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.
The Camping Kiddos team with our friends tubing on the French Broad River in Asheville
2026 Asheville Tubing Update: The French Broad is open for tubing post-Hurricane Helene, but not every section of the river has reopened for commercial tube rentals. For example, Zen Tubing's South Asheville location is operating for the 2026 season, while its River Arts District location remains closed because of ongoing recovery and construction.
Find out more of what to expect for both tube rentals and DIY float trips in 2026 below.
This post contains affiliates. If you purchase through the links, I will receive a commission at no charge to you. | Post updated August 2026
Our Experiences Tubing the French Broad River
Several years ago, when my kids were tiny (like not even in preschool!), we decided to start an annual trip with some of our friends who also had little kids.
Our low budget tent camping trips slowly grew as our kids did, and we ended up settling on a fun late summer weekend in the North Carolina mountains near Asheville every year. At the heart of that trip was a day out on the French Broad River, soaking up the sun while we went tubing.
Even as young as 6, our kids enjoyed their experience floating the world’s 3rd oldest river. We made sure they were safe with life jackets, and we kept them occupied by listening to music, passing around different snacks, and being silly.
One year, we got really fancy, and tied all of our tubes to a floating dock that we could then use to sunbathe or let the kids hang out on when they were tired of their tubes.
Since we started these trips before Hurricane Helene badly impacted this area, we’ve been able to see how the river has changed over time, and how tubing on this river has changed, too.
Throughout West Asheville, the French Broad is wide and smooth.
Option 1: Going with an Asheville River Tubing Outfitter
We started our annual tubing trip back when our kids were little (around 2018), so we’ve been able to see what changes have occurred on the river and within the Asheville tubing industry in general.
For our first experience, we decided to go on a float through an outdoor outfitter, just to make the process easier. At the time, my kids were 6 and 9, and my friends’ kids were 7.5 and 9, so we wanted to keep the experience fun and safe for everyone.
We went through the now defunct French Broad Outfitters, but Zen Tubing (which still is in business) offers a similar experience. Beer City Tubing is a newer outfitter, but it also offers floats along the most popular section of the river.
PIN ME!
All of these years later, I still stand by the idea that if you’re brand new to the Asheville NC area OR to tubing in general, it is easier 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 previous outfitters went 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.
Thankfully, the river is open as of 2026, and both Zen Tubing and Beer City Tubing are offering river floats.
You’ll want to look at the exact routes they offer, as the popular River Arts district float (the one we’ve done every year) isn’t available through any of the commercial tours in 2026 as hurricane clean up efforts continue years later.
You can still book a float through the southern area of Asheville nearer to the Biltmore House.
Expect to pay around $30 per person. You can bring kids as young as 6 on these commercially provided tubing float tours.
Coolers are an extra $20, and I highly recommended adding that to your cart, too. When the river is running slowly, you can be on the water for a couple of hours, and you will definitely want drinks and snacks.
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
As I noted above, the commercially provided river float 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 like a cooler or two.
I’ll also note that some of the available tubes are fairly small, and the adult tubes don’t have any bottoms. Zen Tubing has finally upgraded theirs to a mesh bottom, which is progress!
Those tubes without the mesh bottoms either wedged your body into the tube 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. It’s manageable, but it’s not as fun as it could be.
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’ve been able to do multiple floats WITH a cooler over the course of 5 years. 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 always gone with friends for the weekend. Because we were traveling with another family, we’ve always had 2 cars available for our group, 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.
I know that you’re paying for the convenience of just showing up with a commercial river tubing experience, but we’ve enjoyed the flexibility and low cost of having our own tubes.
Suggested DIY River Float Route
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!
NOTE: We have done this float through the River Arts district post-Hurricane Helene, and in 2025, there was still a considerable amount of both natural debris (entire trees) and human-made debris (refrigerators, parts of cars, etc.) in the water.
If you’re any good at reading a river, you’ll be able to figure out when you’re going to hit an area where something is submerged, but be warned that you can definitely run up onto sunken trees in the middle of the river and storm debris up on the banks.
All of this to say that this route is still passable, but, since the commercial outfitters aren’t running it right now with tubes, you might want to reconsider if this will be your first DIY trip out on the French Broad.
If you’re worried about the debris hitting you in a tube, this section is also great for kayaks and canoes, and the major outfitters are still renting those for travel along the River Arts district section (like in this tour to several breweries in the River Arts area).
The BEST Asheville River Tubing Journey!
Now, the route:
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 the property where White Duck Taco once stood is a good place to put your tube in/out.
THIS IS NOT TRUE.
There isn’t really a landing spot here (especially after this entire area was catastrophically flooded by Hurricane Helene), 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.
FAQs of Tubing the French Broad River
Where can I float on the river in Asheville?
There are two main areas that tubing can be done, historically, on the river.
The first is from just above the River Arts District with a disembarkation point near New Belgium Brewery.
The second is in southern Asheville near Biltmore Village and the Biltmore House.
Each one of these has its benefits and drawbacks. Right now, the decision has been largely made for recreational tubers as the companies aren’t using the River Arts District, thanks to the remaining debris post-hurricane.
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 geta 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.
Is an Asheville river float safe for kids?
Clearly, we’ve weighed all of the factors and decided that yes, we feel comfortable enough to take our early elementary aged kids (and beyond) on this tubing experience.
That being said, all of the kids that go on this trip are excellent swimmers, always have their life jackets on, and are very good listeners.
So, when any of the adults is concerned about any element of the river, the kids are quick to respond and take their places in their tubes to await further instruction.
Ultimately, we’ve never had a single experience where I was in any way worried about the kids (beyond, you know, normal mom worry, which comes for me extra easily since I was a lifeguard for years and I don’t want to have to do any rescues!).
If you also want to take your kids on a river float anywhere along the French Broad river in Asheville, you’ll want to follow similar guidelines.
Personally, I would not take kids any younger than 6 or 7 on the river, just because there is always the chance that he or she will topple out of the tube and will need to push themselves back into the tube.
Life jackets for kids always because you never know when your group might hit a tree underneath the water or might get stuck on a piling.
Overall, when done with consideration and pre-planning, this is a fun option for families looking to cool off in Asheville during the summer.
If I'm in a group, how do I stay together with them?
You’ll want to bring along tethers (these will be provided if you go through a commercial outfitter) to lace the tubes together.
Triple check your knots when you do so. We had a time a few years ago when two of the kids’ tubes got untethered from the rest of the group, and it was seriously panic inducing while my husband waded out to get them.
In general, the water on the French Broad River runs slowly enough that you’re not going to watch your kid or fellow tuber sail off into the sunset without you.
How do I know if the river is safe to go out onto?
You’ll want to check a couple of things before going onto the French Broad. If you’re going through a commercial outfitter, they’ll have already checked these things for you, and will cancel if anything doesn’t look right.
First of all, you’ll want to check the river discharge, which is simply how much water is flowing through the river at any given time. Tubing is much more pleasant when the water isn’t flowing fast since you’ll have a gentler time on the river.
Secondly (and this one is gross but necessary), you’ll want to check the E. coli estimator here.
Due to run-off, the river can sometimes exceed healthy levels. It’s not safe to tube or put your hands or face in the water at these times.
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Have you been tubing in Asheville on the French Broad River? If so, share your best tips or floating route!
