How to Go Tubing on the Guadalupe River
The Guadalupe River is a popular destination for rafting, canoeing and tubing. The river crosses much of Texas, ending in the Gulf of Mexico. To go tubing along the Guadalupe River, visit any of the tourist-friendly cities along its banks. Float houses make it easy to coordinate a trip and rent all the necessary equipment.
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Things You'll Need
- Drinks and snacks
- Cooler
- Inner tube
- Rope
- Sunscreen
- Shuttle bus for a return trip
Instructions
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Select a portion of the Guadalupe River for your tubing adventure. The river passes through several different cities and distinct regions. The "Horseshoe Loop" portion of the Guadalupe River is especially popular, as the wide bend delivers tubers at a destination point that's relatively close to the entry point.
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Bring your own inner tubes or rent equipment from any of the numerous "float houses" that cater to tourists interested in taking tubing trips. If you're not a regular tubing enthusiast, it may be more cost-effective to rent your inner tube and tubing supplies.
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Schedule a shuttle bus to meet you at your destination point. A float house will have a return service to help customers get back to the launch site. After a long day in the heat, you probably won't feel like taking a long hike with all your tubing supplies.
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Pack plenty of snacks and beverages. Rent or purchase a Styrofoam cooler to bring along as you float down the river. Consider renting a small float that's specially designed to store a cooler.
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Tie your floats together using a piece of rope. This way, all the members of your tubing party will stay connected, even as the rapid river currents push and pull you in different directions.
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Apply sunscreen every few hours to prevent sunburn. Use a waterproof sunscreen with a high SPF rating for the best results.
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Tips & Warnings
Go to websites for different float houses before making your reservation. Some offer special coupons only available on the Internet. You may also be able to qualify for a special group rate.
Make sure not to litter while tubing down the Guadalupe River. Fines for littering can be extremely expensive. Most float houses will supply you with garbage bags to keep your litter out of the water.
Portions of the land bordering the Guadalupe River are private property. Stay on the river until arriving at your destination to keep from trespassing on someone else's property.
While cities along the Guadalupe River have passed ordinances restricting beer bongs and Jello shots, these rules do not apply to the river itself. These cities' jurisdictions are limited to the land and not to the passing river.
