ASHEVILLE OUTDOOR CENTER get outdoors and play©

Asheville Outdoor Center (Formally known as Southern Waterways) has been providing quality,  affordable, relaxing and hassle free river trips since 1992.  The owners  have a deep appreciation for the river, the community and the guests that they serve.  With 25 years experience in the outdoor recreation field, A.O.C and its owners wish to share their knowledge and love of the river with all who ask "What's there to do?".
Come on by the shop, stop in, say hello introduce yourself and sit by the waterfall and pond, watch the clouds roll by and listen for the river to call you out.  Don't forget to ask ... for your complimentary ice-e pop. DIDJUGETONE? All you have to do is ask! 
 
Asheville Outdoor Center is conveniently located at the gateway to the river greenways in Asheville, NC., at the Amboy road exit off Interstate 26 W. We are just 10 min. from downtown Asheville, ten minutes from Biltmore Estate, and Biltmore Village, and ten minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway. We are 2 hrs. from Charlotte, NC, 3 hours from Atlanta, and 2 hours from Gatlinburg, TN.

Asheville Outdoor Center (Southern Waterways) is a licensed  professional river outfitter, permitted by the NPS Blue Ridge Parkway, a member of the ACA,  the NC paddlesport association, and a member of the Asheville area chamber of commerce. AOC  has been awarded the prestigious "Friends of the river" award by Land of Sky Regional Council, The "Critical Link" award by Riverlink, and continues to support the community and river corridor with river clean ups,  providing equipment and venue space for events and non-profit clean ups.

See what others have said about the Asheville Outdoor Center and Southern Waterways :

"Thanks so much for our canoe trip down the French Broad River, we had a wonderful time and appreciate the special service we received as part of the Wheeler wedding."
~Pat and Gary Shubelka

"Thanks for an awesome paddling trip with Southern Waterways!"
~North Buncombe High School Swim Team

"I've paddled this section south of Asheville about 5 times and can attest it's family-friendly. Shallow and free of obstructions, it's suitable for beginning paddlers and children. Southern Waterways provides excellent service to its guests."
~Jack Horan /Charlotte observer/outdoors editor

"We Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed and appreciated the rafting trip and your willingness to make it happen for us. Our students still talk about the fun they had that day."
~Christian - Project Steam

"Thank you so much for your generosity and warmth. Having such a wonderful place to stay started our trip off beautifully. It is great to meet people as dedicated to the river as you and your family. Returning one evening to find a mountain of tires, pulled from the river, you are truly a super hero!"
~Anna -The SuperheroAlliance group

"Dear Dave, Thanks so much to you and your family and staff for hosting our canoe trip down the French Broad River.  In our post trip briefings, the canoe trip past the Biltmore was often mentioned as one of our minimester highlights."
~Your friends at Pinewood Prep Summerville, SC


"Thank you to all of the Asheville Outdoor Center Staff for another GREAT day on the French Broad! This was our 3rd season on the river- and the best yet!! We look forward to our trip next season!!!"
~North Buncombe High School Swim Team, May 2009

"Thank you for the wonderful afternoon on the river. Our students said this was absolutely the greatest day they have ever spent with our program. We sincerely appreciate your working with us to make it possible for this group. You and your staff are simply awesome! We all enjoyed the afternoon so much. Everyone was already talking about great memories of time on the river. You are the best!! Thanks so much for everything!"
~NC Reach Worshop Coordinators, April 2009

"Thank you for your support in this year's NC Big Sweep River Cleanup event on October 11, 2008. We had 250 volunteers working to clean ten miles in and along the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers. Your donation of a launch site, logistics help, and 15 canoes were vital to the success of the event. Thank you for all you do for the river, and for helping with this waterway improvement event."
~Quality Forward Clean Community Coordinator, October 2008

"Thank you so much for letting us use the canoes, lifejackets, and vans! The safety movie was extremely helpful and I used all the information in it to help me on the trip. My favorite part was probably when it started to rain. I felt like I was surviving something great! While I was on myt trip we saw a snapping turtle. I had the best time ever!!"
~Mandalin (5th grader), July 2008

"Thank you for letting us canoe. It was an amazing adventure! We paddled little ripples. I saw the Biltmore Estate and the Inn. *Thanks for the popsicles!"
~Dallas (5th grader), July 2008

"Thank you for the wedding canoe trip. We really enjoyed ourselves and it was one of the highlights of the wedding."
~Rich & Louise Stiles