People ask us this constantly. What’s the best tubing route in Asheville? One stretch of the French Broad River answers it: the run from the Biltmore property, through Carrier Park, into the River Arts District. Asheville Adventure Company floats this water daily, May through Labor Day. USA Today ranked the French Broad among the top 10 rivers in the country for tubing. That ranking isn’t about the whole river. It’s about stretches like this one.
Here’s what makes it work, and what you need to know before you book.
Where the Route Starts
Every trip launches from the Outpost at 521 Amboy Rd, near the Biltmore property on Asheville’s south side. Close enough to downtown to skip a long drive. Far enough out that the float feels like leaving town, not just sitting in traffic near it.
Grab your tube. Sit through a short safety briefing. Get on the water. No shuttle upstream, no dead time standing around waiting for a bus that’s running late.
What You Float Past
The route passes Carrier Park first, one of the better green spaces along this section of river, then carries you into the River Arts District, a once industrial district now turned into a network of art studios and local businesses. You’re floating water that started in Rosman and pushed north through Buncombe County, past Pisgah National Forest, on a river old enough to have watched these mountains form.
Why This Stretch Wins
Most of the French Broad doesn’t work for tubing. Too shallow in places. Too built up in others. Some stretches dump you nowhere near anything worth doing afterward.
The Outpost-to-RAD run avoids those problems. It runs long enough to feel like a real trip and short enough that nobody’s dragging by hour four. One launch, one takeout, no hopping between access points or figuring out logistics halfway down the river.
Want speed instead of drift? The same river runs Section 9 whitewater rafting on a different section for groups who want rapids instead of a lazy float.
Trip Details
- Season: May through Labor Day
- Duration: 3-4 hours, depending on current water levels
- Group size: Up to 50 people
- Difficulty: Easy
- Minimum age: 4 and older
- Price: From $30 per person
- Location: 521 Amboy Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Water levels set the pace. A 3-hour float one week runs closer to 4 the next. Call ahead if you want current conditions before booking. Here’s our number.
What to Bring and Wear
Everything you bring gets wet. Pack accordingly.
- Bathing suit or quick-dry clothing
- Shoes with heel straps
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses and a sun hat
- Water to drink. It gets hot fast out there.
Bring a cooler if you want one. Cooler carrier tubes rent for $10 each and hold up to 50 quarts. Skip the glass, skip the liquor and fortified spirits, and leave pets at home.
Booking and Logistics
Your trip includes a tube and a PFD. PFDs are required under 14 and recommended for everyone older. Departure times are scheduled, so show up 30 minutes early. Sign your waiver before you arrive if you can. It speeds up check-in.
Parking exists at the Outpost, but weekends fill it fast. Take an Uber or Lyft instead. You’ll skip the search for a spot, and you won’t think twice about that beer waiting for you at the end. Getting Here has directions and parking details.
Groups over 10 get a discount. Cancel free with 48 hours notice.
Ready to Float?
This is the best tubing route in Asheville: one clean stretch of the French Broad, launching near the Biltmore, floating past Carrier Park, landing you in the River Arts District with a cold drink waiting. Book your Asheville tubing trip and go see the river yourself.