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French Broad River,
NC
(Rosman to Bent Creek) |
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| Character: |
Gentle cruising |
| Scenery: |
Rustic patchwork quilt of farmlands and wooded areas |
| Distance from Downtown
Asheville: |
Anywhere from ten minutes (Long Shoals
Road) to one hour depending on section paddled |
| Length: |
Almost 60 miles |
| Season: |
Year round |
| Other sections: |
French Broad,
Biltmore Run (I-II), French
Broad, Section 6 (I-II+), French
Broad, Section 8 (I-II), French
Broad, Section 9 (III (IV-)), many more |
| Put-in: |
Too many to describe. Use a map to identify
alternative put-ins and take-outs, or consult either Betsy Mayers' Paddling
Asheville: 28 Gently Exciting Regional River Trips or
Bob and David Benner's Carolina
Whitewater: A Canoeist's Guide to the Western Carolinas. |
| Take-out: |
Too many to describe. See above. |
| Directions from Asheville: |
Too many to describe. See above. This
entire stretch of river is south of Asheville, however, with the
French Broad flowing north. The general strategy is to take
I-240 West to I-26 East and then to take either Exit 2 (NC 191),
Exit 6 (Long Shoals Road) or Exit 9 (Airport Road / Brevard
Connector). From Exit 2, turning left off the ramp onto NC 191
South and driving approximately three miles takes one to the Bent
Creek River Access and Picnic Area. Continuing South on NC 191
several miles to the first stoplight and then turning left takes one
to the Long Shoals Road bridge. The put-in / take-out on the
East side of this bridge can also be reached by turning right at the
bottom of the ramp off Exit 6. Continuing South on NC 191
leads to Fanning Bridge Road, which can also be reached from Exit 9.
Exit 9 is the best exit to take to get to all the other potential
put-ins and take-outs further South. Turn right off the ramp
and head South on NC 280. NC 280 goes all the way to Brevard
and U.S. 64, which in turn goes all the way to Rosman. |
| Shuttle: |
Too many to describe. See above. |
| Other access points: |
Too many to describe. See above. |
| Camping: |
Three USFS fee campgrounds are located near this
section of the French Broad: Lake
Powhatan, North
Mills River, and Davidson
River. The Lake Powhatan campground is open from April 1
to October 31; the North Mills River and Davidson River
Campground are open year round. All require reservations a
minimum of four days in advance during their peak seasons (mid-May
to October 31; click the links above to make reservations
online), and all require two-day minimum stays on weekends
(three-day minimum stays holiday weekends). Sites at Lake
Powhatan are $14 / night, those at North Mills River $8 / night,
and those at Davidson River $15-18 / night. The Lake Powhatan
and Davidson River campgrounds have hot showers and flush toilets,
the North Mills River campground does not.
To get to the Lake Powhatan campground from Asheville, take Exit
2 (NC 191) off I-26, turn left onto NC 191, and head south two miles
to the stoplight on Bent Creek Ranch Road. Turn right and
follow the signs and this road to the Lake Powhatan Recreation Area.
To get to the North Mills River campground, take Exit 9 (Airport /
Brevard Connector), turn right off the ramp and head South on NC
280. Just past the intersection with NC 191 make a right at
the stoplight onto North Mills River Road and follow it about five
miles to the North Mills River Recreation Area. To get to the
Davidson River campground, stay on NC 280 all the way to its
intersection with US 64 / 276 on the outskirts of Brevard.
Turn right at the stoplight onto US 276 and drive into the National
Forest.
If you're on a tight budget, the USFS allows free camping along
the dirt road between Bent Creek and North Mills River. This
is the road that heads up the hill to the right just before you get
to the North Mills River campground. And if money is no object
and you want to eat and sleep in style, check out the Bent
Creek Lodge. |
| Gradient: |
Ranges from less than 2 fpm to just over 5 fpm |
| Guides |
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Online: |
None for paddling, but for mountain biking near this
stretch of river check out J. Mitchell's MTB
WNC page. |
| |
Print: |
Betsy Mayers' Paddling
Asheville: 28 Gently Exciting Regional River Trips;
Bob and David Benner's Carolina
Whitewater: A Canoeist's Guide to the Western Carolinas |
| Maps: |
MapQuest
map centered on Brevard. Recenter and zoom as needed. |
| Photos: |
None yet. |
| Other: |
The Bent Creek, Mills River and Davidson River areas
-- all of which you'll be driving by and perhaps camping in -- offer
some of the best mountain biking around. Check them out on J.
Mitchell's MTB
WNC page.
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