Tubing Adventures

One of the best kept secrets in the Great Smoky National Park is a place called Deep Creek just outside of Bryson City. Generations of families have frequented this lovely area to enjoy the swift, cool mountain waters of Deep Creek.

Your adventure begins by picking up your tube at our local tube rental store located on the way into the park. Settlers Mountain Adventures will arrange for you to receive your tubes at an inexpensive special rate. You can choose between different types of tubes, some with bottoms or without, big ones, smaller ones, etc. Our knowledgeable staff will help you with your deciding on the best tube for each person.

Once you have selected your tubes and loaded them onto your car you will drive a short distance and will enter Deep Creek Park. Deep Creek is a beautiful old growth forest with paved roads and plenty of parking. This well kept park is open to the public for free .You will not be alone on this adventure and will share with others the joy of floating down a swift moving creek.

Described as Nature’s Best Water Ride, the Deep Creek course consists of two sections: (1) The upper “whitewater” section, which flows from Indian Creek through the narrow Deep Creek gorge. This is a wild, bouncy ride that often separates the rider from the tube, especially when the water is swift from spring rains. At the end of the rapids section, there’s a wide, deep swimming hole that provides a relaxing break before getting back on the tube. (2) The lower section, which is wider, easier going and more appropriate for smaller kids, ends at the parking lot. Put-in for this section is at the swimming hole just above the first bridge on the Deep Creek trail.

From the parking lot at the Deep Creek trailhead you carry your inner tube upstream about a mile into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The put-in is at the convergence of Indian Creek and Deep Creek where the sign says “No tubing beyond this point.”

You will find that going down once is not enough and will most likely repeat the trek to the head waters multiple times on the same day.

Tips:

• Wear a bathing suite or shorts
• Secure shoes
• Remove Jewelry and watches
• Eyeglasses need to be secured with head strap
• Bring towels
• Bring a change of  dry clothes
• Take advantage of the grills and picnic tables and have a picnic
• Choose warm summer days, the creek has some cool water
• Weekdays are less crowed
• Life jacket recommended small for children
• Restrooms are available in the area as well

We have a saying here at Settlers Mountain that when you are too old to act like a kid then you are definitely over the hill (mountain). So c'mon all you kids, lets go on a great family tubing adventure!