Great tubing, fineloop trek
GEORGE OWEN Contributing Writer

Smokies' Deep Creek - Bring the kids on this one for a wonderful combined walking and water fun outing in eastern America's greatest national park.

The specific place: Deep Creek, just outside Bryson City, NC. Drive off the Smoky Mountain Expressway (U.S. 74) at exit 67 into Bryson City. Downtown around the train station pick up the signs for Deep Creek and just follow them. Soon you are passing several tubing outlets promising hours of family fun for a few dollars apiece. Return here after your morning loop hike to pick up your inner tubes.

Drive straight forward into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the parking lot at the end of the road. First from the parking lot take the quick uphill hike to Juney Whank Falls, a small but pretty waterfall viewed from a nearby trail bridge. Return to the parking lot.

Now begins the main morning feature. Hike 0.7 up the wide road-like Deep Creek Trail, passing Tom Branch Falls at 0.2 mile tumbling 75 feet over several rock layers just across the creek. Soon you cross a bridge and begin climbing a bit. Finally at 0.7 mile you arrive at a trail intersection. To the left is the officialupper point for putting your tubes in the water and beginning the cascading float downstream.

Turn right here onto Indian Creek Trail. Soon on your left is your third waterfall of the morning, Indian Creek Falls. A very short trail descends to the lovely pool at the base of the falls.

Continuing up the Indian Creek Trail, also an old wide roadbed, you walk through absolutely lovely woods with the creek tumbling along on your right after a bridge behind the falls. Pass by Stone Pile Gap Trail on your right, and take the next trail to the left. This is designated "Loop Trail." It rises up the mountainside a half mile to the Sunkota Ridge Trail, then descends another half mile through rich forest to the Indian Creek Trail.

Arriving back at the Deep Creek Trail, turn left and enjoy about a 1.7-mile walk on this one to your vehicle. You have just completed a 4.2-mile loop. The earlier quick side trip to Juney Whank Falls gives you a total walking distance of over 4.5 miles.

You're perspiring from the hike and the kids are ready for something more. Jump into your transportation, make the quick trip back to one of those inner tube places, rent, return, and you're ready for a great water ride.

Again travel the 0.7 mile up Deep Creek Trail, carrying your tubes. This time you are coming back down in a far different and cooler way. Put your tubes in where indicated by the sign, and begin a delightful ride through easy rapids in wonderful ice-cold water. There are some good pools along the way where family and friends can congregate and visit a bit before the next rapid run.

When you have finished your tubing back to the point beside the upper parking lot, you can still continue on below that through the picnic area to add a couple tenths floating distance. The park service has channeled the stream more narrowly here with rocks in an attempt to deepen the run somewhat. The effort is only partly successful.

It's important for me to add that you and your children are on your own here. The park service does not check on age or swimming ability. I see a number of elementary kids and teens go down this, and also a few old codgers such as I. There are also a fair scattering of "young-uns" below first grade here with parents; make sure your child can swim, because there are some pools over their heads. And watch out for a few big rocks!

FINAL NOTE: As I watched a host of folks running the creek on Sunday afternoon, July 8, a number were having "bottom bumps." This creek, like all others, is down from the drought; adults especially were complaining about hitting bottom all too frequently and having to push off. That will probably remain this summer unless a tropical storm dumps a lot of rain. When I ran Deep Creek myself a couple years ago with relatives, including a teen, we had almost no problem with this. The streams are lower this year, including in the park, than I have seen them in years.

Well, maybe next summer Deep Creek will live up to its name. Meanwhile, come on and still enjoy it. Recent good rains may still bring some depth increase.

Anyway, it is a great area for the family or anyone. The day I was there recently several church teen youth groups were having a ball on the stream. This cold tumbling stream in thick forest unbroken by homes or buildings is calling.

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