It is official: French Broad River Greenway West from Craven Street to Haywood Road is now open to the public! Construction is nearly complete and the greenway is ready to use and enjoy — and you may even find yourself under the mistletoe during your next visit.
Please take photos of you and your family and friends using the greenway and under a mistletoe arch installed on the greenway; then post them to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook now through January 16 with the hashtag #avlgreenways to show your excitement!
Access the greenway through the trailhead off Craven Street beside the French Broad River. Ample parking spaces have been installed on both sides of adjacent Hazel Mill Road.
This .5-mile section of greenway has a 10-foot-wide asphalt path, making it accessible for everyone — from bicyclists to people strolling with families or leashed dogs. It is open from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. One of the greatest features of the greenway is the constant view of the French Broad River.
As additional sections of this 2.95-mile greenway are completed, it will eventually connect to French Broad and Carrier parks. An additional segment of this greenway is slated for construction in 2017.
In 2015, the City and New Belgium Brewing earned a national Partnership Award from American Trails for collaboration on this greenway. Funding partners on the project also included the US Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, and RiverLink, through a grant with the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund, as well as the Tourism Development Authority.
The City of Asheville is planning a ribbon cutting and community celebration of this greenway segment to be held in the spring.
