Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground is a privately run campground at 1040 West Deep Creek Rd, north of Bryson City, and part of our guide to campgrounds in Bryson City, NC. This guide covers how the campground is laid out, what its own website says about sites, cabins and rules, and what to check before planning a trip to the Deep Creek area.
For the campground’s contact details, address and map, see the Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground listing, phone and map. Reservations are handled by the campground directly, not through this site.
Deep Creek campground in NC: private campground vs. national park
According to its official website, the campground sits on Deep Creek at the edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is hosted by Lila and Terry Floyd and describes itself as a private campground serving couples, families, church groups and scout groups. Its site lists tent-only, pop-up and RV sites, a camp store and tube rentals.
Not the national park campground. Searches for “Deep Creek campground NC” or “Deep Creek NC camping” can mean two different places. The National Park Service lists Deep Creek among the campgrounds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, separate from this one. Its frontcountry camping page states that advance reservations are required for park campsites, made through Recreation.gov or by phone. The Deep Creek campground in Bryson City, NC covered here (the Bryson City Deep Creek campground at 1040 West Deep Creek Rd) is the privately owned one. See the NPS pages for the Deep Creek area and frontcountry camping for the park campground.
Sites and facilities
The campground’s camping page lists these site types:
- 5 tents-only sites on the banks of Deep Creek, according to the campground.
- 10 creekside sites with power and full hookups.
- 16 RV sites with power and full hookups.
- 3 sheltered sites with water and electricity.
- 10 big-rig sites, including 3 pull-through sites, with full hookups.
The campground describes the total as 55 large campsites.
The campground lists 30 and 50-amp electric service, pull-through sites, sheltered sites for tents, pop-ups and vans, picnic tables, and fire rings with grills. Its camping page also describes a bathhouse with individual rooms and hot showers.
It also rents cabins, in log and modern styles, plus group lodging at The Farmhouse and Ruthe’s Place. The campground publishes a page for each cabin on its site, and its policies page notes which cabins allow pets.
On the amenities page, the campground lists a camp office and store, on-site tubing and water play, a playground with a fort, swings, slide, jungle gym and volleyball court, a petting zoo with goats, a covered picnic pavilion with electricity, WiFi, and laundry facilities, ice and firewood.
Season and reservations
The campground’s website lists a 2026 season of Thursday, April 2 through Sunday, November 1. Camp store and reservation office hours differ between summer and the spring and fall shoulder seasons, and are posted on the campground’s site. Season dates and hours change from year to year.
The campground states that it takes reservations by phone, and that check-in is 1 pm for campsites and 3 pm for most cabins, with a later check-in time posted for The Farmhouse and Ruthe’s Place. Check-out is 11 am. Its policies page states that advance reservations require a minimum stay of two nights, and three nights on weekends, with longer minimums on holidays and for cabins in the high season. If you will arrive after office hours, the campground asks you to tell them in advance.
Rates are published on the campground’s rates page. They are not repeated here because they change; the same goes for cancellation terms, which the policies page spells out in detail.
Getting there
The campground’s location page places Bryson City at the southern edge of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, near Cherokee. From US 74 at exit 67, its directions run north on Veterans Blvd, right on Main Street (US 19), left on Everett Street, and right on Depot Street, which becomes Deep Creek Road. The campground is on West Deep Creek Road, and registration is in the log cabin general store.
The campground warns that GPS apps may suggest routes unsuitable for large vehicles, and says it strongly discourages RV drivers from using US 28 from Franklin to Bryson City, US 19 from Maggie Valley to Bryson City, and River Road in Bryson City. Once in Bryson City, it asks RV drivers to follow the directions on its location page.
Things to do nearby
- Deep Creek tubing. The campground’s tubing page describes tube rentals, a tubing season from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, and a one-mile stretch of Deep Creek inside the national park with an upper and a lower section. It also says the park requires children 13 and younger to wear a life jacket while tubing. The National Park Service’s Deep Creek page, by contrast, states that swimming and tubing are not recommended in park waters, so read the NPS guidance as well before deciding.
- Trails and waterfalls. The NPS Deep Creek area page lists multiple streams and waterfalls, including Juney Whank Falls, loop hiking trails, and mountain biking on select trails. It also lists a picnic area. Check the NPS page for current trail details.
Rules to know
These come from the campground’s policies page:
- Firewood. Because of the campground’s location at the edge of the national park, it enforces the park’s firewood rules: do not bring firewood unless it is heat-treated, bundled and certified by the USDA or a state agency. Certified firewood is sold at the campground.
- Pets. Well-behaved pets are welcome in the campsites on a 6-foot leash and must not be left unattended. The campground lists no extra charge for campsite pets. In cabins, pets are allowed in many cabins for a per-night, per-pet fee, and are not permitted in a list of named cabins.
- Hammocks and vehicles. Hammocks may not be tied to the campground’s trees. One camping unit and one car are listed per site, with an extra-vehicle fee and overflow parking.
- Visitors. Visitors must register at the store or office, pay day-use fees, and leave by 10 pm.
- Cabins. All cabin rentals are smoke-free, and bedding is not included.
Nearby campgrounds
Other campgrounds in our directory in the same area:
- Big Bear’s RV Park, Bryson City
- Grumpy Bear Camp Ground & Gem Mine, Bryson City
- Sun Retreats Nantahala
The full list is in our guide to campgrounds in Bryson City, NC.
Frequently asked questions
Is Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
The campground describes itself as a private campground at the edge of the park. The National Park Service lists a separate Deep Creek campground among the park’s campgrounds.
Can I bring my own firewood?
The campground states that firewood must be heat-treated, bundled and certified by the USDA or a state agency, and sells certified firewood on site.
Are pets allowed?
Per the campground’s policies page, well-behaved pets are welcome in campsites on a 6-foot leash, and in many (not all) cabins.
How do I reserve?
The campground takes reservations by phone. See its listing, phone and map.
What are the check-in times?
The campground lists 1 pm for campsites and 3 pm for most cabins, with an 11 am check-out.
For the contact details and map, see the Deep Creek Tube Center & Campground listing, phone and map, the campground’s official website, and the National Park Service’s Deep Creek area page. Season dates, hours, rules, and trail and water conditions change, so confirm before you go.
