Sports

Paddling the French Broad just got easier

By Lightning Reports, Published: July 12, 2026

As summer heats up, MountainTrue and its conservation partners are announcing new ways for paddlers and anglers to access and enjoy the French Broad River in Transylvania and Henderson counties.

The French Broad Paddle Trail, managed by MountainTrue in partnership with several government agencies, nonprofit organizations, local outdoor recreation businesses and volunteers, has added a campsite near Etowah. Additionally, the non-profit’s French Broad Riverkeeper team has helped complete upgrades to two river access sites in Transylvania and Henderson counties.

“We are really excited and grateful to have helped bring these improvements and opportunities to the river,” said Jack Henderson, MountainTrue’s French Broad Paddle Trail manager. “Transylvania and Henderson counties have some of the most beautiful and beginner-friendly sections of the French Broad, and we hope these new assets will make it easier for folks to get on the water and enjoy it once they’re there.”

New Paddle Trail campsite

Beech Bluff is a new site roughly halfway between the Poplar Bend campsite in Pisgah Forest and the Mud Creek campsite near Mills River, splitting what was once the longest stretch south of Asheville without a campsite. Boaters who previously had to paddle about 20 miles to make it from one campsite to the next can now split that section into a 12- and 8-mile run, allowing for more flexibility for paddlers looking for multi-night trips on the water.

The new site features a set of hand-built locust log steps, a white oak picnic table, a metal fire ring, informational signage and an open grassy area — all beneath the shade of a massive beech tree. Conserving Carolina, which owns the land, is providing public access to the site, while the AllTrails Stewards Fund and N.C. Parks and Recreation Complete the Trails Project provided funding.

“Paddle trail sites have become a big part of our publicly accessible offerings,” said Torry Nergart, natural resources manager with Conserving Carolina. “We want to connect folks back to nature, and a great float can make that happen. There's a different perspective from the water level. Moving at the pace of the river, seeing how alive the whole system is — that's the opportunity we want to make happen. It can't be done without safe places to get in and out.”

MountainTrue manages five of the 24 camping sites along the 146-mile French Broad River between Rosman, NC and Newport, TN, all of which are marked on the trail’s interactive online map. The map and other planning resources are available at frenchbroadpaddle.org.

While Beech Bluff does not yet have a toilet (it will by early fall), all of MountainTrue’s other sites contain a picnic table, fire ring and elevated composting toilet, and require a reservation for overnight stays. Four are only accessible by river.

Getting on the river

MountainTrue and its partners have also reopened one river access landing and upgraded another.

The old Lazy Otter outfitter, closed since 2024, has partnered with MountainTrue to create river access again at 10 Banner Farm Road in Horse Shoe.

“This is a wonderful site to make available to the public,” Henderson says. “The Horse Shoe Bend is a unique piece of the Paddle Trail not just because of its natural beauty but also because it’s so convenient for paddlers in Hendersonville, Brevard and Asheville.”

Other public access sites are located four miles upstream and seven miles downstream, making the scenic, tree-lined section removed from road noise perfect for an easy afternoon or evening paddle.

“We had so much fun introducing thousands of paddlers to a stretch of the river in Henderson County that was relatively unknown before we opened,” said Matt Evans, co-founder of Lazy Otter Outfitters. “It’s always been our intention to make our boat ramp available to paddlers again. MountainTrue was a great partner to Lazy Otter, so we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue working together.”

MountainTrue will maintain and operate the access site while it is open to the public, a service made possible in part by the Community Foundation of Henderson County.

"This initiative was made possible by Field of Interest grants from two donors who recognize that environmental literacy and recreation are vital to ensuring Henderson County remains a satisfying place to live," said Kris Merritt, senior program officer at the Community Foundation of Henderson County.

Funding from the N.C. Trails Complete the Trails program and the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority supported MountainTrue’s work to completely rebuild the Lyons Mountain River Access site near Rosman in Transylvania County. The project widened the access, poured a concrete boat ramp, added a boulder seating area and a sign and improved relationships with neighboring property owners along the way at one of the river’s more heavily-used access sites.

The French Broad River was designated a Tennessee State Scenic River in 1968, a North Carolina State Trail in 1987 and officially launched as the French Broad Paddle Trail by MountainTrue and RiverLink in 2012.