Excitement is Building
For the latest on recovery efforts at this location, visit the French Broad Riverfront Parks Recovery project page.
The only public boat ramp in Asheville is a great place for boats on trailers or anglers with bigger boats to access the French Broad River.
Features
- Greenway access
- Off-street parking lot
- River access
- Wheelchair accessible
Parties and Rentals
History
Parks and river walks along Asheville’s urban waterfront increase social equity, drive economic opportunities, and act as adaptable and sustainable infrastructure in the face of climate change. They enhance water quality, prevent flooding, improve air quality, provide vegetative buffers to development, maintain the urban tree canopy, and produce habitats for wildlife while allowing residents places to explore, connect, and discover close to home.
A River Runs Through It
The French Broad and Swannanoa rivers have hosted recreation experiences for thousands of years. ᏙᎩᏯᏍᏗ (Togiyasdi, “the place where they race”) was the name given to the joining of the two rivers by the Cherokee people as they built towns and villages, complete with meeting plazas, hunting grounds, and courts for ball play along the riverbanks. Carrier’s Field and Riverside Park, two of Asheville’s earliest parks, were built on the riverfront in 1892 and 1904.
By the 1950s, population growth and river district industrialization turned the French Broad into an open sewer with floating garbage, landfill seepage, and chemical runoff, documented in Wilma Dykeman’s The French Broad. As the United States Bicentennial approached, interest in cleaning up the French Broad gained support. Buncombe County qualified for federal funds through the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to expedite the rehabilitation process because the river’s sad state was linked to economic distress and persistent unemployment.
Groups including Quality Forward (predecessor to Asheville GreenWorks) harnessed community members and equipment donated by local industries to clear the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers of numerous car bodies, tires, appliances, and other interesting debris. At the same time, Land of Sky Regional Council used a small grant from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to prepare a riverfront development strategy to support short- and long-term goals.
In the late 1970s, only one riverside park had been developed for public use in Buncombe County, Sandy Bottoms-Bent Creek Park. The lack of public access to the river was a major problem for recreational canoeists, hunters, and people looking to fish. Often, they would find themselves trespassing on private lands to reach the water. Without trash bins and public parking, litter and vandalism was an unfortunate result.
The first French Broad River Recreation Access Plan debuted in 1977 with an emphasis on basic access sites, hiking trails, and public parks, along with streambank stabilization and erosion control. Since that time, Asheville Parks & Recreation (APR) has added large and small parks, greenways, and natural areas along the city’s waterfront.
Craven Street Bridge Boating Access Area
Until APR and North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission opened the first public boat ramp in Asheville, public river access points were constructed as wooden or stone stairs – and none were built for the level of use seen today. While the ramp allows anglers and recreational boaters safer and easier access to the river, Craven Street Bridge BAA offers other unique features for those looking to stay on land.
Ample parking, benches, and access to Wilma Dykeman Greenway compliment a 12-foot tall public art sculpture. Local artist David Earl Tomlinson made “Big Fish” from recycled materials, bringing awareness to water quality programs such as Asheville GreenWorks’ Trash Trout™ waterway litter traps.
Photo and Image Credits
- An aerial view of French Broad River (c. 1917-1930) shows the old West Asheville Bridge in the foreground with Smith Bridge and Southern Railway Bridge in the background. Craven Street Bridge BAA is south of Smith Bridge. Jean Webb Park is located north, south, and under the old West Asheville Bridge and the iconic chimney from an ice house can still be seen across Riverside Drive. Courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville, North Carolina.
- An example that small parks can pack a big punch, Craven Street Bridge BAA’s floating dock and boat ramp allow an up-close look at the French Broad with views of New Belgium Brewery and River Arts District industrial architecture.