Deep Creek Campground, near Bryson City, North Carolina, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains. With its proximity to hiking trails and stunning waterfalls, it’s a prime location for outdoor adventures.

This campground offers a mix of tent and RV sites, all set against the backdrop of Deep Creek. Visitors rave about the spaciousness of the RV sites, which provide a bit of breathing room, while the tent sites are conveniently located near the creek for easy access to some refreshing dips. As one camper noted, “Quiet with plenty of space between the RV sites, surrounded by hiking trails and waterfalls.”

Amenities include clean restrooms and drinking water, though keep in mind there are no showers or electric hookups. Campers appreciate the simplicity of the facilities, allowing them to focus on enjoying nature. The lack of reservations means you can often find a spot, but it’s wise to arrive early, especially during peak season.

For those looking to explore, the campground is just a short hike from several beautiful waterfalls and offers easy access to tubing and swimming in the creek. As one reviewer put it, “It’s about ~20-25 minutes from the main park road,” making it a convenient base for further adventures in the national park.

Whether you’re here for a weekend or a longer stay, Deep Creek Campground provides a welcoming atmosphere and plenty of opportunities to connect with nature.

## Overview

 Located next to one of the most popular creeks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Deep Creek Group Camp provides traditional primitive camping with the stunning backdrop of the mountains. Whether blanketed in bright wildflowers in the spring or vivid colors in the fall, the scenery at Deep Creek never disappoints. The camp offers 92 individual sites, all with grills, tables and campfire rings, perfect for a meal or a late-night s'mores session. Hookups and showers are not provided, but flush toilets and drinking water are available. Deep Creek is in the southeastern portion of the park and provides a moderate climate, typified by mild winters and hot, humid summers. Because of its proximity to water, Deep Creek is an ideal campground for water recreation and books up quickly during summer months. 
## Recreation

 Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker's paradise, with plenty of trails easily accessible from the Deep Creek Group Site. An easy 1.6 mile roundtrip hike will allow you to enjoy two beautiful waterfalls in the Deep Creek area. Walk Deep Creek Trail 0.7 mile to the junction with Indian Creek Trail. On your way you can view elegant Tom Branch Falls located on the far side of Deep Creek. Turn right at the junction with Indian Creek Trail and proceed approximately 200' to Indian Creek Falls. The falls are 25 feet in height. Deep Creek runs on the edge of the campground and provides easily accessible fishing, wading and tubing. Visitors can also enjoy high-quality backcountry fishing in the cool waters of the countless streams and rivers that snake through the mountains, with trout available in abundance.
## Facilities

 The camp offers three group sites, all with grills, tables and campfire rings, perfect for a family meal or a late-night s'mores session. Hookups and showers are not provided, but flush toilets and drinking water are available.
## Natural Features

 Deep Creek is in the southeastern portion of the park and provides a moderate climate, typified by mild winters and hot, humid summers. Because of it's proximity to water, Deep Creek is an ideal campground for water recreation and books up quickly during summer months. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Although the Deep Creek Group Camp is available by reservation only, the nearby Deep Creek Campground offers first-come, first-served camping, and can also accommodate RV campers. Bryson City, located about three miles away, offers grocery stores and medical facilities.
## Charges & Cancellations

 Customers who cancel a group overnight facility reservation less than 14 days before the arrival date will pay a $10.00 service fee AND forfeit the first night's use fee.

Deep Creek Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Bryson City, NC is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Bryson City, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.

Bryson City

The Best Camping Near Bryson City, North Carolina

We camped for a week and had a great time. We went tubing down Deep Creek every day and went on some of the nearby hiking trails. The weather was perfect. We went to some of the nearby attractions and sights My family and I had the best time ever.

Deep Creek Campground, NC

Noland Divide Trail was well maintained, proved for a good pace maintained all day, even with the intense elevation gain. Pole Road Creek Trail had many creek crossings, typically lacking An easy way to keep your feet dry while crossing. Backcountry campsite 59 had plenty of space for our entire hiking group to setup individual shelters(tents and hammocks) as well as easy access to cool Creek water to cook and filter/fill water sources while in camp. Deep Creek made for an overall relaxing stroll back into Deep Creek Picnic Pabillion area to end our weekend outing. Overall it proved to be a good weekend loop for a range of fitness levels, however plan for a rough start if going up Noland Divide, initial climb isn’t for the faint of heart.

Noland Divide to Pole Rd Creek to Deep Creek

The tent sites are located next to the creek and equipped with tent pad, fire pit, and picnic table. Drive through and select your site before paying to get a nice spot. The restrooms are clean but no showers. The creek is beautiful but can get busy on a sunny day with tubers floating down.

Next to a beautiful creek and some great hiking with several waterfalls!

beautiful area but very crowded. loud during the day and lots of tube traffic but good for the money 

lovely tentsite 

I love this area for camping and hiking. 

Gorgeous area

This is a family owned and operated campground that also offers tube rentals for Deep Creek. The campground is located on the creek with multiple playgrounds for kids, country store with ice cream, and goats for kids to feed. They also offer cabins for rent. We’ve camped here twice and both times we stayed in a tent on 
an RV site on the creek. The site was small, but it didn’t matter because we were right next to the creek and the roar of the water at night is so soothing. They have bathrooms and private bath house with hot water which was really nice. Negatives are the price -$45/nt for creek sites and small sites, but we love this campground and hope to visit every summer with our 2 growing boys. 

Family friendly 

The campground is full of tent sites and RVs accommodations w power. My fiancé and I set up a pop up tent and a two man tent to spend the first night. It was downhill from a bathroom, which was convenient, but the bathrooms didn’t have any light switches(?). So bring a headlamp. 
The campground is situated next to a ton of trails into the backcountry. You have to file a permit with the park rangers, just like any other backcountry trip. We went about 14 miles on our second day, spent the night alongside Deep Creek, and came back that morning. 
I gave the place 4 stars because there are no showers to bath in and no light switches in the bathroom. I understand there are no showers throughout the Smokies, but the light switches thing really ground my gears at midnight when I had to use the restroom. 

Amazing location alongside Deep Creek. 




We spent 3 amazing nights and 4 days hiking the Smokys with 40lb packs and good vibes. I loved this campground along with all the others. The hikes were brutal at some points but the views were always worth it. The best part about the 14 mile days was the whiskey and the river.

A Hikers Dream

Beautiful campsites next to Deep Creek. Great location - secluded and not well known, so not overcrowded which is a plus. Definitely worth a visit!

Creekside Camping

We have been camping for years, and hands down Deep Creek is the best. I recommend calling at least 6 months ahead during the summer months to get a creekside spot. The location is just outside Bryson City NC. And offers fine dining and craft brewed beers from the Nantahala Brewing Co. Just 15 minutes from the NOC offering rafting zip lining, and mountain biking. I can't say enough good things about this Campground.

Best Campground in NC

I have been to several campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and this is one of my favorites except for one thing. I don’t like the bathroom facility. I can get over it not having showers or hot water, but I have to remember each time to take my own soap and towel if I want to wash my hands. Other than that, I love this campground. When I checked in, I had to use a pay station, the first time I’ve had to do that, and interaction with any rangers or hosts was nonexistent. I really don’t mind that since I want to get away from people(other than my own family and friends) when I camp. I was lucky enough to stay at this campground before the summer season kicks in fully. If you go during peak season, plan to be in the middle of dozens of campers, IF you can get a site. Some of the campsites are within spitting distance of each other, so be prepared to meet your neighbors. This campground is in the middle of a popular area, which is close to creek tubing and waterfall hiking. In the past, I have seen HUNDREDS of people tubing along the creek and the trails to the waterfalls are crowded. However, if you go before peak season hits, avoid the most popular times, and go on weekdays, crowds are no problem, and it is very peaceful. The tent sites beside the creek, have picnic tables, lantern posts, and tent pads. Fortunately, the gravel on the tent pads is shallow enough that you can drive tent stakes down if you need to. The RV sites are in a different section, and they have pull-through and back-in sites. There are no water, electricity, or sewer hookups, so if you are in an RV, be prepared to be self-contained. Across the creek is the picnic area, and down the road farther into the park there is a picnic shelter. Another few hundred yards down the national park road and you will come to a parking area. From there, you can hike to three waterfalls. The most popular of the waterfalls is Tom Branch Falls. You will find visitors there almost any time you go, but it will be even more crowded during the summer. I have never been to this waterfall when there were not people there, and I have been there at least a dozen times. Within a short driving distance, there are other attractions as well. The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad is downtown, the Road to Nowhere is a short drive out of town, and down the road there are several businesses where you can rent tubes for tubing on the creek. I will want to go back to this campground, but I do not want to go during peak season.

National Park Campground with Lots of Tubing, Waterfalls, Hikes, etc.

We have stayed at Deep Creek for 2 years, this would have been our 3rd. We had to cancel our reservation and attempted several times to call to cancel and was not able to get in touch. We sent two emails, the first 3 weeks prior to our reservation, with no response. They now will not reimburse us(minus the$20 deposit as policy) claiming that we are cancelling"the day of" our reservation. Not only were they unresponsive and not available to receive our multiple calls, as we're talking to them about the situation, the lady talked over me and said she"would reimburse us no earlier than next tuesday(after the weekend) pending if they're able to rent out our campsite, have a nice day" then hung up on me(!!). While we've had a nice experience in years past here, we will never return and support a business that treats customers like this. It's completely inexcusable!

Deep Creek staffs treat their customers extremely poorly!

The Deep Creek Campground is located just minutes away from the charming Bryson City with its shops, breweries, little cafes an other attractions such as [steam train rides](https://www.gsmr.com/) on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.  It's located inside the GSM National Park and provides access to Deep Creek and its various fun activities - swimming, tubing, as well as several easily accessible waterfalls. 

  

The campground itself is quite open, the sites not separated from each other at all. Each site has a pad and the staff is super adamant about all tents and even hammocks being on or above the pads. I'm giving the campground 4 stars only because of the lack of privacy and limited space. The rest is great and I love this campground. The bathrooms are clean.  The shower is located outside of the campsite as far as I remember, requires a short drive.

  

Here's what you can do while at Deep Creek:

*   Swim in the cold waters of Deep Creek just a few steps from your tent.
*   Rent a tube and ride it down the rapids
*   Hike the waterfalls - Deep Creek area loop hikes include Juney Whank Falls(0.6 mile), Three Waterfalls Loop(2.4 miles), and Deep Creek-Indian Creek Loop(4.4 miles). The trail head is located right behind the campground.
*   Hike Noland Divide Trail, a 8 mile long (one way) strenuous path that will take you up to Clingman's Dome. You can hike about 3 miles up to see a very pretty view of Bryson City.
*   Drive to town to enjoy local bear, ice cream or ride the train.
*   Take a scenic drive along Blue Ridge, watch sunset from a West-facing overlook.

A perfect spot next to Bryson City and the Smokies, limited space

The thing about Deep Creek Campground is that it's pretty unusual. Although sites say they are for tents or RVs, some are very odd and only have parking space for an RV on the road, and your table and other areas are above or below. So if you live close enough, it's important to check out the sites ahead of time. For a tent, most all the sites are fine. Sites 79, 81 and 82, for example, are great for an RV, especially if it's not longer than 18 feet. And bring levelers; you will need them!

Nice camping if you plan ahead!

Putting this review under the group camp because the regular campground isn’t marked. Beware of confusion with the private campground in town by almost the same name. Apple Maps took us there even though we didn’t have the “tubing center” in our search. Just go on past to the National Park and follow the signs.

Site 55 is in a nice wooded hollow, some sites are right on the road. There’s no traffic so far so maybe no big deal but the extra shade on 55 is nice. None have water or electric or showers, there are little bathrooms but no soap. The creek is pretty and the weather is beautiful this early September!

iPhone X has coverage but iPhone 8 is having trouble. There are small stores right outside the park for tubes, ice, firewood, lighter fluid, and the like.

Campground Confusion

This is THE prime camping area for Bryson City.   Tubing is within walking distance, train station is just a few miles away, breweries &amp; restaurants are just a few miles away as well.

  

Spots aren't that big, as another review noted.  If you can check out which spot you think you want before your actual stay, that would be ideal.

THE camping spot for Bryson City

Good campground.  Would be crowded in peak season due to proximity of sites to one another.  It is very close to the creek, which is very scenic.  There are some nice falls just down the road and it is a short hike 

Great stream and falls nearby

I have stayed at this campground before in another year, another place, and in another season. It was great then, but it was not during peak season. This time I stayed in July, and it was crowded with people. My site was in the middle of several other sites, so there was very little privacy. I started setting up when I first go there, but for at least five minutes I had to listen to somebody’s diesel engine running just a few steps away. Perhaps in a less crowded season, it would have been all right, but this time was not good. 

  

As far as the site is concerned, it was a gravel pad and had a picnic table and a fire pit(which had trash left by previous visitors). The bath house was a short walk away and was very Spartan with no showers. Neighboring sites were almost within spitting distance of each other, and I didn’t have anywhere to tie up my hammock. That may not be important to most people, but it was to me. Because it was such a busy time, I couldn’t enjoy the sounds of the creek as much as I would like because of other campers talking. 

  

The biggest attraction here is not getting back to nature, even though it is a national park campground. The biggest attraction is the tubing, the fishing, and the playing in Deep Creek. Overall, I do recommend this campground during the off season, but you if you want a little more privacy, avoid the summer months.

Great Campground during Off Season but not in Peak Season

Beautiful campground in the smoky mountains with lots of hiking to three waterfalls. 
The tent-only camping does not look like a lot of fun. You have to park your car in the lot and walk your gear to your pad. The pads are almost on top of each other with no trees or privacy to separate you. 
But you are right by the creek for a dip anytime. Book next to friends and it will be a good time. 

The drive up camping is better, more private and wooded for hammocks and fun. My group all brought their own and HUGE tents. I’ve never seen 4 tents crowd onto one pad, but we did it. It was the only site available in Labor Day weekend and I snagged it. It was a great site too 44. 
Bathrooms were nice and clean, no showers. Hiking was great, didn’t see any wildlife. The creek is so refreshing. 

Great Weather and Hikes -September 

Campsite has easy access from Bryson City and is a short hike from several beautiful waterfalls! I stayed for two nights on a long weekend trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. I selected Deep Creek Campground over other campgrounds in the national park so I would have cell service and internet access.

Restrooms have flush toilets, kept clean and well-lit. Several places to access drinking water, but no showers are available.

I didn’t play in the creek, but it’s a popular spot for tubing. There’s also a large picnic area for day users.

August trip to Great Smokies

This tent campground has a parking lot and it is a short walk to sites. The closer you stay to the creek the less foot traffic you will have around you but instead you will be other campers foot traffic as you pass them to and from your car and to and from the bathroom. 

My husband and I stayed at site 29 with our daughter and her husband. There is little to no privacy between sites but it was still pleasant. Site 29 is close to creek on one side and on the edge on another side so less neighbors. 

Site 28 also looked good because it has a view of the creek.

There is a bathroom with flushing toilets and running water and sinks, no showers.

We think it would be a wonderful place to camp with family and friends because the sites are close and would be one big camp.

One short hike we did close by was the ‘Road to Nowhere’ trail very fun.

Creek side camping no showers but have cell service

I have been camping at Deep Creek for nearly four decades. We absolutely love tenting creekside! Advise a WAGON for hauling stuff from vehicle to site because these are NOT drive up spots. Bugs are generally not a big issue. Most sites are shaded. Bathrooms always clean, though they do show age. Don’t expect a lot of privacy, but do expect you and your family/friends/pets to make friends! Shower just outside park for $3. Coin laundry in Bryson City, along with plenty of shopping and food. I have camped here in June, July, August, and September, in multiple sites. Happy tubing! 

Our summer fave!

The site was not a rv pull-up as described on the park website. Website lacks information on most spots. Could hear loud campers till midnight. 

Just okay

Nice place. There is a river and ample places to buy tubes so you can float down the river. It’s about ~20-25 minutes from the main park road. There are raised platforms for tents. No place to shower.

Deep Creep

We stayed at site 34 along the creek.  This site has lots of trees to hang hammocks.  We managed to fit 3 on one side of the tent and one on the other.  There is a path down to the creek for swimming, fishing, or getting out of your tube for lunch or the end of the day.

  

Each site has a picnic table, lantern hook, and fire pit.  The tent pad was very nice and perfect for my 9 person Core lighted tent. It fit just inside. 

  

First, beware that this site has no electric or water on the site.  The bathrooms in the campground were very clean but much to the disappointment of my teen there were no showers.  All of this is stated upfront.    There is a small walk of 50-100 yards to the campsite which was an easy walk but beware it usually took you close to or through other peoples sites.  They do ask that you store coolers and cooling equipment  sealed in your car overnight. 

  

We arrived late and there were instructions that reminded us of our campsite number that we’d reserved and we were instructed to check in by 9:30 the next morning.  During that time they were very nice and helpful.  

  

The main attraction of the park was tubing.  I was able to rent tubes from JJs for all days and just returned on our way out the last day.   $5 per person per day is cheap entertainment.  There are also 3 water falls on site and more hiking trails that lead through the National Park than you can hike in a few days. 

  

I should also mention that I changed my reservation several times prior to arriving and it was very easy every time at no extra charge.  

  

We really loved staying here

Camping and Tubing

Beautiful place to stay on the creek. Very family friendly! 

Beautiful Park 

Deep Creek :
(Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good
(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer)
Overall Rating:  Loop D - for trailers. 3.75 Nice sites that are spaced pretty nicely.  Privacy between sites is only partial as there is not a lot of undergrowth .   Some of the sites on the outside of the loop - in upper portion of campground are terraced.   That said, best sites are on the outside of the loops.   We camped here a couple years ago and liked it.  We just drove through for these pics and review.  
Usage during visit: High as weekend is approaching .  
Site Privacy:  Fair to good. 
Site Spacing:    A few sites are very well spaced 
Site surface:    Blacktop 
Reservations:    Yes 
Campground Noise:   Fine.   Lots of children.
Road Noise: No e 
Through Traffic in campground:  no
Electric Hookup:   No 
Sewer Hookup:   No 
Dump Station:  Yes
Potable Water Available: Yes 
Bathroom: Yes 
Showers:     No
Pull Throughs:
Cell Service (AT&amp;T). 1 bar 
Setting:  Most sites are very shaded by deciduous forest.  
Weather:  Hot - 88
Solar:   No 
Host:  Present 
Sites:   Sites in the outside will be your best bet.
Nearby: Bryson City.   Ride the train through the Smokies.  Tubing galore very close.   General Store, firewood, ice AND ice cream nearby.   

Nice Sites - Sites on Outside of Loop

Quiet with plenty of space between the RV sites, surrounded by hiking trails and waterfalls. Tent sites are next to the river and in close proximity to one another. 
No hookups at the sites, but the campground has a dump station and water as you exit the park. 
Bathrooms are simple and very clean, cold water only, no showers. 
Cell signal is good. Solar charging was ok in April but may be challenging as the leaves come in over summer. 

Quiet and spacious

Very clean campground,l creek near by for lots of fun . 

Photos of Deep Creek Campground — Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Real photos from real campers