Whitewater rafting near Asheville

Rafting near Asheville means the French Broad River. The whitewater trips run north of Asheville, on Section 9 and the stretch the Marshall outfitters raft. Inside Asheville the trips are calm floats, which is what the short sunset tours use.

Prices checked Oct 2026 on each outfitter's trip page.

Whitewater half days

• Asheville Adventure Company: Section 9, 5 miles of Class II–III from Barnard River Park, about 4 hours, $89. Riders must be 8 and at least 50 lbs.
• Blue Heron Whitewater: about 5 miles of Class I–III in 3.5 to 4 hours. A half day is $59, or $69 with lunch. Minimum age 8.
• French Broad Adventures: a half-day trip of 5 miles, Class II–III, 3 to 4 hours, $74.99. Minimum age 8.

The three trips cover close to the same mileage, so the price gap comes down to what is included. Blue Heron's $69 half day adds lunch; Asheville Adventure Company's $89 trip is a full 4 hours.

Full days

Blue Heron sells a full day with lunch for $84. French Broad Adventures runs half- and full-day trips rated Class II–IV.

Calm water and small kids

Every whitewater trip above starts at age 8. For younger children:

• French Broad Adventures runs calm-water trips from age 4.
• Blue Heron runs a scenic float for $59.
• Cedar Rock Adventures runs a 2-hour Sunset Raft Tour in Asheville for ages 1 to 90, $50, a 4-mile float that ends at the Craven Street dock.

Class ratings

Blue Heron rates its stretch Class I–III. Asheville Adventure Company and the French Broad Adventures half day are Class II–III. French Broad Adventures rates its half- and full-day trips Class II–IV, so ask which rapids a given trip runs if anyone in the boat is nervous.

Private family float

Asheville Adventure Company also sells a private Biltmore family float at $250 per boat for about 3.5 hours.

Season

Asheville Adventure Company runs Section 9 from April to September (ashevilleadventurecompany.com). French Broad Adventures' season runs March 1 to November 1 (frenchbroadrafting.com). A late-October trip is still possible with the longer-season outfitter.

Picking a trip

• Kids under 8: a calm-water trip or the Cedar Rock sunset float.
• Longest season: French Broad Adventures.
• One boat for your group only: the private Biltmore float.