Bryson City Outdoors is a town favorite. Visitors love to hang out on patio and Bryson City…read moreOutdoors is happy to serve them.

I didn't shop in the store but instead stopped in for a beer. It has lots of outdoor seating on…read morepicnic tables. Dog friendly. A good place to take a break while walking around downtown. Staff was very nice and beer was good.

First time tubing and glad it rained days before which made it a better rushing experience. Nervous…read moreto start all the way at the top, love that they have many different entry points for those who are nervous. Had a great time and loved that I fell out a couple of times and could not stop laughing! Need to know that for parking you need a card no cash. Only $6 to tube all day. Would have liked someone helping tie the tubes to the top of the car but we managed. If you are with people I suggest getting a cable to connect together because you will get seperated and a paddle or stick to get unstuck or move in different directions is a good idea. They have large bathrooms to change in also. Lots of places to just hang out on the side or side of the water to relax. The waterfall was a beautiful place to stop and relax.

Beautiful place!! friendly people ! Can't bet the view! Very good size lots ,love going down to the…read morecreek and listening to the water and watch the people tubing .

Our party of eight, ages 13-50, was crazy enough to go tubing on a cloudy day in 60 degree weather…read more On other tubing adventures I've gone on you really didn't get wet. This was not one of those tubing trips! There were lots of rapids and we were soaked -- so much fun! Definitely more exciting than any other river I've tubed. Also, the Oconaluftee is so clean and clear. You should know that it is cash only. Driver drops you off and gives you instructions on where to get out of the river to be picked up. Life jackets were optional and we didn't wear them but probably should have. Daughter's boyfriend lost his tube at some point and she got pretty beat up by the rocks trying to retrieve it and get it back to him. Overall so much fun but my teeth were chattering by the end. Would definitely redo in warmer weather!

Great experience tubing with SMT! The owner's brother entertained us to and from the drop…read moreoff/pickup. The ride can get a little rocky and you will get wet! Be sure to wear water shoes so you can walk on the rocks when necessary!

Today we visited the Nantahala Outdoor Center for whitewater rafting and zip lining, and it was one…read moreof the highlights of our trip! Our rafting guide, Carter, was phenomenal. His customer service was amazing. He made the entire experience fun from start to finish. We laughed the whole way down the river, learned so many interesting facts about the area, and always felt safe. If you're visiting with young kids, this is an amazing family adventure, and Carter made it even more memorable. After rafting, we went zip-lining, and the experience was just as enjoyable. Cole and his crew were fantastic--patient, professional, encouraging, and accommodating. They made everyone feel comfortable, whether it was their first time or not. We 100% recommend Nantahala Outdoor Center for families, couples, or anyone looking for a fun day outdoors. The staff truly made the experience exceptional. Our only suggestion would be to make tipping easier. Currently, guides can only be tipped with cash, and many people don't carry cash anymore. It would be great if the guides had a Cash App, Venmo, or QR code so guests could tip digitally using their phones. They absolutely deserve it! Overall, an unforgettable experience that we'll be recommending to everyone. Thank you, Carter, Cole, and the entire team for making our day so special!

absolutely loved this place. Very nice, rooms were clean and neat, guides were very knowledgeable…read more I did enjoy the rafting more so than the zip lines, but that's just a personal preference. I would advise if youre doing both to go rafting in the afternoon and zip lining in the morning. The river water is cold and personally would be too cold for a morning trip

DEEP CREEK TUBE RENTAL operates out of the general store for Smoky Mountain Campground. It is the…read morelast tube rental opportunity on the right side of Deep Creek Road before it enters into the park. This became our first adventure of a week long vacation as we stopped here during the drive to our destination. We checked with several of the nearby tube rental businesses and decided on this one not only because of their location, but also because they did not charge us to use the life vests required for anyone under 13 years old. Other places either charged an additional fee or wanted a deposit. The staff was friendly and I even had a little sports banter with the owner, who had a God-awful Alabama hat on... Go GA Bulldogs!!! LOL But where they earned 5-stars was because of their honest dealings . We visited two days after heavy rain had swollen the river. While the overall volume was significantly down, it was still fairly swift. This caused a few traumatic moments as three adults had to fish three kids (6,7,8) out of the creek in fast moving current once they reached the take-out point near the bridge. This of course was not the rental companies fault, BUT it would have been useful to know the best places to exit the water. Some sort of map or signage along the creek would have been extremely helpful. Exiting the creek was so difficult by the bridge that safety for the youngest became an alarming issue and two rafts (and a pair of shoes) were lost in the battle between holding on to the kids or holding on to the rafts. At checkout the owners charged us about $55 per raft, but told us they would refund the money IF the rafts were found by the end of the day. They were indeed found and the owners not only texted us the same day, but had the money in our account before weeks end. I TRULY appreciate the honesty because we would have been none the wiser! [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Aside from the difficulty exiting the creek, they also had a wipeout on a bottleneck rapid further upstream that really traumatized the youngest of our group. I didn't think the poor kid would ever go in water again, but luckily a few hugs and a slice of pizza brought him back from a dark place. So for families with kids single digit in age, I'd recommend putting your rafts in at Tom's Creek Falls when volume is up (and not the one near Indian Creek) which avoids the more challenging area for tubers. In retrospect I would have dropped my crew at the trailhead and driven back to the General Store and waited to help them exit there. It would have given them a longer ride in the river. Still, it did make for a lively story during the remainder of our vacation! It's amazing how little boys go from scared and crying in the moment to superhero's who called on their Aquaman powers when retelling the tale days later! LOL PS - The tube rentals are ALL DAY until closing (7pm). Cost was $8/tube with a dollar off coupon for checking-in on yelp. BE SAFE and enjoy! 2022 / 93

Highly recommend! We were tubing and I manged to lose my keys in the river (dumb). I had to walk…read moredown to the lodge and asked if they knew of a taxi service of some sort to take me back to our place to get our other key. Instead, they offered to give me a ride, took me all the way to my place and back to get into my car. Really great customer service and a really great spot to grab your tube, hit the snack bar or even throw an axe! Owned by locals so be sure to go here for all your Deep Creek fun needs!!

My grandparents (Dave & Margie Tyson) built the Original Deep Creek Lodge, the snack bar and the…read morelog cabin that sits on the river across the street. I have been going there since the early 80s. So many memories going up and down that river on the original semi truck tire tubes. It has been bought and sold a few times and fully renovated but still going strong. I will be bringing my kiddos up with me next week for a week of camping and tubing. Cannot wait.

This will be the third review I have written over the last few years for this business and I don't…read morewrite that many reviews. First, rafting the Nantahala is a blast! It is always fun. As a family, we have done guided, self guided, and tandem kayaks. If you do the kayaks, I encourage you to get the wetsuits - even in July. Fast Rivers is a family owned business that really cares about your experience. Their guides are well trained and watch out for everyone on the river. They are super friendly and most importantly, experienced. On our last trip down the Nantahala, my husband went with my son in a two person kayak. He is not as experienced on rivers as me, but has done a few. He was thrown and was having a very hard time getting back into the boat and reoriented. One of the guides stopped his trip and took care of my husband and 12 year old. He talked him through the whole process and handled the whole situation perfectly. Again, can't say enough good things about Fast Rivers. Only suggestion- manually put their address in GPS. The old location showed up when I automatically clicked on an old link making us slightly late. The business is very close to where the rafts are put in on the Nantahala and on the other end of the river run from NOC.

My first time attending the famous school Rafting Trip. This place is amazing. The customer service…read morewith the owner Will, Aspen and the rest of the staff was heart warming. They assisted the students with their life savers. They took their time explaining what to do and not to do while rafting and carrying the raft to the river. The students were excited to get here and go to the river. Now I am not the one to go on the river but the kids said it was EPIC!!! When you are in the area, check them out you will not be disappointed.

Yesterday was our second summer rafting the river with this company. The river is perfect for…read morerafting with kids. We had so much fun last summer that we requested the same guide again this summer. Douglas was great! He even played some of his music for us to enjoy afterwards. Thank you for another amazing day!

Highly recommended for groups with all ages. Took my 4 year old and my parents on a guided trip. It…read morewas a great time and my daughter loved it. She had fun on the rapids and was pretty entertained throughout. Our guide, Dave, was great and so was the rest of the staff. We will definitely be coming back!