Paddle 7 miles (11 km) with a private guide on the picturesque French Broad River. You’ll pass by Asheville’s massive Biltmore Estate and hear about its history. Learn stand-up paddleboarding tips and techniques from your SUP instructor and keep an eye out for native wildlife like turtles, herons, otters, and osprey. Enjoy the fresh air and exercise during a morning or afternoon.

• Paddleboard on the French Broad River and get a chance to see native wildlife
• Enjoy fresh air, exercise, and views of the famous Biltmore Estate
• Includes necessary equipment and round-trip shuttle from Asheville
• Learn stand-up paddleboarding basics from your guide, a certified instructor

What To Expect

Meet your guide at Asheville Outdoor Center in West Asheville (521 Amboy Road), where you'll park and then ride in an air-conditioned shuttle to the starting point at Bent Creek. Then you will look for the minivan with paddleboards on top that's parked in the far corner of the grass parking lot. Here you'll be fitted with a life jacket and paddle, and receive a lesson on the basics of SUP before setting off along the water.

 Also on our journey keep an eye out for native wildlife such as turtles, herons, otters, beavers, deer, ducks, and black bears, and hear stories of Asheville's past from your friendly local guide. If you're up for it, your guide can also teach you some tricks and proper racing technique. Your 2.5-hour paddle finishes back at Asheville Outdoor Center, just a 3-minute drive from restaurants and breweries on Haywood Road in West Asheville.
*The Biltmore Estate is private property and no paddling to shore is allowed. 
*$5 from every paddler is directly donated to RiverLink—a nonprofit organization working to restore the local watershed.