounts of aluminum were being produced for the war effort. The dam was once of great importance to the Department of Homeland Security, as two German spies were detained in Savannah, GA, on their way to blow up Nantahala Dam. Today, the earthen dam stands tall at 250ft and is owned by Duke Energy. Water is pumped from the bottom of the lake, dropped 1,000 feet through a turbine where electricity is generated and sent to homes in the area. It then flows through a channel and back into the natural riverbed at the put-in.

1942
Big Wesser Falls is created with force of dynamite by the Southern Railway Company. The river was diverted to create a more direct railroad route, part of the historical Murphy Line that connected the many rural towns west of Asheville with the rest of the world.

1955
First Kennedy Descent of the Nantahala River: Aurelia Turpin, on a trip with Camp Mondamin, crashes over Nantahala Falls, at the time a veritably insurmountable river obstacle. She would later go on to take her new fiancé Payson Kennedy down the same river just five years before they opened the Nantahala Outdoor Center together with Horace Holden. 

1968
Soon-to-become NOC staff member Jimmy Holcombe paddles with a team on the first descent of the Gauley River in West Virginia. This famous trip on arguably the biggest whitewater in the East gave credence to a stretch of the river that was about to be impounded for the second time and made into a lake. It is now a world-class run. 

1972
Payson Kennedy, Aurelia Kennedy and Horace Holden open the Nantahala Outdoor Center for its first season, guiding brave souls on the Nantahala and Chattooga Rivers. The Center consists of the former Tote & Tarry Motel, a restaurant and a gear store. In its first season, NOC offered full-day raft trips on the Nantahala River, eventually adding trips on Sections III & IV of the Chattooga River. Canoe and kayak excursions were undertaken upon request.

1972
Whitewater Kayaking makes its debut as an Olympic sport in Augsburg, Germany. The US team is loaded with paddlers who would go on to staff NOC, including Carrie Ashton, Louise Holcombe, Russ Nichols, Angus Morrison and John Burton.

1975
NOC shows its first profit.

1976
NOC unveils Adventure Travel programs to the Usumacinta River in Guatemala, also known as the "River of Ruins". From then on, NOC would go on to lead trips in rafting, kayaking, hiking, sailing, biking, scuba diving, horse-packing and skiing in more than 20 countries around the world.

1976
NOC introduces its Whitewater Clinic Program. An organized and streamlined approach to learning the nuances of whitewater paddling, NOC's first clinics offered such luxuries as transportation in new Dodge IV vans, complete with plush carpeting and a stereo tape player! The family-style meals, talented instructors and variety of rivers gain instant popularity with guests. Weekend or week-long river running programs were available for open or decked canoes and kayaks. Through the years, NOC instruction has gone on to coach thousands of paddlers of all levels. It is now a renowned paddling school earning top honors from industry organizations and publications.

1977
With the flume in repair and water flowing through the channel of the Middle Ocoee, NOC leads guests down eastern Tennessee's whitewater roller-coaster for the first time. Staff members of NOC, along with other groups such as American Whitewater would fight for many years to ensure recreational releases on this stretch of the Ocoee. Eventually it would all pay off, as the Ocoee is now the second most rafted river in the country.

1978
Outdoor Education Programs are offered to high-school and college student groups for the first time at NOC. These include classes in environmental stewardship as well as techniques in providing outdoor recreation services. Continuing this tradition to today, colleges come from near and far to learn industry standards and gain hands-on experience with the Southeast's industry leader in outdoor recreation, NOC. College students will soon be able to earn college credits for their work at NOC.

1980
NOC offers its first kids' paddling clinic for paddlers ages 10 to 14. These have since morphed into NOC's Kids' Week, like camp, only with cooler kids and lots of time on the river. The NOC instructors by far rate this week as the most fun all summer.

1981
NOC expands to River Left: With a purchase of land extending from Nantahala Falls past Wesser Falls, NOC moves the busy rafting traffic away from the road and into the Raft Barn. Cabins are also built to accommodate the growing number of overnight guests.

1982
Rafting expands to two more rivers when NOC buys Smoky Mountain River Expeditions; the French Broad near Asheville, NC and the beautiful Nolichucky, which flows through North Carolina and into Tennessee.

1983
Kayak revolution: Boat innovator Vladimir Vanha constructs the first ‘short boat', the 10-foot Jeti. It was created in a workshop on the shores of the Nantahala (Hellards Court, to be exact). NOC's staff were among the first to try it out. Prior to this breakthrough, kayakers were doomed to traveling with gigantic racing boats. 

1983
The first Guest Appreciation Festival wraps up another season on the Nantahala. Just like today, it included a huge Used Gear Sale, Halloween costume contest, races both on and off the water, music and dancing. 

1984
Mountain bike rentals are available for the first time at NOC. They are 15-speed ‘all-terrain' bicycles, the Mt. Whitney by Ross.  

1985
NOC River Left gets a veritable face-lift; a gear annex is added to the Raft Barn, Slow Joe's Riverside Café opens, and the Basecamp lodging takes in its first guests. Slow Joe is a Nantahala River legend, serving up fast, delicious food to refuel after a hard day paddling. His recipe for mean bean dip is still used today. 

1985
More than $4,000 dollars are donated to charities in NOC's first Staff Contributions Day. Employees compiled the list of charities including the Nantahala Rescue Squad and the American Rivers Conservation Council, and donated a day's wage. NOC also contributed 50 cents on the dollar to donate a total of $4,236 to 11 charities. The tradition continues still today.

1987
Relia's Garden Restaurant is built overlooking the NOC campus. The unique building was designed by NOC staff member and budding architect Chris Larsen. The impetus behind the restaurant was to provide another option for dining and to create more meeting space for the ever-growing paddling clinics. Named for NOC-founder Aurelia Kennedy, it was built to overlook a grand garden of herbs and local plants that could be incorporated into the daily menu. Since the beginning, Relia was considered NOC's expert in native edible plants and how to make them delicious. Today, the garden is as fabulous as ever, featuring a whopping five different varieties of basil.

1990
NOC hosts the Nantahala 90 Raft Rally for Peace at its campus on the Nantahala River. It was the first international whitewater rafting event hosted in the US. More than 20 countries were represented in a week of friendly competition, outdoor appreciation and international cooperation and understanding.

1992
Seven NOC staff members travel to Barcelona to represent the US in whitewater events. C-2 paddlers Joe Jacobi and Scott Strausbaugh bring home the gold medal.

1995
Work on the new Outfitter's Store is completed. The new space contains double the original square footage-3,000. Since then, it has been deemed the Best Whitewater Store in America by Men's Journal for its expert staff and proximity to the water.

1994
Rafting begins on the Big Pigeon River, after recreational releases are guaranteed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). This fast and furious river flows along the Eastern border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

1996
The new Ropes Challenge Course and Alpine Tower open at NOC, to accommodate the growing number of corporate and youth groups seeking to improve problem-solving skills and group cohesion through experiential learning. 

1996
Olympic Whitewater comes to the Ocoee River. Massive construction creates a world-class whitewater slalom course on the almost-dry Upper Ocoee. It is thought to be the first-ever "enhancement" of a natural river for Olympic use. This Olympic fame practically put the Ocoee on the map. It is now the second most rafted river in the country, with more than 216,000 rafters each year. 

2002
NOC Instruction introduces Rapid Progressions. This teaching method is the first learn-to-paddle course that guarantees your success in mastering kayak basics.  Learn to Paddle by Rapid Progressions is currently NOC's most popular paddling clinic.

2005
NOC staff finish work on the Flint Ridge Trail. All 4.5 miles of single-track wind behind the Nantahala campus and are open to runners and bikers.

2005
NOC founder Payson Kennedy is inducted into the Whitewater Hall of Fame in McHenry, Maryland. He is among the inaugural class of inductees for his enormous contribution to advocacy of whitewater sports. Inducted with him is Charles Walbridge, a former NOC staffer who was an innovator of river safety equipment and an author of many whitewater guides and manuals. 

2006
Good Morning America visits NOC! A live broadcast held on the banks of the Nantahala River aired nationwide, naming NOC the "Number 1 Vacation with a Splash".   

2006
Rafting begins on the Cheoah River after a battle for recreational release rights was fought by concerned paddlers including NOC staffer Bob Hathcock and American Whitewater. The 9-mile stretch of river demands some of the most technical paddling in the East, combining classic southern drop-pool features with big, fast water. Trips on this river are highly-anticipated and NOC is the best outfitter to tackle the big stuff.

2007
NOC celebrates 35 years in operation. 

2008
NOC partners with North American River Runners (NARR) in Beckley, West Virginia to expand rafting to the East's biggest, most well-known Class V whitewater river, the Gauley.