This popular overlook is on NC Highway 28 North near Almond. Highway 28 splits off of US 74 and continues past the overlook, Stecoah and Fontana Dam before connecting with US 129 at Deal's Gap.
Juney Whank Falls in the
Great Smoky Mountains
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Spend a fabulous day in Bryson City & Swain County with waterfalls, food and shopping. It's just a 90-minute (70 mile) drive southwest of Asheville. This is paradise for outdoor and nature lovers. It's the whitewater rafting mecca for North Carolina, with the Nantahala River cascading through the beautiful Nantahala Gorge and Nantahala National Forest. ABC’s Good Morning America’s “Vacationland” series named the Nantahala River the number one place to spend a wet and wild vacation in the U.S.
Roughly 40% of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in Swain County.
Less than two miles from downtown Bryson City, the Deep Creek recreational area of the Park offers activities including camping, hiking, trout fishing and the area’s best whitewater tubing. Deep Creek is probably best known for its three waterfalls — Juney Whank, Toms Branch and Indian Creek falls.
Fontana Dam, the highest dam east of the Rockies, is 480 feet high and stretches 2,365 feet across the Little Tennessee River. The Appalachian Trail, which extends more than 2,000 miles from Georgia to Maine, crosses the top of Fontana Dam.
The Fontana Dam Visitor Center is is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
daily from May through November. It will be closed when the homeland security
alert level is high (orange) or higher.
Fontana Lake provides 238 miles of shoreline and 10,230 acres of water surface for recreation activities. There are many trails along the shores of Fontana Lake, land owned by either the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the National Park Service or the U.S. Forest Service. Each year, Swain County attracts thousands of mountain bikers to the world-famous Tsali Recreation Area trail system, 15 miles west of Bryson City. The 42-mile network of multi-use trails is consistently rated one of the top ten riding destinations in the United States.
Deep Creek Waterfalls in the Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains are blessed with an abundance of beautiful streams and waterfalls. Bryson City is no exception. Three lovely falls are located within four miles of the city, in the Deep Creek section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As you enter Bryson City, from either Hwy. 74 or U.S. 19, please stop in at the Swain County Chamber of Commerce for a town map or map of the trails leading to the falls. Download a map for Deep Creek Waterfalls.
Before embarking on your journey, you might want to grab a quick bite at Everett Street Diner, a favorite of locals and visitors alike, or Mountain Perks, our hometown coffee shop. Both are on the way and are well worth the stop. You might also want to take a picnic lunch to enjoy beside the water; Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits offers a bucket meal with sides and The Filling Station makes fantastic deli sandwiches and sides.
Once you’re “fueled up” and ready to hit the road again, head straight up Everett Street and turn right onto Depot
Street. Follow Depot Street to the stop sign where you will make a left and right onto West Deep Creek Road. Follow West Deep Creek Road into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You will find a parking area to the left. From the Deep Creek trailhead parking area, follow the well-marked trail 1/4 mile uphill to Juney Whank Falls (photo on right). The roar of the falls can be heard even before you reach it. An 80-foot cascade of water starts above you and runs under a log footbridge with handrails, and meets up with Deep Creek at the bottom of the trail, which is the main Deep Creek Trail.
The main trail is both wide and well maintained. It is an easy trek for almost everyone — even children in strollers. As you are walking the trail the second waterfall that you will reach is Tom Branch Falls, a wispy waterfall that gently splashes over 80 feet into Deep Creek. A bench is provided beside the creek and is a great place to sit and watch the tubers float by.
Continuing along the Deep Creek trail for approximately one mile, the trail winds up a slight grade to where Indian Creek spills into Deep Creek. Follow the Indian Creek Trail to the right 200 feet uphill to Indian Creek Falls, a highspirited waterfall that noisily plunges 25 feet to the pool below. A small spur trail leads to the bottom of the falls.
Downtown Bryson City
If you brought your lunch you can enjoy it beside the water at the Deep Creek campground and try some tubing afterward. If not, then you probably want to return to town to try one of Bryson City's fantastic restaurants, including Pasqualino’s Italian Restaurant, Jimmy Mac’s and the Bar-B-Que Wagon, to name a few. After lunch you can satisfy that sweet tooth with a visit to our old-fashioned ice cream parlor Soda Pops. Hemlock Inn serves an all-you-can-eat “country-style” dinner. For those looking for a more unique dining experience, Relia’s Garden,
located on the campus of Nantahala Outdoor Center, boasts not only fresh local produce and gourmet-style meals, but also a fantastic view from the outdoor dining deck.
To wind down your day, take some time to browse through the many unique shops and galleries found in Bryson
City. To tour working artists’ studios, try Elizabeth Ellison Watercolors and Heath Creations Studio and Gallery.
The Cottage Craftsman showcases the work of mountain artisans, and Madison’s on Main is a haven of delightful
surprises — including gourmet chocolates! The Watershed Trading Company and Mountain Ridge Log Home and
Supplies offer everything you could want for your home, from fragrant candles to home décor and furnishings.
