North Carolina whitewater, Swannanoa River Buncombe county, Main Bridge In Swannanoa to Azalea section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     8.6 miles   The beautiful scenery of North Carolina and the sparkling of the sunlight on the water make the trip here worthwhile. The put-in is not too far from Asheville, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. A bit of exercise and just hanging out with mother nature are great attractions for lots of people. The campgrounds here at Swannanoa River are pretty good. Since you're on this site you are probably     into whitewater rafting or kayaking, either way in this general area you'll find lots of paddling places. Whitewater rafting and kayaking spots in North Carolina tend to be more forgiving than the national average, so you'd better keep in mind that quite a few of the sections in this state are pretty easy. No shortage of good hotels, but you'd better reserve in advance because these hotels fill up quick. This stretch of Swannanoa River is 8.6 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class I-II section. On this section you do get some distance, it's good length for a morning trip. The Blue Ridge Mountains scenery is wonderful. This river system has   a few good paddling stretches and the Main Bridge In Swannanoa to Azalea section is one of them. Briefly about the general area: The Side Hill Trail is a great hiking trail near Swannanoa River, and Pisgah National Forest is a glorious location. Yep, outdoors amusing stuff truly is plentiful here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Wilson Cove is near Swannanoa River and is a good place, and you'll perhaps meet some folks from Swannanoa here. This river is so good. If time allows, Blue Ridge Parkway is a national park worth a visit. All the water falling down from the sky makes Swannanoa River a wet site. Swannanoa River, Main Bridge In Swannanoa to Azalea 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 Swannanoa River.   Whitewater Near Swannanoa River: Swannanoa River, Buncombe County, 2 miles away       Class I-II - 8.6 miles long (Main Bridge In Swannanoa to Azalea) Whitewater Outfitter - Explore Biltmore Outdoor Center, Buncombe County, 8 miles away       Whitewater outfitter French Broad River, Transylvania/ Henderson/ Buncombe/ Madison County, 12 miles away       Class I-III - 6.5 miles long (North Carolina Route 251 to Route 1634) Rocky Broad River, Henderson/Buncombe County, 13 miles away       Class IV-V - 3.6 miles long (Bridge at Flat Creek Road to Bridge at US Route 64) Rocky Broad River, Henderson/Rutherford County, 13 miles away       Class IV-V - 3.5 miles long (Along Route 64/74 to Lake Lure at Chimney Rock) Big Hungry Creek, Henderson/ Polk County, 18 miles away       Class III-IV - 1.3 miles long (Big Hungry Road to Green) Hungry River, Henderson County, 18 miles away       Class IV - 1.3 miles long (Big Hungry Road to Green River) Green River, Henderson/ Polk County, 18 miles away       Class IV-V+ - 2.9 miles long (Hungry Creek to Green River Cove Road) Curtis Creek, McDowell County, 18 miles away       Class IV+ - 7 miles long (Close to Old Fort) Green River, Polk County, 18 miles away       Class II - 6 miles long (Fishtop Access to where river leaves road)   Ski Areas Near Swannanoa River: Wolf Ridge, North Carolina , 21 miles away, 700 foot drop, 5 lifts, 20 runs Cataloochee, North Carolina , 45 miles away, 740 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Sugar Mountain, North Carolina , 50 miles away, 1200 foot drop, 8 lifts, 20 runs Ski Beech, North Carolina , 51 miles away, 830 foot drop, 10 lifts, 15 runs Hawksnest, North Carolina , 52 miles away, 619 foot drop, 4 lifts, 12 runs Appalachian Mountain, North Carolina , 63 miles away, 365 foot drop, 5 lifts, 9 runs Scaly Mountain, North Carolina , 69 miles away, 225 foot drop, 4 lifts, 10 runs Sky Valley, Georgia , 72 miles away, 210 foot drop, 2 lifts, 5 runs Ober Gatlinburg, Tennessee , 78 miles away, 600 foot drop, 3 lifts, 8 runs   Hotels Near Swannanoa River: Holiday Inn ASHEVILLE-BILTMORE EAST, Asheville , 2 miles away Days Inn Asheville/Tunnel Road & I-40, Asheville , 2 miles away Quality Inn & Suites Biltmore East, Asheville , 2 miles away Ramada Asheville Southeast, Asheville , 5 miles away Best Western Asheville Tunnel Road, Asheville , 5 miles away   Campgrounds Near Swannanoa River: Azalea Country Campground, Asheville, 2 miles away Asheville East KOA, Swannanoa, 2 miles away Taps RV Park, Asheville, 2 miles away   Trails Near Swannanoa River: Side Hill Trail, Buncombe , 15 miles away Shut-In Trail, Buncombe , 17 miles away   Public Lands Near Swannanoa River: Blue Ridge Parkway, Asheville - NC , 9 miles away Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina , 13 miles away Mount Mitchell State Park, North Carolina , 15 miles away Jones Gap State Park, South Carolina , 29 miles away   Golf Courses Near Swannanoa River: Brookwood Golf Club, Arden , 7 miles away Black Mountain Town Golf Course, Black Mountain , 7 miles away Biltmore Forest Country Club, Asheville , 8 miles away   Lakes Near Swannanoa River Spivey Lake, Buncombe , 3 miles away Lake Tomahawk, Buncombe , 8 miles away Beaver Lake, Buncombe , 9 miles away