Toobin' on the Comal River

My husband and I recently traveled to Austin for a long weekend - without the kids! While there, we made the hour drive down to New Braunfels (also home to Schlitterbahn Water Park) to float the Comal River. It was great fun! We would love to take our kids back and do it again.

You can rent a tube at several places. Most of the rentals come with one free shuttle back to where you parked your car. We went with Texas Tubes, as we could park right at the river, rent a tube and jump in!

There is also the Rockin' R River Rides. They are not directly on the river, so you will have to actually get to the river to tube. The plus to them is they offer unlimited shuttles and trips down the river. So, if you want to do it more than once, this might be your best bet. They also rent rafts and larger tubes if you are interested.

Price: Between $11-$15 depending on if you want a tube with a bottom or not. There are several places where the river is very low, so you may want a tube with a bottom for those areas, or for your kids.

Time: The river is about 3 miles long. It took us 2 to 2 1/2 hours to float.

The River: Be aware the river is pretty cold - about 70 degrees - as it is spring fed. It is also relatively shallow, and there were many places that I could walk.

Supplies: Shoes of some kind - the river is very rocky. Sunscreen - you will get burned if you don't (ask my husband). You can also bring small coolers and rent a tube with a bottom to carry it.

Age Limits: Most places that I read had a minimum age of 3. There is also one Tube Chute (kind of a mini waterslide) which might be difficult for very young children to do. (See picture)

Word of Warning: We went in the early afternoon, just as the college kids were getting there. Hence, we saw a lot of beer (which is allowed on the river) and heard a lot of swearing. If this is not something you want your kids exposed to, we were told that the mornings were better as the college kids were not up yet!