Outdoor Adventure Spotlight: River Tubing

Are you looking for an outdoor adventure to help you keep cool during the summer heat and beat the crowds? Most people know about the French Broad River and the tubing possibilities but have you heard of Deep Creek or the Carolina Hemlocks? Check out a few of these lesser-known tubing spots around Western North Carolina that our team members love and use to stay cool all summer long!

Leslie’s favorite spot is the Carolina Hemlocks which is located about an hour north of Asheville near Burnsville, NC. She grew up going to the Hemlocks campground and tubing the South Toe River every summer with her family. There are rocks to jump off of, 2 large huge swimming holes and you can tube the river and the little rapids then walk back in the woods and tube the river again! Did we mention it was great for trout fishing too? There are also car camping sites and daily picnic sites available for use. For more information on the Carolina Hemlocks visit here.

Madeline’s favorite tubing spot is Deep Creek located just outside Bryson City. There are a couple of places to rent tubes from and while tubing the river you will pass a few waterfalls! There are two sections to Deep creek. The lower one is more mellow and great for all ages, while the upper section is more for adults and has “whitewater”. Deep creek also offers camping, hiking, mountain biking and much more. Its also a great place to go trout fishing and stay cool all summer long! For more information on Deep Creek please visit Romantic Asheville's website.

Another great spot is Green River Gorge. Its a great place to cool off and enjoy the summer and is only located 38 miles south of Asheville near Saluda. There are 3 different sections to the Green River and the tubing section is the Lower Green River. It has a few small rapids that are safe for tubing and a rope swing. For more information on tubing the green river visit this page.

So grab your tube, sunscreen, and your sense of adventure and get out there and stay cool while exploring Western North Carolina this summer!