Calm Water Trips
Soak in the beauty of your surroundings with a peaceful float through the Pisgah National Forest. Great for ages 4-94!
Book Your AdventureRelax And Unwind: Calm Water Trips
French Broad Adventures offers guided and unguided float trips and rentals on a calmer section of the French Broad River. The calm water raft trip is a great introduction to river rafting with easy Class I-II rapids. This is a beautiful and pastoral section of the French Broad River. The Calm Water trip and the Rentals are excellent choices for those who want to enjoy a relaxing time on the water and absorb the scenic beauty of Western North Carolina. It’s also perfect for families with younger children who seek a gentler family activity. Our minimum age limit for calm water rafting is 4 years old.
Trip Details
$32.00 – $48.00/person
Length varies on weather/river conditions. Allow 2-3 hours.
March – November; Reservations required.
The calm water trips offer an easy and pleasurable float that is appropriate for all skill levels and particularly suited to beginners.
Our minimum age limit for calm water rafting is 4 years old.
Raft/duckie, PFD, helmet, splash gear if needed.
Shoes, sunscreen, hat, strap for glasses, towel and a change of dry clothing for after the trip. If you forget these items we have many of them for sale in our store.
Animals to the outpost.
Valuables or anything else that you would mind having lost, or broken.
REQUIRED: shoes that won’t come off in the water (i.e. sandals with a strap on the back, water shoes, or old tennis shoes).
Spring and Fall – Layers, Layers, Layers!!! Complimentary wet suits (please wear swimsuits underneath) and splash gear (rain jackets and/or pants) are available for all guests as needed at no extra charge. We recommend that you wear wool or synthetic material (i.e. polyester, nylon, or dry-fit). We DO NOT RECOMMEND that you wear cotton (i.e. sweatshirts and sweatpants) or denim for your rafting trip. You may also want to wear wool or synthetic socks (i.e. SmartWool) with shoes during this time.
Summer – Swimsuit with shorts and a t-shirt or tank top.
Rain or shine. Regardless, you are going to get wet on your whitewater rafting trip. It’s part of the fun! However, for safety reasons, we may cancel a trip for a lightning storm or other severe weather.
Our guides are providing a professional service to you, your family, or your group. All of your guides are highly trained and depend on tips as part of their salary. A good rule of thumb is to tip your guide as you would a server in a restaurant, 15-20% of the trip, but of course, any tipping is at your own discretion. Gratuity is deeply appreciated.
Book a Calm Water Rafting Trip
4 Mile Trip – Guided
$48* per person
Class I-III Rapids
- Available March – October
- Reservations are required (please confirm check-in location at this time)
- The approximate trip time is 2-3 hours
- Minimum age is 4—no exceptions
4 Mile Unguided Trip (Rentals)
$32* per person
Class I-III Rapids
- Available Memorial Day – Labor Day
- Reservations recommended; walk-ins welcome
- Approximate trip time is 2-3 hours
- Equipment Available for Rent:
– Raft (minimum 4 people required)
– Single Duckie - Minimum age is 4—no exceptions
*Prices listed do not include $1.85 per person for permit and processing fees
Meet at the Hot Springs, NC Outpost
Calmwater trips meet just past our partner location: Hot Springs Campground – 315 Bridge St, Hot Springs, NC 28743. Most GPS/Wayfinding Apps will recognize it. Once you arrive at our Outpost, drive all the way up to the top of the hill where you’ll find the rafting center.
We do not recommend using ride-sharing services (Uber, Lyft, etc) to get to our main outpost. While Marshall is only 30 minutes outside of Asheville it’s much more quiet and rural, which means return rides can be difficult to secure. Please plan on driving or having a dedicated ride to your adventure. If you have questions, please call us.
Calm Water Rafting FAQs
No. We have taken many children and adults down the French Broad River who do not know how to swim. Not only does French Broad Adventures provide top-notch safety equipment (life jacket and helmet), but our guides are all certified in CPR u0026 first aid, and our Trip Leaders have advanced medical certifications as well as swift water rescue experience.
The French Broad River is a free-flowing river and water levels fluctuate depending on rainfall. This is beyond our control. If the river is much lower or higher than normal this can potentially affect the quality and safety of your trip, so we will modify the trip distance or location as necessary.
A duckie is an inflatable kayak made for one person. Prior experience is not required. If you would like to paddle a duckie, please request one when you make your reservation.
Deposits are refundable with a call to our office with a minimum three day (72 hours) notice. Any cancellations under three days to trip time will result in forfeit of trip cost. Trips booked under three days in advance are not eligible for refunds. French Broad Rafting whitewater rafting trips go rain or shine, 7 days a week, March through October. If you need to reschedule your trip within three days to trip time, a $50 rescheduling fee will apply. Contact us with any questions about Cancellations.
Participation Requirements
French Broad Adventures requires all guests to sign a waiver. Please download the waiver and fill out and bring it with you at the time of your trip. (You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the waivers from our website). You can also complete the waiver form at the outpost on the day of your trip, but please allow extra time for this.
FBA makes every reasonable effort to ensure a quality and fun rafting trip. However, there are certain conditions in whitewater rafting beyond our control. All guests are required to sign a waiver and participate at their own risk. Anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be excluded from trips. No refunds.
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What Our Guests Say
“Great Guides, Great Time.
JeremyHad a great experience with my girlfriend and her two daughters (12 & 9). Day 1 we were with Amos on the calm water trip to see how the children took in rafting. He went above and beyond to make sure we had an enjoyable trip and left the kids wanting more excitement. Day 2 we were with Jim and did the 5 mile trip and had an absolute blast. The kids were never afraid and everyone had an amazing time.”
”Great day trip/adventure from Asheville! Terrific calm rafting trip with Amos and team! We were traveling with three generations including a grandparent and a six year old. The calm water raft was ideal for all ages (the teens would’ve liked the excitement of the white water.) Highlight of the trip was being able to swim in the river along the rafts for nearly a mile with the views of the mountains all around. Tour guides made the trip a blast for all ages. Would go again!”
JN
”Whitewater fun for all ages! Our family group of 7 (age range 9-79 & including 4 first-time rafters) did the 5-mile rafting trip last week, and we loved it. It was a great combination of rapids, calm water, and swimming/floating areas – just right to keep all members of our group engaged and having fun. Sam was our guide, and we thought he was awesome. He kept us all smiling and laughing the whole time, even when our group hit a couple rough spots. We were also very impressed with the rafting guides as a team – they all look out for each other on the river and are quick to offer/lend a hand. We felt very safe during our adventure and would love to do it again! Highly recommend!“
Ashley
