About Our Unique Adventures
Join one of our freshwater biologists for an extraordinarily unique adventure as we truly break away from the mainstream to offer river snorkeling along the upper French Broad River, and within the boundaries of the Pisgah or Nantahala National Forests! We have designed several amazing tours that will leave you wondering why no one has ever offered these types of adventures before. The rivers and streams within western North Carolina offer great visibility and a very diverse biological community below the surface. Many of our rivers and streams offer steeper slopes for a better ride downstream over small waterfalls into plunge pools.
The upper French Broad River (FBR) flows just outside of National Forest boundaries, and is one of the oldest rivers in the world. Rated as a class I by the American Whitewater Association, this section offers many opportunities to observe over 30 fish species, numerous aquatic insects and other invertebrates such as the French Broad Crayfish, and of course the legendary and protected eastern hellbender salamander.
Our National Forest snorkeling tours were designed while keeping several options in mind - hiking, snorkeling, river hikes, or a combination of the three. Before you suit up in your snorkeling gear for a full day within national forest boundaries, take a walk along a forested trail to the snorkeling destination, or rock hop up stream before suiting up and floating back down. Along the way you will learn about the river environment, while encountering many species of animals, plants, and fungi. We provide the backpacks with snorkeling gear and a dry bag for towels, clothing, snacks, and lunch. We do offer half day snorkeling on national forest land as well.
If you are a land lover, our terrestrial biologists will guide you along trails to waterfalls and ridgetops, all the while hearing the natural history of the flora and fauna of this highly functioning ecosystem. Birds, mushrooms, mammals, wildflowers, trees, and reptiles are just a few of the possibilities found along the trails in this tremendous rich environment.
Perhaps you want to learn about how you can plan you own outdoor adventure? Our outdoor adventure specialists are ready to design a personal outdoor experience tailored to your needs, including packing a backpack, orienteering, Leave No Trace, paddling techniques, campsite selections, food preparation, first aid CPR, etc.