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 RiverLink's vision is make it possible for people to launch a boat into the French Broad River and have the option of spending a day to more than a week paddling the river and camping along the way. RiverLink recently received a grant from Pigeon River Fund of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina to help make this happen.
hartwell on tour de fbInterest in a French Broad River Blueway trail has been slowly graining momentum throughout western NC. As pictured right, Hartwell Carson, the French Broad RiverKeeper, embarked on RiverLink's first "Tour de French Broad" in 2006, paddling the 219 miles from Rosman, NC to Knoxville, TN in 16 days. Since then, RiverLink has been receiving calls from people wanting more information on how to spend a few nights paddling the river. Carson explains that the primary issue is that "it is currently very difficult to find regular camping and access points along the river banks. Most of the land is private and inaccessible for public camping." RiverLink hopes to change the challenge of camping access by working with private and public landowners to establish a series of campsite and improved access points that would make up the French Broad River Paddle Trail. This trail would establish campsites every 8-10 miles to allow interested boaters to spend a night or two on the river. Campsites will be primitive camping with access only by the river. Maintenance of the sites will provided by a group of adopt a campsite volunteers, but there will be a heavy emphasis on leave no trace camping. RiverLink's Executive Director, Karen Cragnolin explains, "There is a tremendous opportunity to really bolster the tourism economy by tempting visitors to spend an extra couple days in this region, and by enticing visitors who have never visited this area to explore the beauty of the French Broad River." For more information on the Volunteer Information Session, upcoming volunteer opportunities and directions to RiverLink's office, please visit www.riverlink.org. (Image provided by RiverLink.)
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