Chota Canoe Club was founded in 1969 as a whitewater club in Knoxville, Tennessee. The club began as an informal group of whitewater paddlers in 1969, and then took the name Chota in 1972 when the Little Tennessee River was threatened by the construction of a controversial dam.
Today Chota welcomes all paddlers, whitewater and touring canoes, kayaks, as well as stand up boarders. We provide trips and training for paddlers, promote safe boating practices and support conservation throughout East Tennessee. We are proud that Chota has contributed $14,500 to support local conservation organizations over the past five years. The mission of our members is to promote community paddle sport activities, safety awareness and techniques while being actively environmentally responsible. Club membership usually numbers between 200 and 300 paddlers who are primarily from Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Maryville, Alcoa, as well as other East Tennessee locations and neighboring states.
