CAUTION!
The French Broad, along with most other rivers in Western North Carolina, received record rainfall during Hurricane Helene, causing devastating flooding across the entire watershed. The condition of access points, campsites, signage, and the river itself is uncertain and possibly unsafe at this time. Paddle Trail partners will be assessing and cleaning up the river in the months to come and hope to revive opportunities for safe paddling before too long.
Note that many public access points, especially in northern Henderson, Buncombe, and Madison Counties, are currently closed due to damages to the sites' infrastructure and debris left behind by the flood. Please check with the respective land managers, or us, for specific conditions and status before making plans to paddle. We are working diligently with our local partners to safely reopen these sites as soon as possible, but are also balancing water quality and safety concerns before re-encouraging use by paddlers.
UPDATE: 

We're pleased to report that both Transylvania and Henderson County faired pretty well, with all public access points open and functioning, and MountainTrue's campsites (Poplar Bend and Mud Creek) now cleaned up and re-opened. Note that Headwaters Outfitters' Hannah Ford Campground sustained damage and is closed until further notice. We are not sure about Pisgah Riverbend or Rhodes Ranch - check Hipcamp for the status of those. We've not had a chance to assess the river itself, but preliminary reports from partners say that there are no blockages between Wilson Road and Penrose or Lazy Otter Outfitters and Westfeldt Park. We'll do some scouting and update the web map when we know more.

Buncombe and Madison Counties were definitely hit a lot worse.

All public access points owned/managed by Buncombe County, City of Asheville, and Town of Woodfin are technically closed while they assess for damages and safety concerns. Many of these sites have downed trees, sediment deposits, and loads of garbage, making parking and access challenging and dangerous. Our Firefighter Island Campsite is intact but will be closed for a while as we work to clear fallen trees, remove garbage, and tidy things up. We're not sure about the status of privately-run campsites.

Madison County's access points are generally closed. Please avoid Marshall unless you are aiding with recovery. Redmon Dam and Barnard Park are both closed. Stackhouse Boat Launch is technically closed alongside the rest of Pisgah National Forest. NOC's access in Hot Springs is open. One of the wildest things from the storm is that Evan's Island was literally wiped off the face of the river. The island and all the trees are gone, and now there is a massive sand beach. Barnard-Big Pine Campsite is all good.

We have not visited sites in Cocke County yet.


ACCESS POINTS

There are dozens of locations to access the French Broad Paddle Trail legally and safely. Our public river access points vary in size, shape, style, and management, but all exist to connect people with the river. Some are solely points of ingress and egress for paddlers and anglers, while others are extensive river parks complete with greenways, restrooms, and other amenities. This list organizes public river access points by county, river mile, name, and management, however our web and print maps contain additional details, including specific location, type of access, existence of parking and restrooms, photos, etc. For more information on specific access points, feel free to contact us or reach out to the respective land manager.

 

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY

  • Mile 1: Champion Park (Town of Rosman)
  • Mile 4: Lyons Mountain River Access (NCDOT)
  • Mile 11.5: Island Ford River Access (Transylvania County)
  • Mile 15: Morrow Landing (Conserving Carolina) – NOT OPEN YET
  • Mile 21.5: Hap Simpson Park (City of Brevard)
  • Mile 26.5: Pisgah Forest River Access (City of Brevard)
  • Mile 32: Penrose Boating Access Area (NC Wildlife Resources Commission)

HENDERSON COUNTY

  • Mile 35: Blantyre Park (Henderson County)
  • Mile 41.5: Horse Shoe Boating Access Area (Henderson County)
  • Mile 52.5: Westfeldt Park (Henderson County)

BUNCOMBE COUNTY

  • Mile 55: Glen Bridge River Park (Buncombe County)
  • Mile 56: Corcoran Paige River Park (Buncombe County)
  • Mile 61: Bent Creek River Park (Buncombe County)
  • Mile 67: Hominy Creek River Park (Buncombe County)
  • Mile 69: Amboy Riverfront Park (City of Asheville)
  • Mile 71: Jean Webb Park (City of Asheville)
  • Mile 71: River Arts District Steps (City of Asheville)
  • Mile 71: Craven Street Bridge Boating Access Area (City of Asheville)
  • Mile 72.5: Pearson Bridge River Access (City of Asheville)
  • Mile 74: Silver-Line Park (Town of Woodfin)
  • Mile 75: Woodfin Riverside Park (Town of Woodfin)
  • Mile 80.5: Ledges River Park (Buncombe County)
  • Mile 83.5: Alexander River Park (Buncombe County)
  • Mile 85.5: Walnut Island River Park (Buncombe County)

MADISON COUNTY

  • Mile 93: Blannahassett Island Park (Town of Marshall)
  • Mile 95: Redmon Dam River Access (Madison County)
  • Mile 100: Barnard Park (Madison County)
  • Mile 104.5: Stackhouse Boat Launch (Pisgah National Forest)
  • Mile 108.5: NOC Hot Springs River Access (Nantahala Outdoor Center)
  • Mile 113: Murray Branch Recreation Area (Pisgah National Forest)

COCKE COUNTY

  • Mile 115.5: Paint Rock (Cherokee National Forest)
  • Mile 117.5: Weaver Bend (Cherokee National Forest)
  • Mile 121.5: Wolf Creek Boat Launch (Cherokee National Forest)
  • Mile 127: Del Rio River Access (Unknown)
  • Mile 127.5: The Sandbar (Cherokee National Forest)
  • Mile 134: Highway 25/70 Boat Ramp (Tennessee Department of Transportation)
  • Mile 146: Rankin Bridge Boat Launch (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency)
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