"Everywhere I go in town, people are asking me 'When can we get in?'" Woodfin Mayor Jim McAllister told WUNC and BPR in January. The Town of Woodfin now has an answer on its calendar. A grand opening event for Taylor's Wave is scheduled for October 23, 2026.
The second half of that question gets less attention. The wave is the first part of Woodfin's riverfront plan to be finished. The park around it is still under construction and set to wrap up in July 2027. The greenway that would connect it to the rest of town is targeted for summer 2029. For the next several months, a visit to Riverside Park means a working whitewater feature with almost nothing finished on the bank.
The Wave Got Built First, on Purpose and by Necessity
The Town has run the wave and the shore as two separate projects from the start. In-stream construction began in July 2024 and was expected to take roughly 8 to 10 months. Then Tropical Storm Helene stopped work for several months that September. Crews returned in April and May of 2025 and finished Phase I in April 2026. Phase 2 began in May, and completion is set for this month.
The project has a lot of local fingerprints on it. S2O Design and Engineering designed the wave, working as a subcontractor to Asheville landscape architecture firm Equinox Environmental, which designed the onshore park. Baker Grading of Old Fort is the general contractor. Asheville Watchdog reported in May 2025 that the stone was coming from Hedrick Stone's quarry in north Buncombe.
The name honors Taylor Hunt, whose parents, Marc Hunt and Cat Potts, were leaders in getting the wave built. Watchdog reported that Hunt and his family donated $200,000. Hunt described himself as an unpaid strategic adviser on a project the Town leads. The Town estimates the wave's cost at $4.8 million. Funding comes from bonds Woodfin voters approved in 2016, Friends of the Woodfin Greenway and Blueway, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority's Tourism Product Development Fund, and private donations.
Building in the river first had a practical side. A wave can only be built when the river cooperates, and the Town's own timeline warned that high fall and winter flows arriving early could push completion past ten months. Once Helene took out the 2024 window, the in-stream work went first and the land-side work fell further behind.
What Is Actually on the Bank This Fall
Riverside Park has reopened after emergency repairs. The Town says restrooms and other amenities will stay unavailable until the full renovation is finished. That renovation is where most of the comfort features live. Plans call for a new river access ramp, changing rooms and restrooms, an overlook pavilion, a spectator area, more parking, and a greenway connection.
Here is how the riverfront pieces line up against today's date:
| Piece | Where it stands now | Town or county target |
|---|---|---|
| Taylor's Wave | Phase 2 construction, begun in May 2026 | Completion October 2026, grand opening October 23 |
| Riverside Park | Reopened, no restrooms or other amenities | Base park April 2027, closeout July 2027 |
| Silver-Line Park | Listed as temporarily closed for French Broad debris removal | No reopening date posted |
| Woodfin greenway | County moving toward easement acquisition | Bids fall 2027, completion summer 2029 |
The Town has not posted a start time or day-of schedule for October 23. No current parking layout or designated viewing area has been published either. Before heading down that afternoon, check the Town's Taylor's Wave page. Once there, follow on-site directions and keep Riverside Drive and any construction or emergency access clear.
For anyone who has been driving past and seeing boats on the water, the Town's message hasn't changed. In a June WLOS report, Town Manager Shannon Tuch asked paddlers to hold off until the whole project is done. She pointed to equipment, construction debris, and rock washed in by heavy rains. "Until the whole project is done, we're not gonna be able to go in and ensure that the water levels are what they're supposed to be, so there still could be some underwater hazards," Tuch said. In late May, WLOS reported that buoys and signage mark a portage route that steers river traffic around the active site.
The River Sets the Schedule, Too
A finished wave still depends on how much water is coming down the French Broad. The Town's FAQ describes Taylor's Wave as a feature for kayakers and surfers with intermediate to advanced skills. It gives these flow guidelines:
- Kayakers and canoeists: Intermediate paddlers may find flows up to about 1,500 cubic feet per second rewarding. Higher flows get increasingly challenging, and the Town says paddlers should have a reliable roll.
- Stand-up surfers on boards: Flows up to about 1,500 cfs may work well.
- Boogie boarders: The FAQ describes novice boogie boarding as potentially suitable at those same flows.
- Everyone in the water: A properly fastened U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket is required.
Those numbers describe the wave as designed. The wave paddlers have been trying this summer is a temporary version. American Whitewater's page for Taylor's Wave, last updated September 3, 2026, says the interim wave works best below 1,200 cfs. It also says that will change once the cofferdams on river left come out this fall. The reports from this summer may not hold for the finished wave, so the Town's guidance after opening is the one to trust. American Whitewater links its page to the French Broad River at Asheville gauge, which makes it an easy place to check the flow before loading the car.
Use of the wave and the park is public and free. The Town notes that pavilion or picnic reservations may carry a small fee, though the pavilion itself is still part of the unfinished renovation. Commercial outfitters and special events need Town permits. In July 2025, WLOS reported that the Town planned to offer rental kayaks and other gear, and that report did not name a rental operator. For now, plan to bring your own boat and your own life jacket.
Riverside Drive Fills the Gaps
Riverside Park has no restrooms yet, and Silver-Line Park is still closed. That puts the businesses along Riverside Drive in the role the park will eventually fill. A local directory updated October 2 lists three nearby stops, so check hours before you go:
- High Five Coffee, with a riverside trailer at 2000 Riverside Drive, for the morning before a session or a warm cup for anyone watching from the bank.
- Zillicoah Beer Company, at 870 Riverside Drive.
- Riverside Rhapsody Beer Company, at 995 Riverside Drive.
The same directory lists JMK Studio Riverside, an art studio at The Mill at Riverside, 2002 Riverside Drive.
Silver-Line Park is the bigger loss for anyone who doesn't paddle. It opened in April 2022 with river access, a boat ramp, a playground, wetlands, public restrooms, and walking trails. The Town's parks page still lists it as temporarily closed while French Broad River debris is removed. An older Town target for a full renovation by the end of 2025 or early 2026 has passed without a reopening announcement. In August, BPR reported that the Town's park improvements include building restrooms at Silver-Line.
The greenway is the slowest piece, and it explains why getting to the wave will mean driving for a while. In August, BPR reported that Buncombe County was moving forward on easements for 4.7 miles of greenway along the French Broad River and Beaverdam Creek. One section runs about 2.4 miles between Broadway/Riverside Drive and The Mill at Riverside. Another runs 1.3 miles from Riverside Drive and Elk Mountain Road east to Merrimon Avenue. County parks director Allison Dains told BPR that bids are expected in fall 2027 and both sections should be finished in summer 2029. A 0.4-mile stretch around The Mill and the Metropolitan Sewerage District property is still unresolved. Helene left eroded, unstable banks there. The Town lists RiverLink and Buncombe County Recreation Services as its main partners on the Greenway and Blueway.
Here's the practical upshot for the coming months. Taylor's Wave is a destination you drive to, park near, and plan around. Pack water, a layer, and your own gear. Finish the afternoon on Riverside Drive. The finished riverfront, with restrooms, terraced viewing and a walk in from Merrimon Avenue, is a 2027 and 2029 project.
Good timing matters on the river just like it does in a kitchen, and the same goes for deciding where to live near it. If you're watching Woodfin's riverfront come together and wondering which streets will feel these changes first, from closer river access to new traffic on Riverside Drive, Annie Pettry is glad to walk through it with you over coffee. Let's Connect.
