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Southeast States
Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky
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Cherokee Adventures |
800-445-7238 |
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French Broad Rafting Company |
800-842-3189 |
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Nantahala Outdoor Center |
800-232-7238 |
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USA Raft |
800-872-7238 |
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Rapid Descent River Company |
800-455-8808 |
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| Section |
Barnard
to Hot Springs (Section IX) |
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Location |
Madison
County, northwest of Asheville, western North Carolina |
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Driving Time |
Asheville—.5
hour; Knoxville—1.5 hours |
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Difficulty |
Class
II-III, IV |
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Trip Length |
5-9
miles (13 km) |
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Trip Options |
Paddle
raft and inflatable kayaks; half-day and one-day |
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Season |
March-November |
For much of its course
through western North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest, the French
Broad River offers little whitewater for rafting enthusiasts. In the
8-mile (13-km) section between Barnard and Hot Springs, however,
rafters are able to enjoy an exciting trip through beautiful gorges,
over ledges and around large boulders as the river alternates
between quiet pools and swift-moving rapids. The French Broad is
ideal for families and first-time rafters as it is neither too
demanding nor technically difficult.
Among
the French Broad's seven or eight larger rapids—such as Pillow
Rock, Stackhouse, Needle Rock, and Frank Bell's—none are more than
Class III with the exception of Frank Bell's, however, which rates
Class IV+ during high water.
Generally the French Broad maintains
adequate water levels for rafting through spring and summer. During
lower summer water levels, outfitters more frequently offer half-day
trips from Barnard to Stackhouse Rapids as well as guided inflatable
kayak trips.
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