Enjoy a fabulous outdoors vacation in the North Carolina Smokies at Deep Creek Tube Center, a Smokey Mountain family camping, cabin and RV resort near Bryson City, NC.

You can have a great vacation without straying very far from Deep Creek. But if you do want more, there are dozens of nearby Smoky Mountains attractions and activities that will appeal to every member of the family.

You can learn all about the Cherokee Trail of Tears by seeing the Unto These Hills outdoor drama and the Oconaluftee Indian Village.

Also in nearby Cherokee, NC is Harrahs Cherokee Casino.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has many natural and historic attractions including the Mountain Farm Museum and Mingus Mill.

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers scenic excursions into the Nantahala gorge departing from Bryson City.

Also in Bryson City, there's Smoky Mountain Trains, a Lionel model train museum with more than a mile of track.

Nearby Fontana Lake, with the highest dam east of the Rockies, is great for boating and stillwater fishing. And Smoky Mountain Jet Boats offer half-hour rides for ages five and up.

Santa's Land amusement park in nearby Cherokee provides great entertainment for the kids.

There's whitewater rafting on the Nantahala river.

If you enjoy driving mountain roads, The Blue Ridge Parkway begins in Cherokee. And at Deals Gap, the Dragon gives sports car and motorcycle enthusiasts 318 curves in eleven miles. On the way to "the dragon" stop in at Stecoah Valley Center, home to a unique craft gallery and summer music series.

Asheville and the Biltmore Estate are just an hour's drive from Bryson City.

For more ideas for things to do in the land of the Cherokee Trail of Tears, check out the Local Attractions, the Area Attractions and the Calendar of Events pages on the Bryson City Chamber of Commerce web site.