Most rafters have a home river — the one they grew up on, the one that hooked them, the stretch they think about when winter drags on. For plenty of our guests, that river is the Arkansas. The Royal Gorge, Browns Canyon, the Numbers. Fifty-plus years of River Runners trips have built a lot of loyalty on that water.
But there’s another river worth knowing. About 1,700 miles east of the Royal Gorge, the French Broad cuts through downtown Asheville, North Carolina — and it’s run by our sister outfitter, Asheville Adventure Company. Same parent company, Cultivate Management. Same approach to small groups, local guides, and getting people on the water without the usual hassle. Different coast, different river, different reasons to go.
If you’ve rafted with us in Colorado and you’re planning a trip east, here’s what you should know about the other half of the family.
Same Company, Two Very Different Rivers
River Runners and Asheville Adventure Company operate under Cultivate Management Inc., a small group of outdoor recreation brands built around one idea: rafting should feel personal. That means guides who actually know the river, check-in processes that don’t eat half your morning, and trips sized for a real group experience instead of a factory line.
What’s different is the water itself.
The Arkansas River runs through the Rockies — fast, cold, fed by Colorado snowmelt, and dramatic in the way mountain rivers always are. You’re paddling under 1,000-foot granite walls in the Royal Gorge, through alpine canyons in the Numbers, past bighorn sheep and elk. Peak flows hit around June 15. The season runs mid-May through Labor Day.
The French Broad is a different beast. It’s one of the oldest rivers in the world — older than the Appalachians it runs through. It’s warmer, slower in most stretches, and cuts right through the heart of Asheville. Which means you can raft Class II-III rapids on French Broad Section 9 in the morning and be drinking a craft beer downtown by dinner.
Neither river is better. They’re built for different trips.
When to Choose the Arkansas
The Arkansas is the right call when you want:
- Big water. Class IV-V rapids on the Royal Gorge and Numbers. Continuous technical whitewater. The kind of trip you talk about for years.
- A proper rafting vacation. Multi-day trips like our 3-day Ultimate cover the best sections of the river with riverside camping. You’re out there for real.
- High-country scenery. Pine forests, snow-capped peaks, alpine meadows. Rafting in Colorado feels like rafting in a national park, because much of it is.
- A family-friendly intro to whitewater. Browns Canyon takes kids as young as 6 through Class III rapids in a national monument. Solid first-timer territory.
Arkansas River trips are a destination in themselves. You plan around them.
When to Choose the French Broad
The French Broad is a different kind of trip. It fits inside a broader Asheville vacation — you’re already in town for the food, the breweries, the Biltmore, the Blue Ridge Parkway — and the river is something you add.
Choose the French Broad when you want:
- A rafting trip that fits a busy itinerary. Section 9 is a 4-hour commitment, start to finish. You can raft in the morning and still hit a brewery tour, dinner on the River Arts District, and a Biltmore visit.
- Calm-water options for mixed groups. Not everyone wants Class III. Asheville Adventure Company runs self-guided tubing trips for $30 per person and private family raft tours near the Biltmore for groups that want peaceful water and wildlife over rapids.
- A bachelor, bachelorette, or group weekend base. AAC runs party bus rentals — 14-passenger up to 57-passenger — that turn a rafting day into a full weekend of breweries, weddings, or corporate offsites.
- East Coast access. If you’re in the Southeast, flying to Asheville is a lot easier than flying to Colorado Springs.
The French Broad doesn’t compete with the Arkansas. It complements it.
Can You Do Both in One Summer?
Plenty of our guests do. Here’s how the seasons line up:
Colorado rafting peaks from late May through early September, with the most thrilling water in June and the most forgiving conditions in late July and August. Asheville rafting runs roughly March through October, with warmer water and a longer shoulder season on either end.
If you’re planning a rafting-focused year: hit the Arkansas in June when the snowmelt is peaking, then plan a fall Asheville trip in September or October when the leaves turn and the crowds thin out. Two completely different river experiences, same calendar year.
Loyal River Runners guests sometimes ask if there’s a cross-booking discount between the two outfitters. As of right now, each brand runs its own promotions — watch for our spring and winter sales at River Runners and AAC’s seasonal codes on their site. Both outfitters honor group discounts for parties of 10 or more.
What Stays the Same Across Both Rivers
A few things you won’t have to relearn when you book with Asheville Adventure Company:
The guide quality. Both companies hire guides the same way — for river knowledge, certification, and the ability to read a group and adjust. AAC’s guides are Swiftwater Rescue trained, the same standard we hold at River Runners.
The equipment. PFDs, helmets, paddles, splash jackets — all included, all maintained to outfitter-industry standards. Nothing you need to buy or rent separately.
The small-group philosophy. Both outfitters cap trip sizes to keep the experience personal. You’re not going down the river in a flotilla of 40 rafts.
The booking experience. Both run on FareHarbor, so if you’ve booked with us before, you already know the interface.
The cancellation policies. Both honor 48-hour full-refund windows with reasonable flexibility for weather.
That consistency is the point of running both outfitters under one company. You know what you’re getting, regardless of which river you’re on.
Book Your Next Trip
If you’re loyal to the Arkansas and haven’t tried the French Broad, plan an Asheville weekend this fall and see what the other river is about. If you’re new to AAC and thinking about a real rafting vacation, the Arkansas runs harder, longer, and deeper than anything on the East Coast.
Browse all River Runners trips for your Colorado plans, or head over to Asheville Adventure Company for French Broad rafting, tubing, and kayaking.
Two rivers, one family. We’ll see you on both.