Reshaped by Helene and Ready for Renewal.
Origins
RiverLink acquired this 3.5-acre parcel along the Swannanoa River on Azalea Road in 2006. It sits alongside three neighboring, privately held tracts protected for conservation in perpetuity — together forming a contiguous buffer of protected land along the river corridor, in a stretch once alive with Asheville’s city parks and recreation facilities.
Before Helene, the parcel was a dense, quietly working landscape with a heavily vegetated buffer between road and river, anchored by mature trees that shaded the bank and held the soil in place. There was no public access — only the land, doing its job until Helene.
Impacts from Helene
When Helene tore through the Swannanoa River corridor, the storm left its mark here in dramatic fashion. Debris blanketed the site, and nearly the entire mature tree canopy was stripped away. When Buncombe County cleared the debris field, it uncovered something unexpected: a newly formed sandy “beach” along the river’s edge — an unplanned but striking gift left in the storm’s wake.
Remarkably, a stand of native river cane survived. Fast-growing and deeply rooted, it’s now a priority for expansion as a low-cost, high-value first step toward restoring streambank stability and habitat for the wildlife that depends on it.
Looking Ahead
Working with our project partner, Wildlands Engineering, RiverLink is refining the preserve’s design with construction slated to begin in fall 2026. The Azalea Preserve will lead with ecological restoration — creating natural river access, restoring native woody plants and river cane along the riparian zone, and introducing a natural-surface trail with the potential to connect to the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and the planned Fonta Flora Trail. A small pervious parking area and durable interpretive signage will welcome visitors and tell the story of why healthy riparian ecosystems matter.
Together, these features will turn a storm-scarred landscape into a living classroom — anchoring RiverLink’s Education Program and cultivating environmental stewardship and a lifelong connection to healthy rivers for generations to come.
Thanks to our generous funding partners: Duke Energy Foundation, the Rotary Club of Asheville, and the Twin Cities Garden Club of Winston-Salem.
Get Involved
Restoration is already underway. We’re removing invasive species at the preserve and could use your hands. RiverLink hosts volunteer events throughout the year, open to anyone who wants to pitch in. No experience necessary — just a love of the river and a desire to help it heal.