Campground · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Creekside camping puts waterfalls and tubing within easy reach.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Great Smoky Mountains audio tourRecorded for this place
Deep Creek Waterfalls and Picnic Area“You're coming up on Deep Creek, where waterfall walks and a creekside picnic can fill a relaxed afternoon.”
Plays as you drive up to Deep Creek Campground in the Parkwolf Great Smoky Mountains Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Deep Creek Campground is a developed frontcountry campground beside Deep Creek near Bryson City, on the North Carolina side of the park. It sits at about 1,800 feet, and some sites are right by the water. It’s a good fit if you want a camp-and-creek stay with waterfall walks close by. Make sure your booking is for Deep Creek Campground; the nearby private Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground is a separate place.
The creek is the main draw here: fishing, wading and tubing are part of the visit. From camp, a 1.6-mile round-trip walk follows Deep Creek Trail past Tom Branch Falls, then turns onto Indian Creek Trail for the 25-foot Indian Creek Falls. Tom Branch drops on the far side of the creek, so you get a waterfall view without leaving the path.
The campground has 92 sites: 60 tent-only and 42 walk-to/boat-to. Some campers need to carry gear between parking and their site; some tent sites can feel close together and exposed. Choose it for the creek and trail access, not for a secluded campsite. RVs and trailers are allowed, with a 26-foot maximum; there are no electric hookups.
Reservations are required and can be made up to six months ahead. This is a seasonal campground with a winter closure, so check the current operating dates before you plan a stay. Flush toilets are open year-round, but drinking water is seasonal. There are no showers, camp store, ice or firewood sales, so arrive with supplies. The campground has one accessible campsite and an accessible path to the restroom and parking. Don’t count on cell service or internet here.
Wildlife
1,569 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
900 sightingsElkMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
13 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
142 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
26 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
42 sightingsRiver OtterMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Great Smoky Mountains. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingNoland Divide Trail11.5 mi · 7 hr · 0.2 mi awayA long ridge traverse from Deep Creek to Kuwohi Road.
ChallengingLonesome Pine Overlook Trail6.8 mi · 4 hr · 0.2 mi awayA steep ridge climb to a rocky overlook above Bryson City.
EasyJuney Whank Falls Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 0.3 mi awayA short loop reaches an 80-foot cascade and crosses its wooden footbridge.
ModerateDeep Creek Waterfalls Loop2.4 mi · 2 hr · 0.3 mi awayThree waterfalls in one short loop, with one steep opening climbModerateDeep Creek Loop Trail4.6 mi · 3 hr · 0.3 mi awayA creekside loop links two falls with a steady half-mile climb.
EasyTom Branch Falls Trail0.5 mi · 1 hr · 0.3 mi awayA very short creekside walk to a tiered waterfall across the water.
ModerateIndian Creek Trail3.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.9 mi awayA 3.6-mile route climbs past Indian Creek Falls to Sunkota Ridge.
ModerateDeep Creek Horse Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 1 mi awayA wooded climb past Juney Whank Falls to Deep Creek Trail.
Picnic area · 0.2 mi awayDeep Creek Picnic AreaCreekside shade, charcoal grills, and waterfall walks in one stop.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayJuney Whank FallsCross a footbridge for an unusually close look at both waterfall tiers.
Sight · 0.5 mi awayTom Branch FallsFront-row benches across from tiered falls, after an easy walk.Sight · 1 mi awayIndian Creek FallsA creekside walk to two falls, ending at a broad 25-foot cascade.
Scenic pullout · 4 mi awayFontana Lake OverlookA quick lake-and-ridge view on the Road to Nowhere.Parkwolf’s Great Smoky Mountains ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
