French Broad

There is a U.S. Forest Service access location for the French Broad on the 'Newport/Del Rio' side of the Wolf Creek Bridge (uppermost Hwy 25/70 bridge in TN). If you're coming from Hot Springs, NC, you will have to cross the bridge first. There is a small Forest Service sign that reads French Broad access, French Broad Scenic River. Be sure you know where the takeout is from the river, so you don't pass it up...it can be easy to miss sometimes. When floating down section 10, stay river-right under the Wolf Creek Bridge (white, arched 25/70 bridge). The takeout in roughly 75 yards past the bridge on river right, but pay attention. We usually run this section from Paint Rock access near Hot Springs to the access described here. You can launch from the section 9 takeout/section 10 launch site, but there is quite a bit of flat water. Interesting to see a few times, but on downstream small ledges and nice smaller rapids await.

The second railroad trestle over the French Broad at Weaver's Bend. This is the main line between Knoxville and Asheville, and it is fairly active.

The comments below are referring to section 9, upstream in North Carolina. Section 10 is from Hot Springs, NC down to the uppermost 25/70 bridge (Wolf Creek Bridge) in Cocke County, TN. Section 9 is class III-IV while section 10 is I-III.

Bluffs on the French Broad just inside TN, just upstream of Weaver's Bend.

The majority of the rapids on section 10 are from Paint Rock, TN/NC, down to the Wolf Creek Bridge (upper HWY 25/70 bridge in TN). They are separated by long deep pools of gently flowing water, making for a great place to take beginners.

The first railroad trestle you will encounter while paddling downstream on section 10. Low water, early-November 2014.

Tuesday, 9/23/2014 had perfect fall weather and about 950 cfs. Small crew of G and CT in hard boats, Chris and JM in the maxi. It was a great level for hard boats and JM never got stuck in the maxi me. Rapids felt shallow but there were lots of great eddys and easy technical lines, not many surf spots. The pillow case rapid main line was narrow and had a tight S turn move (looked more intimidating from the top than it did from the bottom, we will do it next time), we chose to run a tighter but more straight forward slot just to the river right of the main S turn line (it went smooth). G had his first hard boat run of pillow rapid and made it look easy. G ran all the rapids in the hard boat but the swim spot and sandy bottom rapid (which chris swam out of the canoe).

July 5th: French Broad Barnard to Stackhouse. ~1600 cfs. 'this is the perfect river for me to canoe, i could have done every rapid' - G. Everyone liked the jump rock. S.W swam out of sitontop at the ledges, B (model) swam quite a few times. G guided the ranger with 4 people in it down the second rapid (the slide). G mini'd turtle rock, S turn, and big pillow, s turn was a little tricky and pillow was easy. great lunch spot on river left after big pillow.

10/21/13 We had a great day with low water running at 1350cfs Crisler and Ginger Brad were our guides. George had two guest's, Steve and Ali.

We had a great day with low water running at 1350cfs Crisler and Ginger Brad were our guides. George had two guest's, Steve and Ali.