The Ultimate Guide to Tubing Near Austin

Kick back and enjoy the ride along the best river floats within driving distance of Austin.

We’re not gonna lie, it gets real hot in Texas. There are some months when stepping out to get groceries is harder than a CrossFit session in an infrared sauna (those bags are awfully heavy during watermelon season). Thankfully, in Austin, where outdoor activity reigns supreme, locals have found a way to take advantage of all our glorious natural resources in spite of the overwhelming heat and humidity. Enter, tubing.

For those unfamiliar, tubing is what Southerners do in the summertime (and what Northerns do in the winter). Take a large inflated inner tube, climb up a slope, perch your behind in the ring, and let the current take its course. Tubing is a great way to waste away a few lazy hours in the company of good friends and cold beers, and all the splashing about makes for a welcome cool down when temperatures hit the triple digits. From slow and secluded to packed and popular, there’s a tubing destination guaranteed to meet all your aquatic needs. Here are the best local spots for tubing, along with info on gear rentals, booze regulations, and how to get there.

Waterloo Adventures
Waterloo Adventures

Lake Travis

Austin
Tube rentals: Lake Travis Waterloo Adventures provides complimentary inflatables, floating picnic tables, and all the works when you purchase tickets to the Floating Challenge Course.
Booze rules: Food and beverages including wine, beer, and frozen drinks are available for purchase onsite.
If you love tubing, you’ll love the annual Lake Travis Waterloo Adventures pop-up, opening this year on May 14, 2022. It’s part of the Adventure Island compound that hosts Lake Travis Zip Lining throughout the year. Summer is the ultimate party, when the island runneth over with beach games, swimming, and a massive aqua park made up of a 14-foot climbing tower, ice tower, water slide, jump tower with multiple levels, and a 25-foot trampoline. When you’re done on the obstacle course, grab some downtime on the hammocks, lounge chairs, and of course, a wide range of water floats. Drink coolers are also available for use at no extra charge if you want to keep those iced beverages close. Just don’t forget your towel and sunscreen.

Visit Bastrop
Visit Bastrop

Colorado River

Bastrop (approximately 33 miles from Austin)
Tube rentals: BYOT (bring your own tube).
Booze rules: Drink up (no glass or styrofoam).
Though the Colorado River flows through Austin, the most scenic and convenient spot to congregate is at the Bastrop end. Enter via Fisherman’s Park, where you’ll find easy access and parking in downtown Bastrop, with a paved trail down to the water making lugging that tube a million times easier (not to mention less muddy). Float south toward El Camino Real Paddling Trail, a wide, slow-moving six-mile trail where y’all can stop for picnics or flow on and enjoy the lush greenery over the course of a few hours. The banks steepen further downstream, where gorgeous high sandstone bluffs and cliffs await.

Visit Marble Falls
Visit Marble Falls

Lake Marble Falls

Marble Falls (approximately 50 miles from Austin)
Tube rentals: BYOT (bring your own tube).
Booze rules: Drink up (no glass or styrofoam).
A low-key spot that’s rarely ever crowded—here, you can even expect a peaceful float on weekends, largely due to the fact that there isn’t much else to do in the area. So bring your tube, make sure the YETI’s packed with sandwiches and drinks, and enjoy hours of uninterrupted float time. For those not keen on food prep, duck into the Blue Bonnet Cafe for curbside pick-up sandwiches, burgers, and salads en route.

FLOAT FEST
FLOAT FEST

San Marcos River

San Marcos (approximately 30 miles from Austin)
Tube rentals: Texas State Tubes is a solid choice for tube rentals and necessary transport along the San Marcos River. A return shuttle ride from Austin and tube rental package will run you $55, while if you turn up and bring your own tube, the three-hour float will only cost you $15. There are also early-bird prices, student, and military discounts, plus bachelor and bachelorette party deals available.
Booze rules: Drink up (no glass or styrofoam).
Looking for some good, clean fun? San Marcos has you covered—literally, with spring-fed waters that are among the cleanest you’ll find in Texas. The expanse is surrounded by vegetation and makes for a pretty damn scenic float as it weaves through Downtown San Marcos and the Texas State campus. For extra excitement, plan your excursion around Float Fest (July 23 to 24). The two-day bash combines camping, tubing, and tunes, with a 2022 lineup boasting both big names—Marshmello, Vampire Weekend, Chance the Rapper, and more—and local Austin acts.

Float Fest and Avery Eustace
Float Fest and Avery Eustace

Comal River

New Braunfels (approximately 50 miles from Austin)
Tube rentals: At Texas Tubes, you can score a tube and shuttle ride for $25, and throw a cooler rental into the mix for an extra $15.
Booze rules: Drink up (no glass or styrofoam).
An extremely short river—the shortest navigable river in Texas—the Comal is a super-popular tubing destination and typically draws some pretty sizable crowds, particularly on holiday weekends. Though it’s not a long drive from Austin and definitely qualifies as a very doable day trip (the float typically lasts around three hours), the area's best draw is its surrounding attractions: The Gristmill Restaurant; legendary dance hall and music venue Gruene Hall; and, of course, waterslide mecca Schlitterbahn, all of which make spending an entire weekend here totally worth it.

Frio River Concan Texas
Frio River Concan Texas

Frio River

Concan (approximately 140 miles from Austin)
Tube rentals: The Frio has plenty of outfitters to fulfill your needs—super affordably, at that—as Andy’s On River Road and Josh’s Frio River Outfitter offer rentals for as low as $15 per day.
Booze rules: Drink up (no glass or styrofoam).
Texas tubing destinations don’t get more beautiful than the Frio. In terms of atmosphere, this escape is definitely less party and more peaceful. With some stretches of clear water canopied by cypress trees and others surrounded by steep cliffs, the float offers the illusion of isolation and provides nature buffs with 47 miles of impressive scenery. Also, “frio” is Spanish for cold... so keep that in mind. (Note: much of the area surrounding the Frio is a liquor-free zone, so be sure to plan ahead if you want to enjoy some booze with your views).

tubing in Austin
Flickr/Dustin Larimer

Guadalupe River

Canyon Lake (approximately 65 miles from Austin)
New Braunfels, TX (approximately 50 miles from Austin)

Tube rentals: While you’ve got a ton of choices here, one noteworthy option is Tube Haus, in operation since 1978. They offer short, medium, and long floats, and will provide you with river access, a shuttle ride, and a tube for $20 cash.
Booze rules: Drink up (no glass or styrofoam).
With an abundance of college kids and river rats, the Guadalupe can get pretty rowdy, and on the busiest weekends and holidays, the waterway has a bit of a frat party-meets-Mardi Gras vibe. If that’s your scene, party on, bro. But if you’re looking for a more family-friendly float, never fear—there are tamer options, too. Try accessing the river through Guadalupe River State Park, where you can not only swim and tube, but take the fun to the turf with camping and over 13 miles of hiking and biking trails. Just keep in mind that state parks mandate sobriety, and you can’t consume alcohol anywhere on the property. Park rangers, it seems, don’t appreciate a good party.

Sculpture Falls
Flickr/Alex Thomson

Barton Creek Greenbelt

Austin
Tube rentals: BYOT (bring your own tube)
Booze rules: As a general rule, it’s a nope, but the lines are slightly blurry. (For instance, you can drink at Bull Creek, but not on the Greenbelt.) All in all, the best policy is to obey posted signage and, of course, to be discreet. After all, no one needs to know the real contents of that Big Gulp.
This isn’t tubing in the traditional sense (in other words, you’re not really going anywhere), but if you’re looking to hang out on the water within the city limits, the Greenbelt, Austin’s official urban oasis, has you covered. You’ll have various success at different points along the water depending on water levels, but swimming holes like Twin Falls, Sculpture Falls, Gus Fruh, and Campbell’s Hole typically make for good spots to bring your tube, post up, and float up, no crazy commute required.

Friends of the Brazos River
Friends of the Brazos River

Brazos River

Millsap (approximately 170 miles from Austin)
Tube rentals: Depending on where you want to access the river, there are several different options for tube rentals. As a starting point, check out Hillbilly Haven, a campground that offers both two-mile and five-mile floating trips.
Booze rules: Drink up (no glass or styrofoam).
While the Brazos isn’t exactly in the neighborhood, a visit is well worth the time commitment and the commute. Think more than 70 miles of generally calm floatable waters (don’t worry, you don’t have to float all 70). While rental facilities serve as good starting points, the best part of the Brazos is blazing your own tubing trail. With access points leading from the road to the river every few miles, this course gives you the opportunity to choose your own adventure.

Flickr/dave_hensley
Flickr/dave_hensley

Medina River

Bandera (approximately 120 miles from Austin)
Tube rentals: Medina River Company offers tube rentals and immediate river access. $9 gets you a tube at Bandera Beach Club, where the season starts the second weekend in May and runs through Labor Day (as long as conditions are favorable).
Booze rules: Drink up (no glass or styrofoam).
If you prefer a more relaxing tubing experience, the Medina is an awesome pick. Quietly winding through a chill tunnel of cypress trees, the float is scenic, often slow, and sports a quieter feel than some of the other, more crowded rivers. In other words, it doesn’t attract as much of the Spring Break demographic. For extracurricular action on land, check out the town’s roster of excellent saloons including clear standout 11th Street Cowboy Bar.

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James Wong is a Libra who spends his time pretending to be a vegan, watching wildlife clips, and booking plane tickets. Born in London, lived in Tokyo, and now residing in Austin, his greatest achievement is giving Posh Spice a hug in 2016.