FRENCH BROAD RIVER

BASIN
T he Cherokee Indians already had countless names for the French Broad River by
the time white huntsmen first approached this mountain region. Their river was
Long Man and its tributaries Chattering Children.
Va
The settlers were more literal in their naming of the
profile:
Total miles of
river. They had already encountered wide streams, streams:
or broads, that flowed away from the ocean that 3,985

they or their parents had crossed. But this river ran Total acres of lakes:
northwest, into what was then French territory, and 1,736

eventually joined the mighty Mississippi. To the newcomers, it was plainly the French Broad. Municipalities
within basin: 24
The headwaters of the French Broad River spill from a 50-foot waterfall in Transylvania County. Counties
Known as Court House Falls, the waterfall rushes into a creek that feeds the North Fork, which within basin: 8
joins the West Fork near Rosman and eventually the Middle and East forks to form the French Size: 2,830
Broad. About half of the land surrounding these headwater streams is forested, with much square miles
of the basin within the Pisgah National Forest or Pisgah Game Lands. Steep slopes limit the
Population:
land area suitable for building and farming. In fact, the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi 393,795
River rises from this basinMount Mitchell stretches 6,684 feet skyward. Cold Mountain, (2000 U.S. Census)

immortalized by the novel and film of the same name, rises 6,030 feet above the Shining
Rock Wilderness area. The French Broad originates
from a tiny waterfall (left);
The French Broad River Basin drains land in both North Carolina and Tennessee. Besides the the basins Mount Mitchell
French Broad River, the basin includes two other major watersheds in North Carolina: the Pigeon is the tallest peak in the
and Nolichucky riverstributaries that join the French Broad in Tennessee. The Mills, Davidson East (below).
and Swannanoa rivers are major tributaries of the French Broad River in North Carolina.
BEN T. WALTERS BILL LEA
USFWS

Pink Beds
A large, flat valley with-
in the Pisgah National
Forests Cradle of For-
estry area contains the
most extensive system
of upland valley bogs
and marshes in the
Southern Appalachians,
according to the N.C. BILL LEA

Natural Heritage Pro- Trout are abundant in the upper reaches of the basin, and many waters A bobcat makes a rare
gram. These wetlands have such good quality that the state classifies them as Outstanding daytime appearance,
are home to North Resource Waters. About 263 miles of Outstanding Resource Waters framed in fall foliage.
Carolinas largest pop-
in the basin include most of the South Fork Mills River, the South Toe
ulation of the swamp
pink (pictured above),
River (which joins the Nolichucky River) and Cataloochee Creek and its feeder streams (which
a plant in the lily family empty into the Pigeon River). These waters receive extra protection due to excellent water
that is federally listed as quality and exceptional ecological or recreational significance.
a threatened species.
The entire area is nick- Unique plants and animals also distinguish the French Broad River Basin. Its one of only two
named the Pink Beds river basins in North Carolina where youll find the 9-inch aquatic salamander called the
and got its name from
common mudpuppy and the only basin with the distinctive turtle known as the Eastern spiny
the resident pink-
blooming flowers that
softshell. The Nolichucky, Cane and North Toe rivers contain several rare fish, notably almost
also include wild phlox the entire state population of sharphead darters.
WAYNE VAN DEVENDER WAYNE VAN DEVENDER
and mountain laurels.

The Eastern spiny softshell

(far right) and the hell-
bender (right) can both
be found in the French
Broad River Basin.
 ASHEVILLE IS
THE BASINS
LARGEST CITY.

S everal riverfront
parks are part of a
downtown revitaliza-
tion in Asheville. Pad-
dlers can access the
French Broad at sev-
eral sites within the city
limits, and plans are
under way for a 6-mile
riverfront greenway.

CHARLES BRASWELL JR.

The most ecologically significant aquatic area in the basin is the lower section of the French Broad
River from the town of Marshall to the Tennessee state line. Numerous fish species found in
CHARLES BRASWELL JR. no other rivers of the state appear here, including the freshwater drum and mooneye.

Rock Window
The faulted and folded
rocks of the Hot Springs
area form an extraordi-
nary geologic window
where you can see sed-
imentary rock buried
under older metamor-
phic rock. Other nearby
earthly attractions
include Paint Rock
and Lovers Leap.
Two rare aquatic species live in the French Broad: the hellbender, a large, uncommon aquatic
salamander, and the Appalachian elktoe, a freshwater mussel that is federally listed as endan-
gered. Recreation, including fishing and rafting, also makes the French Broad River an out-
standing resource. Besides the basins ample trout fishing opportunities, the entire French
Broad River supports a celebrated muskie fishery. Below Asheville, the river falls and tumbles,
creating enough excitement to make whitewatering the main economy of Madison County.
There are nine rapids on the 8-mile section of river between Barnard and Hot Springs.
GEORGE HUMPHRIES
The Pigeon River below Canton has been
affected for years by polluted discharge from
a paper mill. Now an employee-owned com-
pany, the mill releases much lower levels of
contaminants and continues to improve its
operation. Water quality in the Pigeon River
has improved dramatically. Biologists in North
Carolina and Tennessee are beginning to
reintroduce native snail, fish and mussel
species to the river. Today, the Pigeon River
is a progressively cleaner resource that sup-
ports rafting, paddling and fishing.

As in many areas across the state, the popu-

lation in the French Broad River Basin is
increasing, particularly in Buncombe and Pigeon River
Henderson counties. Population growth is

Nature lovers pause along
the Appalachian Trail in the
Pisgah National Forest.
BILL LEA
often accompanied by the removal or alteration of natural areas, which
may damage or destroy wildlife habitat and harm surrounding waters
when pollutants wash into them. Many types of land use in the basin
FRENCH BROAD
are affecting the condition of receiving waters, including land develop- RIVER BASIN
ment and construction activities, forestry operations, mining operations,
orchards and cropland, animal feeding lots, failing septic systems, roads You may have noticed
and parking lots. When improperly managed, these activities generate French Broad River Basin
signs posted along
contaminantsincluding sediment, pesticides, fertilizers and animal
highways. These were
wastethat are carried to nearby waterways by rain and melted snow.
created through a part-
nership between the
The landscape of the French Broad River Basin has changed dramat- Office of Environmental
ically over a short period of time. Cultivated and uncultivated crop- Education and the N.C.
land, along with pastureland, decreased by 91 percent between 1982 Department of Trans-
portation with funding
from the Federal Trans-
portation Enhance-
ment Program. Signs in
each of the states 17
river basins call atten-
tion to basin boundaries
and promote steward-
ship of public waters.
KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC
N.C. DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
Looking Glass Falls, Transylvania
County (left); a whitewater kayaker
finds thrills, not spills (above).
 JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC

The Little River flows and 1997, while urban and developed areas
through the 10,400-acre grew by more than 85 percent. This change is
DuPont State Forest. most apparent around Fletcher, Flat Rock and
Hendersonville in the upper French Broad
region. These areas account for some of the
highest growth rates in the basin. The popula-
tion of Hendersonville has increased by 50
percent since 1990. In rapidly growing areas,
Triple Falls, Dupont development has historically redirected storm-
State Forest water in a way that accelerates flooding and
erosion. Proper land- KEN TAYLOR, NCWRC

use design and management can help control View from Looking
stormwater runoff in both urban and rural areas. Glass Rock

Local organizations are cooperating to protect and promote the ecol-

ogical and recreational importance of the entire French Broad River
Basin. By working together, community organizations and natural
resource agencies can combine professional expertise and local
knowledge to determine the best way to protect the basins water
resources. To learn how you can help, contact any of the organiza-
tions listed on the back page.
JODY DUGGINS, NCWRC

State of North Carolina: Governor Michael F. Easley North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources: Secretary
William G. Ross Jr. Office of Environmental Education: Director Lisa Tolley, Project Manager Rachel Golden Editor Carla Burgess
Designer Kimberly KC Schott, Red Gate Design Special Thanks North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Date: 2007 10,000
copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $1,462 or $0.15 per copy. This publication was funded through the Clean Water
Acts Section 319 Grant Program. In the coming years, some river basin boundaries will change if the state moves forward with plans to
modify them to coincide with federal maps. The Cape Fear, White Oak, Chowan, Pasquotank, Tar-Pamlico and Neuse basins would be the
most significantly altered. Printed on recycled paper
HIKING & BIKING Roan
12
Newland 14
MITCHELL
AV E RY
O NA
L
N 1
TI or Bakersville
NA ST th
A H RE
PI
S FG F O
re Burnsville T o e
nc MADISON Riv
h YA N C E Y er
Hot 21
Springs
Marshall Mt.
in the French Broad River Basin Mt. 9

Br
Pig
2a

oa
eon
The French Broad River Basin offers many 8
opportunities to enjoy and explore nature H AY WO O D 3 22BU N C O M B E
through walking, hiking and biking. This list 10 Asheville 15
includes places with at least a few trails for Waynesville
Waterrock 6
easy to moderate activity. Keep in mind that Cold
at some mountain sites, the steepness of terrain Mt.
19 20
Richland
may limit easy activity, other than at an overlook Balsam

or short path. Many sites include views of streams,
rivers, creeks, lakes and/or waterfalls. Remember
that some trails are multi-use, serving pedestrians,
bicyclists, equestrians and other recreational users.
For information about urban and regional bikeways,
visit http://www.ncdot.org/transit/bicycle.
HIKING
1 Bakersville Creek Walk
http://www.bakersville.com/walk.html
~1-mile trail along Cane Creek.
Blue Ridge Parkway
2a Craggy Gardens http://www.nps.gov/
blri/craggy.htm 700 acres .8-mile trail.
Spectacular display of rhododendrons in
June/July.
2b Pink Beds Loop Trail http://sherpaguides.
com/north_carolina/mountains/balsam_
mountains/cradle_of_forestry.html 3.2
miles of trails along the South Fork Mills River.
3 Botanical Gardens at Asheville
http://www.ashevillebotanicalgardens.org
10 acres .5-mile trailincluding bridges
spanning streamsthrough meadows and
over a woodland ridge to a wildflower cove.
4 Carl Sandburg Home National
Historic Site
www.nps.gov/carl 264 acres 5 miles of
trails on the farmstead of the late Pulitzer
prizewinning poet.
5 Holmes Educational State Forest
http://www.dfr.state.nc.us/esf/hesf/hesf_
home.htm 235 acres 5 miles of trails
among mountain hardwoods.
6 Hominy Creek River Park
http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/
depts/ParksAlive/facilities/river/ 19 acres
.25-mile trail on the Swannanoa River.
13 2b
A L
11 T I O N
N AE S T
AH R
PI
SG FO
Brevard 17
T R A N S Y LVA N I A
Rosman
8 Long Branch Environmental
Education Center
http://www.longbrancheec.org/index.html
1,635 acres 2.5 miles of trails, plus old
logging roads.
9 Mount Mitchell State Park
http://ils.unc.edu/parkproject//visit/momi/
home.html 1,855 acres 32 miles of trails.
A short trail beginning at the summit parking
lot leads to a stone observation tower from
which visitors may see as far as 85 miles on
a clear day.
10 Pigeon River Greenway/Canton
Recreation Park
http://www.cantonnc.com/ 1.7-mile
walking trail.
11 Cradle of Forestry Forest Discovery
Center/ Pisgah National Forest
http://www.cradleofforestry.com/ 6,500
acres 2.3 miles of trails.
12 Roan Mountain Gardens
http://ncnatural.com/NCUSFS/Pisgah/
roan-mtnj.html 600 acres 1-mile trail
through rhododendron gardens.
13 Shining Rock Wilderness/Art Loeb Trail
http://sherpaguides.com/north_carolina/
mountains/balsam_mountains/shining_rock_
wilderness.html 18,500 acres 10.6 miles of
River
16
HENDERSON
7 4
Hendersonville
5
18
hiking
hiking and biking
15 Western North Carolina
Nature Center
http://wildwnc.org/ 42 acres .6-mile trail
along the banks of the French Broad.
16 Westfeldt River Park
http://www.eco-wnc.org/westfeldt.htm 22
acres .6-mile trail skirting the French Broad.
HIKING and BIKING
17 Brevard Bike Path/NC Rails-Trails
http://www.ncrail-trails.org/mapkeys.htm
2 miles of trails.
18 Dupont State Forest
http://www.dupontforest.com/ 10,400
acres With nearly 80 miles of trails, this
is a new hot spot for mountain biking. Six
named waterfalls.
19 North Carolina Arboretum
http://www.ncarboretum.org 434 acres
8 miles of hiking trails; 5.6 miles of biking trails.
Pisgah National Forest
20 Bent Creek Forest Trails http://www.cs.
unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/bent_creek_trails.
htm 5,242 acres 44.2 miles of hiking
trails; 27.5 miles of biking trails.
21 Carolina Hemlocks Recreation Area
http://www.cs.unca.edu/nfsnc/recreation/
carolina_hemlocks.pdf 4.8 miles of hiking


hiking trails, including a view of Cold Mountain.
7 Jackson Park trails; bikes allowed only on through-trail
www.eco-wnc.org/eco_programs.htm 14 Waterfall Park for horses.
212 acres ~2.3-mile wheelchair-accessible Highway 194, Newland 2 miles of trails with
nature trail and boardwalk along a stream cascades. 22 Warren Wilson College
and wet meadow. http://www.warren-wilson.edu 25 miles of
 = some trails designated as wheelchair accessible trails, a few open to cyclists.
 PADDLING Roan

Newland
MITCHELL
L AV E RY
O NA N
TI or Bakersville
NA ST th
A H RE
PI
S FG F O
re Burnsville T o e
nc MADISON Riv
h YA N C E Y er
Hot
ngs
Springs
Marshall Mt.
in the French Broad River Basin Mt.

Br
Pig

oa
BU N C O M B E
B

eon
The French Broad River Basin offers many oppor-
tunities for paddling creeks, ponds, streams, rivers H AY WO O D
and lakes. The places included here offer public Asheville
access areas maintained by state, federal or local 2
Waynesville
Waterrock
governments. Privately operated marinas and boat Cold
docks may also be available. These trails and lakes Mt. 3
Richland
are suitable for easy to moderate paddling. Balsam
AL

River
ON
TI
N AE S T HENDERSON
AH R
1 French Broad River Trail SG FO
PI
(highlighted in yellow) The French Broad River H
Hendersonville
Trail is a state-designated canoe trail with 23 Brevard
ard 1
access points along the rivers 116-mile journey T R A N S Y LVA N I A
through North Carolina. The river begins near
Rosman in southern Transylvania County, then Rosman
flows north through Henderson, Buncombe and
Madison counties before crossing into Tennes-
see. The upper portion of the river is perfect for
float trips, and many of these stretches are suit- 2 Pigeon River Greenway/Canton 3 Lake Julian
able for novice paddlers. There are several access Recreation Park http://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/
sites with only a few miles between, providing http://www.cantonnc.com/ depts/parksalive/facilities/parks/LakeJulian.
convenient options for short paddle trips. Local http://www.pigeonriverfund.org htm. 330 acres Rental boats available
outfitters provide shuttle services for a fee.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NC DIVISION OF TOURISM, FILM, AND SPORTS DEVELOPMENT
A complete map of the trail points below, with
detailed directions to the sites, may be down-
loaded from http://www.riverlink.org or from
the State Trails Web site, http://ils.unc.edu/
parkproject/trails/home.html.
Miles to Next
Access Area Take-out
Headwaters Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1.5
Champion Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.5
Lyons Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Headwaters Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Island Ford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Hap Simpson Riverfront Park . . . . . . . . . . .5
Pisgah Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Blantyre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17.75
Westfeldt Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.75
Glenn Bridge River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.5
Sandy Bottom River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..5
Bent Creek River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Hominy Creek River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Southern Waterways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
French Broad River Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Jean Webb Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.5
French Broad River Campground . . . . . . . ..5
The Ledges Whitewater Park . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Walnut Island River Park . . . . . . . . . . . .14.5
Barnard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.5
Stackhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Nantahala Outdoor Center . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Murray Branch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .end
 ?
WHERE What makes the French Broad River Basin special? See for yourself. Visit these
SHOULD Environmental Education Centers to discover more about your ecological address:
I GO BackCountry Outdoor Education Center Mount Mitchell State Park
Blue Ridge Parkway Mountain Trail Outdoor School
Bullington Horticultural Environmental Purchase Knob: Appalachian Highlands
Education Center Science Learning Center
Colburn Gem and Mineral Museum The North Carolina Arboretum
Eagles Nest Foundation North Carolina Outward Bound School
Dupont State Forest Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education
EnergyXchange Renewable Energy Center Swannanoa 4-H Educational Center
Forest Discovery Center, Cradle of Western North Carolina Nature Center
Forestry in America YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly
Holmes Educational State Forest Environmental Education Center
NCWRC Long Branch Environmental Education Center YMCA Camp Greenville
For more information about Environmental Education Centers in North Carolina, call
the Office of Environmental Education at (919) 733-0711, or check out the Web site
at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org.

?
HOW You can gain a sense of community pride by learning more and helping to protect streams, rivers
CAN and lakes in the French Broad River Basin. The contacts listed below can help you do just that.
I HELP Appalachian Voices Mills River Partnership
http://www.appvoices.org http://www.henderson.lib.nc.us/county/soil/
(828) 262-1500 millsriverweb1.html
Blue Ridge Rural Land Trust (828) 697-4949
http://www.brrlt.org/ Mud Creek Watershed Restoration Project
(828) 263-8776 http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/henderson/mudcreek
Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (828) 697-4891
http://www.carolinamountain.org/ N.C. Soil and Water Conservation Districts
(828) 697-5777 http://www.enr.state.nc.us/DSWC/
ECO (Environmental and Conservation (919) 733-2302
Organization) North Carolina Stream Watch
http://www.eco-wnc.org/ http://www.ncwater.org/Education_and_Technical_
(828) 692-0385 Assistance/Stream_Watch/
Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway (919) 715-5433
http://www.blueridgefriends.org Pigeon River Fund
(800) 228-7275 www.pigeonriverfund.org
French Broad Basinwide Plan* (828) 254-4960
http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/basinwide/ Quality Forward
(919) 733-5083 http://www.qualityforward.org
French Broad River Watershed Education (828) 254-1776
Training Center Southern Appalachians Highlands Conservancy
http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/wqg/ http://www.appalachian.org/
frenchbroad/about.html (828) 253-0095
Haywood Waterways Association Western North Carolina Alliance
http://www.pagemanager.com/haywood waterways/ http://www.wnca.org
(828) 452-9077 (828) 258-8737
Land of Sky Regional Council VWIN (Volunteer Water Information Network)
http://www.landofsky.org/ http://orgs.unca.edu/eqi/vwin.htm
(828) 251-6622
*Basinwide water quality planning is a nonregulatory, watershed-based approach to restoring and protecting the
quality of North Carolinas surface waters. The N.C. Division of Water Quality welcomes community input.

To order additional brochures on any of North Carolinas 17 river basins, a general river basin booklet or a poster, call the
N.C. Office of Environmental Education at (919) 733-0711, or order online at http://www.eenorthcarolina.org.