North Carolina whitewater, French Broad River Transylvania Henderson Buncombe Madison county, North Carolina Route 251 to Route 1634 section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-III     6.5 miles   The scenic beauty of Transylvania/ Henderson/ Buncombe/ Madison County and the beautiful way the water current moves down the stream attract people from near and far. If you're coming from Asheville it's not a long drive at all to the put-in location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. There are so many sections to paddle in this river system, the North Carolina Route 251 to Route 1634 section     is just one of many. If you've been out of state whitewater rafting and kayaking you might find the rivers here more forgiving, so you'd better keep in mind that rivers in this state are less demanding. For all you camping people there are campgrounds nearby. There are plenty of hotels here if you want to spend a night, but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The river winds through the Blue Ridge Mountains and you get great scenery. The North Carolina Route 251 to Route 1634 section of French Broad River is 6.5 miles long and has been rated as a class I-III section by American Whitewater. Getting some good exercise and spending   some quality time in nature are sure to keep you coming back for more. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots. This stretch has has enough mileage, it's good length for a morning trip. Briefly about the general area: Have a tremendous hiking adventure along the Side Hill Trail, and this is a popular location for folks from Alexander. And that's not everything there is to do here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Parkway is a very nice location to pop by next to French Broad River, and Pisgah National Forest is both good and beautiful. French Broad River, North Carolina Route 251 to Route 1634 road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near French Broad River.   Whitewater Near French Broad River: French Broad River, Transylvania/ Henderson/ Buncombe/ Madison County, 2 miles away       Class I-III - 6.5 miles long (North Carolina Route 251 to Route 1634) Whitewater Outfitter - Explore Biltmore Outdoor Center, Buncombe County, 8 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Walnut Creek, Madison County, 9 miles away       Class III-IV(V) - 4 miles long (US 25/70 to Barnard) Brush Creek, Madison County, 12 miles away       Class IV-V - 5 miles long (to French Broad River) French Broad River, Transylvania/ Henderson/ Buncombe/ Madison County, 14 miles away       Class III-IV - 8.1 miles long (Barnard to Hot Springs) Swannanoa River, Buncombe County, 15 miles away       Class I-II - 8.6 miles long (Main Bridge In Swannanoa to Azalea) Whitewater Outfitter - Mountain Adventure Guides, Madison County, 15 miles away       Whitewater outfitter Big Laurel Creek, Madison County, 17 miles away       Class III-IV - 7 miles long (Hurricane to Hot Springs) French Broad, Cocke County, 19 miles away       Class I-III - 18 miles long (Hot Springs to Highway 107 at Del Rio) Whitewater Outfitter - HUCK Finn Adventures, Madison County, 19 miles away       Whitewater outfitter   Ski Areas Near French Broad River: Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 17 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs Cataloochee, North Carolina , 34 miles away, 740 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 58 miles away, 1200 foot drop, 8 lifts, 20 runs Ski Beech, North Carolina , 58 miles away, 830 foot drop, 10 lifts, 15 runs Hawksnest, North Carolina , 60 miles away, 619 foot drop, 4 lifts, 12 runs Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 61 miles away, 225 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Sky Valley, Georgia , 65 miles away, 210 foot drop, 2 lifts, 5 runs Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 65 miles away, 600 foot drop, 3 lifts, 8 runs Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 71 miles away, 365 foot drop, 5 lifts, 9 runs   Hotels Near French Broad River: Days Inn Asheville North, Asheville , 3 miles away Crowne Plaza Resort ASHEVILLE, Asheville , 5 miles away Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Asheville Westgate, NC, Asheville , 5 miles away The Omni Grove Park Inn, Asheville , 6 miles away Hyatt Place Asheville/Downtown, Asheville , 6 miles away   Campgrounds Near French Broad River: French Broad River Campground, Asheville, 0 miles away Campfire Lodgings, Asheville, 4 miles away Wilson's Riverfront RV Park, Asheville, 6 miles away   Trails Near French Broad River: Side Hill Trail, Buncombe , 11 miles away Shut-In Trail, Buncombe , 13 miles away Laurel Mountain Trail, Henderson , 16 miles away Pilot Rock Trail, Transylvania , 18 miles away Thompson Ridge Trail, Transylvania , 19 miles away   Public Lands Near French Broad River: Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 6 miles away Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg - TN , 62 miles away Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina , 9 miles away Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina , 24 miles away Caesars Head State Park, South Carolina , 31 miles away   Golf Courses Near French Broad River: Country Club Of Asheville, Asheville , 4 miles away Municipal Golf Course, Asheville , 6 miles away Reems Creek Golf Club, Weaverville , 6 miles away   Lakes Near French Broad River Beaver Lake, Buncombe , 4 miles away Enka Lake, Buncombe , 8 miles away Lake Powhatan, Buncombe , 11 miles away