North Carolina · Canoeing

French Broad River State Trail

116 mi
distance

Best time to visit French Broad River State Trail

Best months: March–May and September–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

Jan
48° / 25°
10 wet
Feb
52° / 28°
10 wet
Mar
59° / 34°
12 wet
Apr
68° / 41°
11 wet
May
75° / 50°
12 wet
Jun
81° / 58°
13 wet
Jul
83° / 62°
14 wet
Aug
82° / 61°
13 wet
Sep
77° / 55°
10 wet
Oct
68° / 43°
9 wet
Nov
59° / 33°
9 wet
Dec
51° / 28°
10 wet

Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Candler 1 W, NC, 0.9 mi away at 2,240 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

French Broad River State Trail is a paddling route in North Carolina operated by the North Carolina Division of Parks & Recreation.

NearbyPigeon River · Hominy Creek River Access · Lake Powhatan Glamping

Keep exploring — more water worth the drive

Photo: ChristopherM, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pigeon River

~17 min drive

Pigeon River is a 0.1-mile paddling stretch near Canton, North Carolina. It is intermittent and may run dry in some seasons. USGS models an average flow of about 323 cfs.

Hominy Creek River Access

~12 min drive

Hominy Creek River Access is a boat launch in North Carolina.

Lake Powhatan Glamping

~11 min drive

South Hominy Creek

~9 min drive

South Hominy Creek is a 5.4-mile paddling stretch near Candler, North Carolina. USGS models an average flow of about 40 cfs and a gradient of about 148.5 feet per mile.

Bent Creek River Park Access

~13 min drive

Bent Creek River Park Access is a boat launch in North Carolina.

Newfound Creek

~11 min drive

Newfound Creek is a 14-mile paddling stretch near Leicester, North Carolina. USGS models an average flow of about 40 cfs and a gradient of about 128.7 feet per mile.

French Broad River Greenway Access

~13 min drive

French Broad River Greenway Access is a boat launch in North Carolina.

Sandymush Creek

~18 min drive

Sandymush Creek is a 9.6-mile paddling stretch near Leicester, North Carolina. USGS models an average flow of about 40 cfs and a gradient of about 128.9 feet per mile.

French Broad River Greenway Access

~14 min drive

French Broad River Greenway Access is a boat launch in North Carolina.

South Fork Mills River

~23 min drive

South Fork Mills River is a 12-mile paddling stretch near Pisgah Forest, North Carolina. USGS models an average flow of about 48 cfs and a gradient of about 71.7 feet per mile. Land along it is managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Also worth it near here

Sheep Rock

~7 min drive

Greens Lick Trail

~8 min drive

Southern Mountains Region

~10 min drive