Friends, it's that time of year again. The time of year when the whole city is just blazing and there is no relief in sight, so hot no one even wants to leave their house. But lucky for us, the cool (er) mountains are within a couple of hours and there are plenty of rivers to take a dip to beat the heat. Taking the family tubing is one of our family's summer traditions, rent a cooler grab a tube, and just float. Here are some rivers that you can float that you can do as a day trip. We do not recommendations of companies to use if you want to rent, there are many to chose from. You can also bring your own float to most rivers as well. As with all activities, please make sure you call ahead, most require reservations.
Deep Creek located in Bryson City you can float on the lazy river, hit the whitewater part of the river, and jump into the swimming hole.
French Broad is always a popular destination for tubing, it can be very crowded in the summer so plan accordingly.
New River located near Boone is calm and a great spot to take first-timers.
Green River is best for more experienced tubers, there are 3 sections of the river to chose from but the rapids are faster than at some of the other tubing locations.
Catawba River offers a place to tube a little closer to home! There are several entrances that you can launch your own tube or kayak.