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There are few more idyllic summer activities than floating with your toes in the water, sunshine on your face, and a cold refreshment in hand. And in Colorado, summer is the perfect time to commandeer an inflatable unicorn and ride the river.
Before you shove off, always check a river’s cubic feet per second, or CFS, before jumping in. Target 100 to 200 CFS for max relaxation in most water. Fueled by spring snowmelt, many Centennial State rivers and creeks run fast and high in June before slowing as the summer progresses. So if you prefer a more chill float, it’s best to wait until at least July. When you’re ready to cool off, hit one of our 10 favorite tubing spots.
1. Clear Creek, Golden
- Distance from Denver: 15 miles (25 minutes)
- Route: Gateway Trailhead to Vanover Park (30 minutes)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 100 to 500
Pre-Float: Floaters who fly by the seat of their pants will want to visit Golden River Sports on Washington Avenue to score a tube sans reservation. Choose from one of four different styles (starting at $15) and put in at any of the six access points along the Clear Creek Corridor. Just be sure to bail at Vanover Park, otherwise you might wind up taking an impromptu tour of the Coors factory.
Experience: This stretch of Clear Creek, which runs through the heart of Golden, is aptly nicknamed “Whitewater Park,” so don’t expect a lazy river. Instead, fun rapids, moderate drops, and a quick current give adrenaline junkies their fix without having to haul it all the way to Buena Vista. Since this is one of the closest tubing spots to Denver, it can get packed on weekends. So go early or, even better, on a weekday.
2. South Platte River, Littleton
- Distance from Denver: 16 miles (35 minutes)
- Route: Blackrock Lake Park to Reynolds Landing (2 hours)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 100 to 500
Pre-Float: Snag a tube rental and return shuttle from Adventure West (starting at $33 for kids, $37 for adults) to make your life easy. Arrive at the Adventure West Tube Trailer (2920 Brewery Lane, Littleton) 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time, and staffers will transport you to the put-in. Water levels are dependent on daily Chatfield Reservoir dam releases, so occasionally, the flow is too low for tubing. Adventure West will issue a refund if it’s unsafe to float.
Experience: Great for families or beginners, this scenic, 2.5-mile float lazily winds through the Carsen Nature Center, so keep your eyes peeled for rad birds. Large double-crested cormorants and colorful belted kingfishers hang near the banks, while raptors like orange-and-black kestrels and brown-and-white ospreys perch on branches scanning for snacks. You’ll wrap the trip near Breckenridge Brewery’s Farm House restaurant—perfect for replenishing lost stores after all the sunshine.
3. Boulder Creek, Boulder
- Distance from Denver: 30 miles (40 minutes)
- Route: Eben G. Fine Park to Central Park (20 to 40 minutes)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 40 to 200 (tubing is not recommended when CFS exceeds 300)
Pre-Float: Rent a tube from Crystal Ski Shop ($20) and park at the Boulder Public Library Main Branch or the Boulder Municipal Building. Be sure to wear your Chacos or other sturdy shoes because you’ll need to stroll the Boulder Creek path back to the put-in if you want to ride again.
Experience: It’s no far-off destination, but if you’re willing to fight for elbowroom with college kids, the Creek is a no-frills tubing hot spot. If you’d rather skip the chutes, put in at 6th Street for a milder float. Also fun: Boulderites don their best business-casual on July 11 and commute to their offices via the Boulder Creek on the city’s annual Tube to Work Day celebration.
4. St. Vrain Creek, Lyons
- Distance from Denver: 44 miles (1 hour)
- Route: Lavern M. Johnson Park to Black Bear Bridge (20 minutes)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 100 to 250 (tubing is not allowed when CFS exceeds 450)
Pre-Float: If you don’t want to worry about toting around your own craft, head to Ray’s River Rentals in Lavern M. Johnson Park for the hook up. Whether you opt for the single ($23–$25) or double tube ($46–$50), every rental comes with an optional helmet and a not-so-optional life jacket. Since this is a short float, you can easily walk back to the start in about 20 minutes.
Experience: To make a whole day of this mellow float, swing by Moxie Mercantile on your way to the to creek to grab premade sammies and picnic in between laps at Lavern M. Johnson Park. From here, you can choose to stick close to your snacks and float the horseshoe that skirts the park or take a tour of Lyons’ sleepy neighborhoods via the stream down to Black Bear Bridge. Whichever you choose, scan the tops of the sandstone cliffs while you drift for a pair of nesting golden eagles (and if you’re extra lucky, their hatchlings in late summer).
5. Cache La Poudre River, Fort Collins
- Distance from Denver: 80 miles (1 hour 30 minutes)
- Route: Gateway Natural Area to Picnic Rock (1.5 to 2 hours)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 200 to 700
Pre-Float: Bring your own tube and two cars. Park one at Picnic Rock and the second at Gateway Natural Area.
Experience: It’s no wonder this waterway is protected under the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (the only river in Colorado with that designation). During the three-mile journey, swirl around small eddies as you admire Poudre Canyon’s stark granite cliffs and craggy rock formations (pull over for some jumping when it’s safe). It tends to be warmer up here, so plan on sharing the river with other enthusiastic paddlers and craft—the stoke is always high on the water.
6. Waterworks Park, Pueblo
- Distance from Denver: 118 miles (2 hours)
- Route: Pueblo Reservoir to Whitewater Park (2 to 3 hours)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 300 to 1,000 (it’s manmade; tubing is not allowed when CFS exceeds 1,200)
Pre-Float: Bring your own buoy or rent one for $20 on your way into town from ski and paddle shop the Edge; your tube comes with a life jacket (they’re required on this stretch of the Arkansas River). If you want all thrills and no chill, park at Pueblo City Park and ride the manmade water features at the new Waterworks Park on repeat. For a longer float, you’ll need two cars. Park one at Pueblo Reservoir and another at Whitewater Park.
Experience: Enjoy a leisurely drift from the reservoir until you hit Waterworks Park. The city recently transformed this stretch from an old diversion dam into a series of drops, pools, and waves for recreationists. As you approach the park, choose whether you’ll hang right or left. The left has six mild drops from pool to pool, while the right side boasts one longer, steeper drop and a surf wave (no lifeguards, though). To beat the crowds, go early. “It seems to me that tubers are kind of slackers,” says Bob Walker, owner of the Edge. “I get really busy at 1 p.m.”
7. Upper Colorado River, Dotsero
- Distance from Denver: 135 miles (2 hours 30 minutes)
- Route: Dotsero Landing to Bair Ranch (3.5 hours)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 1,000 to 2,500 (it’s wide—don’t worry)
Pre-Float: Book a “drive-and-meet” with Turtle Tubing (starting at $82), then park in the designated lot. The team will hook you up with oversize tubes that seat up to four adults, help you shove off, pull you out of the river at Bair Ranch, and give you a lift back to your car at Dotsero Landing.
Experience: Unlike many of the other hot spots near the Front Range, this section of the Colorado is relatively quiet. Bring a soft cooler to attach to your craft and some cordage so you can construct a flotilla with your pals. Sit back and relax—this is some of the state’s finest eye candy.
8. Yampa River, Steamboat Springs
- Distance from Denver: 155 miles (2 hours 50 minutes)
- Route: Fetcher Park to James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge (1.5 hours)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 100 to 700
Pre-Float: If you’ve got your own tube, park your car at the Stockbridge Transit Center and catch the summer Main Line bus upstream to Pine Grove Road. From there, it’s a four-minute stroll to your launch spot at Fetcher Park. If you don’t have a floatie, rent one at Bucking Rainbow Outfitters ($25), but note that renters can only launch at the 5th Street bridge, which shortens your trip by about a mile.
Experience: Let yourself relax during this 3.2-mile trip, but don’t allow the serene Yampa to lull you to sleep. You’ll want to be wide awake to enjoy a boozy hurricane in the Sunpie’s backyard—a locals’ spot in the Boat.
9. Colorado River, Palisade
- Distance from Denver: 233 miles (3 hours 55 minutes)
- Route: Riverbend Park to Corn Lake (2 hours)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 1,000 to 2,500 (yes, it’s also very wide)
Pre-Float: While there are plenty of guided kayak and SUP tours here, there aren’t any for tubing. Better bet: Rent a floatie at Palisade Cycle ($35) and launch at Harky’s boat ramp in Riverbend Park. Hailing an Uber is anything but easy in this small town, so book a shuttle from Palisade Cycle ($20 per person) to scoop you up at Corn Lake and bring you back to your car at Riverbend Park.
Experience: Score an eyeful of Creamsicle-colored rock plateaus and desert landscapes on this lazy float, which wends through the topsy-turvy Western Slope. When you’re done, clink glasses at a tasting at any of Palisade’s 30 wineries (we’re partial to the albariño at Bookcliff Vineyards).
10. San Miguel River, Telluride
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- Distance from Denver: 330 miles (6 hours 10 minutes)
- Route: Town Park to Shandoka Apartments (30 to 45 minutes)
- Prime Tubing CFS: 100 to 250
Pre-Float: Bring your own tube (or rent one for $35 from Black Tie Telluride) and set up basecamp in Town Park, the beating heart of this box canyon hot spot. When you’re ready to float, head east down the River Trail about 100 yards to find a mellow spot to put in. You can drift down the entire Valley Floor but there are no shuttles, so if you go past Shandoka Apartments, it’ll be a long walk back.
Experience: We hope you’re hot, because this is one frigid float. The water that flows through this tributary is recent snowmelt from the surrounding slopes and alpine meadows. After tumbling over Bridal Veil or Ingram falls, it converges into the San Miguel River. Wave to tourists on the town’s gondola as you cruise beneath it, and see how many fourteeners you can call out by name; Mt. Wilson, El Diente, and Mt. Sneffels all surround the town.
