Cleveland is a short distance from the Ocoee River, home of
the 1996 Olympic canoe and kayak events, with Class III and IV rapids. Those 12
and older can take a guided raft trip on weekends from April through October
and weekdays from June through August. Blue Moon Cruises offers a more genteel
trip aboard a naturalist-guided boat through the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge,
where thousands of sandhill cranes winter from September through February. The
23-mile Hiwassee River is great for canoeing, fishing, hiking, skiing, boating,
picnicking and nature photography. For marine wildlife fans, the Aquatic
Wildlife Company’s 24,000-gallon mariculture facility is the only wildlife
center of its kind in the South. And if speed’s your thing, the Cleveland
Speedway’s dirt track has races from June through November.