Asheville Tubing on the French Broad: A Complete Guide
Experience the best of Asheville by tubing on the French Broad!
This family friendly activity will allow you to float along the tranquil waters of Asheville’s iconic river, see local wildlife, and spend a few hours relaxing in one of the most beautiful places in Western North Carolina.
We LOVE tubing in Asheville NC, and we’ve made it a tradition on our frequent trips to the area.
Since we’ve done the French Broad river tubing both with and without an outfitter, I thought it would be helpful to those new to the experience to break down the pros and cons of each.
Below, you’ll learn about our suggestions for the best tubing in Asheville with an outfitter as well as our recommendations on how to DIY your own French Broad tubing trip.
NOTE: The outdoor outfitters in Asheville are planning to reopen for the 2025 tubing season now that Hurricane Helene clean up is underway!
The Camping Kiddos team with our friends tubing on the French Broad River in Asheville
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Post updated August 2025 for post-Hurricane Helene info
Throughout West Asheville, the French Broad is wide and smooth.
Option 1: Going with an Asheville River Tubing Outfitter
PIN ME!
If you’re brand new to the Asheville NC area OR to tubing in general, it might be easiest to sign up for one of the river floats with a local outfitter.
There are several companies that offer tubing rentals, including Zen Tubing and Asheville Tubing Adventures.
You’ll be tubing the exact same river no matter which you choose!
NOTE: Post-Hurricane Helene, many of the local outfitters have gone out of business, as the entire area along the usual tubing route was seriously impacted in the flooding of September 2024. If you’d previously considered or booking with French Broad Outfitters, it is permanently closed; their building and storage facility near Hominy Creek Park was washed away.
Sky Tubing is also permanently closed.
For a discounted tubing experience through one of the still open local operators, you can book a rental through Zen Tubing here.
Pros to Using a Tubing Outfitter in Asheville
Even puppies can go tubing!
You show up, you get your tube, and you plop in the water for a relaxing experience!
It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Plus, the cost of the tubing experience generally includes a shuttle to your car (or to the starting point, depending on which way the company is set up).
Cons to Using a Tubing Outfitter in Asheville
The trips are expensive for what they are: most are upwards of $30 per person for a 2-ish hour float.
If you’re traveling as a family of 4, for example, that can get pricey quickly at $120 without any add-ons.
I’ll also note that the tubes are fairly small, and the adult tubes don’t have any bottoms.
This means that you’re either wedged like a V into the top of the tube, or you have to wear the tube around your waist while your lower half is in the water.
Option 2: DIY French Broad River Tubing Trip
Pros to Doing a DIY River Float in Asheville
There’s SO much more freedom when you do it yourself!
You decide when to leave, what tubes to use, and how long you’d like to float.
We especially LOVED using our own tubes, which have a mesh bottom and built in cooler.
Plus, they are much larger than the tubes you get with the local outfitters—I can sit criss cross in the bottom with room to spare.
The Camping Kiddos and friends in the middle of our flotilla on the French Broad
We have 2 of these 1-person River Run tubes, which includes a high backrest that’s tall enough for the adults as well as a sturdy cup holder.
Since we’re a family of 4, we needed space for 2 more people, and decided to get a 2-person tube for the other half of the family.
Since we loved the durability of the other River Run tubes we owned, we settled on this 2-people River Run float, which also includes high backrests and a built-in cooler.
Doing a DIY tubing trip in Asheville is also much more affordable when compared to the local companies.
For just under $80 (the cost of the tubes), we were able to do multiple floats WITH a cooler. Compare that to $120 for one river trip when renting through a company.
And, if you have your own tubes, you can pack them away in your camper for future river trips elsewhere!
Cons to Doing a DIY River Float in Asheville
My husband blows up up the tubes for a river float
Since you don’t have a shuttle with this option, you’re going to need to take time to organize 2 cars so that you’re not left stranded at one end or the other.
When we’ve done a DIY tubing trip on the French Broad, we’ve had 2 cars, which were placed at either end of the trip.
When we were done, we simply took one car to get the other and headed back to our rental house to shower.
Even if you only had 1 car, you could make this work: park your car at the ending point, then Uber to the starting point.
[Suggested starting and stopping points are listed below.]
Another con to doing a DIY tubing trip is having to inflate and deflate the tubes on your own.
We combated this issue by using my husband’s portable Craftsman inflator, which had us ready for the river in no time, even with the big tubes we own.
Don’t let the fun stop there! Check out more to do in Asheville, North Carolina.
Other Things to Know about Tubing in Asheville
Where can I do a river float in Asheville NC?
The Camping Kiddos are ready to go tubing at Hominy Creek River Park!
The biggest hurdle when designing your own river float is determining where to start and stop.
If you’re not familiar with the area, this element of the planning is nerve wracking.
However, after MUCH trial and error, I’m sharing the perfect river floating journey in Asheville!
The BEST Asheville River Tubing Journey!
Start at Hominy Creek River Park and unload your tubes and gear.
The entry point into the river is wide and unobstructed, and there are multiple steps to help you guide yourself into the river.
Plus, there’s plenty of free parking here if you need to leave your car.
From there, you’ll take a leisurely float down the French Broad, which, if you don’t tie up for lunch, will take you a little over 2 hours.
Everything looks different from the water, so I find it easiest to count bridges for orientation.
You’ll be looking for the 4th bridge on your float: just before this bridge, you’ll see a bright yellow dock sticking out into the river on your right hand side.
It’s also the ONLY dock on this stretch which makes it extra easy to identify.
NOTE: This dock was destroyed during Hurricane Helene, and, as of August 2025, it has not been replaced. You can still use the boat ramp, but you have to REALLY watch for it, as the ramp isn’t visible from the river until you’re right on top of it.
On our most recent trip here in August 2025, we just looked for the New Belgium Brewing Co. on the left, and then paddled like crazy to the right side of the river to disembark on the right side at the small concrete boat ramp.
Carefully paddle over to the dock and tie up.
Congrats, you’ve done an easy DIY tubing trip!
Where you’ve landed is another public park, the Craven Street Bridge River Access, which runs right next to the Wilma Dykeman Greenway. It might also be labeled as the Wei Mauna Boat Ramp parking area on your GPS.
Free parking is also available here.
As a caveat, I’ve read elsewhere on the internet that White Duck Taco is a good place to put your tube in/out.
THIS IS NOT TRUE.
There isn’t really a landing spot here, and the only access off the river is a tiny and steep dirt path that is barely wide enough to walk up.
You’ll be hauling your tubes out of the river while pulling yourself up this embankment by a rope.
You WILL get dirty, and you will encounter spiders.
0/10 Do Not Recommend.
NOTE: As of late summer 2025, this advice still holds true. I discourage you even further from trying to aim for this terrible exit point since White Duck Taco is no longer open post-hurricane. The embankment in front of the restaurant’s now defunct building, the parking lot, and surrounding property is very grown up with weeds.
How long does it take to float down the French Broad River?
Most trips will last between 1.5 hours and 3 hours without making any stops along the way.
You can easily extend this time by tying up your flotilla on an exposed log or overhead branch, or by securing yourself along the bank.
I will note that you’re still in a wild place, and, thus, may see snakes, ducks, spiders, and more tucked in the trees and underbrush.
Always look carefully before tying off to avoid any debris, snakes, spiders, or other unwelcome guests from entering your tube.
How does Asheville tubing compare to tubing elsewhere in North Carolina?
As I mentioned before, we love tubing, so we’ve had many trips down rivers in North Carolina, including the Nantahala river, the Tuckaseegee river, the Green River, and (of course) the French Broad.
Of all of these, the tubing on the French Broad the most accessible with many entry and exit points, and is the most tranquil floats for the entire family.
NOTE: If you’re wondering what Asheville tubing is like post-Hurricane Helene, it is mostly the same. The riverbanks do look different in several places as a result of the massive flooding that occurred here in fall 2024, and there are several debris piles in the middle of the river as part of the ongoing clean-up efforts.
However, we didn’t find that the actual tubing experience was much different that it was before the hurricane did so much damage to this part of North Carolina.
The most noticeable change is that tourism is way down in Western North Carolina, so we were nearly alone on our most recent float in early August 2025. There were only about 10 other people in tubes from Zen Tubing on the stretch that we did (Hominy Creek River Park to the Wei Mauna boat ramp), which is startlingly low compared to previous years.
If you’re considering going to Asheville, it is open! Businesses need your support now more than ever, and the river is ready for your next tubing experience.
Can I bring my food and drinks on my float?
Definitely! I highly recommend a floating cooler to keep sandwiches, drinks, and snacks at arms’ length.
Especially if you’re floating with kids, you’ll need some food to keep your crew happy throughout the entire float.
You can rent a floating cooler through Zen Tubing—they’re a $5 add on, and are essentially a tube with a lid where you can pack your food and drinks.
If you choose to do the DIY tubing route, look for a dual tube that has a cooler in the middler, or opt to get a separate floating cooler similar to what the outfitters offer.
Just remember to pack out all of your trash and leave no trace.
What else should I bring on my river float?
In addition to snacks and drinks, you’ll want to bring a few more things to ensure you have the best float possible.
Rocking my hooded sun shirt while river floating with my friend Brittany
While the French Broad River has trees lining both sides, you’re rarely underneath them during your float. This means you need to be aware of the sun exposure and bring sunscreen or a long sleeved sun shirt.
This hooded women’s sun shirt is very similar to the one I wear while we’re floating since I am the color of a vampire and burn easily. It’s great since it is equivalent to 50 SPF coverage, and thus, I don’t to reapply sunscreen as often.
My family and I also wear water shoes with a back strap throughout our river float. The Keen Newport H2 water sandals have a thick sole that’s protective as we’re getting in and out of the water or pushing off from rocks, but the neoprene and side slots allow water to flow easily in and out. I’ve used mine for years across many hiking, camping, and outdoor adventures, and they’re still going strong.
Don’t use flip flops—they’ll get taken by the river the first little rapid you go over.
Packing a small bag of lightweight towels is helpful when you are done with your river float, so that you don’t have to drive home wet. These colorful Turkish towels are our go-to towels when we’re camping since they take up very little space compared to a traditional towel and dry incredibly fast.
Dry bags are another necessity. You can put your keys, extra sunglasses, wallet, or anything else you’d like to protect from an errant splash in these. Tuck them away in your tube’s dry compartment to keep them safe. We have this set of colorful dry bags and use them regularly.
Finally, if you want to take photos while on your trip, you don’t want to run the risk of losing your phone in the river. Use one of these waterproof phone holders to keep your phone around your neck and away from the water.
Explore more of North Carolina!
Have you been tubing in Asheville on the French Broad River? If so, share your best tips or floating route!
