Asheville and Western North Carolina are home to a range of outdoor recreational activities, a large portion of them tied to the French Broad River. This 218-mile waterway is one of the oldest in the world, slicing through scenic stretches of North Carolina and Tennessee. One enchanting way to experience this popular river is via the French Broad River Paddle Trail.
The French Broad River Paddle Trail, created and operated by MountainTrue and RiverLink, offers access to a series of public campsites along the French Broad, connecting more than 140 miles of river, from the headwaters in Rosman, N.C., to Tennessee’s Douglas Lake. The recreational watercraft trail traverses everything from calm flat waters, perfect for beginners, to exhilarating whitewater, with a mix of class I, II and III rapids. The trail through Buncombe County is wider and shallower, offering mostly flat water through Asheville.
Tranquil settings
Campsites along the French Broad Paddle Trail are open year-round, and are spaced strategically to allow paddlers to reach sites within a single day, at the most. (The longest distance between campsites is 15 miles.) The campsites are paddle-in only, which offers a tranquil seclusion not typically experienced at car-camping sites.
Campsites are $25 per night, and can be reserved at https://frenchbroadpaddle.com/reservations-2/. Three additional campsites by RiverLink are free and open to the public, without reservations.
You can learn more about access points, campsite amenities, trip suggestions and other logistical needs at https://frenchbroadpaddle.com.
Environmental advocates for Western N.C.
The trail’s creators and operators have long advocated for the region’s environmental vitality. Through a focus on sensible land use, forest health, and water quality, MountainTrue champions policies that allow people and the environment to thrive in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Asheville-based RiverLink promotes the environmental and economic vibrancy of the French Broad River and its watershed, creating permanent public access to this important waterway through conservation and recreation easements, rehabbing contaminated lands for public use with the help of more than 1,000 volunteers annually.
For more information about properties near the French Broad River Paddle Trail, or anywhere in Asheville or Western North Carolina, contact us at Info@MyMosaicRealty.com, or call us anytime at 828-707-9556.
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