Why This Book

Including Asheville, Gatlinburg, and the northern half of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the French Broad watershed attracts some 15 million visitors every year.

Deeply forested mountains and tumbling rivers and streams are high among reasons that more than a million people choose to live and work here.

Rich with custom maps and vintage photographs, Through the Mountains: The French Broad River and Time (UTenn Press) presents the natural and cultural history of the watershed.

The story of the French Broad is the story of exploitation and resilience. Yet there’s much more to be done. For 14,000 years, the watershed has supported humans. What must we start doing now to ensure it, and all of America’s watersheds, will continue to do so for generation after generation to come.