Asheville Tubing on the French Broad: A Complete Guide
The Camping Kiddos team with our friends tubing on the French Broad River in Ashevillel
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!
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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 outfitters.
You’ll be spoiled for choice if you go this route as the city has multiple tubing operators: Zen Tubing, French Broad Outfitters, and Sky Tubing are the biggest.
Of the main three, I prefer French Broad Outfitters as they have the furthest south starting point, meaning you have a longer float overall.
Honestly, though, the experience with any of the tubing companies is roughly the same.
You’ll be tubing the exact same river no matter which you choose!
For a discounted tubing experience through one of the local operators, you can sign up for Asheville Adventure Company’s 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.
Explore even more with this 4 days in Asheville itinerary: hiking, yoga, tours, and more!
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
Blowing 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: if you see White Duck Taco, you’ve gone too far!
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. 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.
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!
If you’d like a more concrete place to stop for lunch, look for the small red dirt beach on the left at the big left hand turn in the river.
NOTE: this park is about halfway between Hominy Creek River Park and Craven Street River Access on our recommend route. See more information below.
This small dirt beach leads to the French Broad River Park, and it has plenty of green spaces for a picnic or for your kids to run around in.
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.
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
You can rent a floating cooler through Zen Tubing and French Broad Outfitters—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.
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!
