Tubing the Watauga River on Friday afternoon.
Flow was about 110 cfs which was a tad low. pic.twitter.com/YdBuG6ibUp
— OnTheWatauga (@OnTheWatauga) June 27, 2020
Tubing on the Watauga River in the Boone NC area is a great summer adventure.
You can either do it yourself or go through an outfitter for tube rentals and shuttles.
If you go the self-serve route, you need to know where to put-in and take-out to avoid access issues, dangerous rapids and butt-dragging water flow.
The portion of the Watauga River that is safe enough and deep enough to tube flows from Valle Crucis to Sugar Grove.
But parking issues eliminate much of that stretch unless you want to be on the river the entire day. Tubing is fun but after a couple hours that’s enough for me. The best tubing trips end before you want them to.
On the Watauga, the two sections that don’t have major access concerns and some available parking are in Valle Crucis and Sugar Grove.
But first, two safety points.
Watch Out for Dangerous Rapids & Spillway
First, though, let’s talk safety. You definitely want to consider two areas: the spillway at the Ward’s Mill Dam and the dangerous Snake Pit rapids that have claimed at least one life.
The spillway at the Ward’s Mill Dam (which is planned for removal in 2020) is located downstream of the bridge over the Watauga River at Rominger Road. Around the bend after the bridge, you will see a barn that housed the mill. A sign on the barn cautions about the spillway and another sign past the damn tells canoers where to get back in the water.
Now, for the Snake Pit rapids.
Nobody tubes past the Upper Watauga Gorge Park at the intersection of U.S. 321 and Watauga River Road near the high-water bridge. Even the American Whitewater association for kayakers calls for a “mandatory portage” at this rapid area, known as “the clog.”
After Laurel Creek merges with the Watauga River (just after Trash Can Falls), some pretty intense rapids emerge and continue until Watauga River flows into Tennessee. Only expert boaters should be navigating these waters – and certainly not folks in tubes.
Tubing Sections on the Watauga River near Boone NC
Tubing the Watauga River in Valle Crucis, NC
The Long Trip: Dewitt Barnett Road to N.C. 194 / Watauga River Road
Dewitt Barnett Road to the high-water bridge at the intersection of N.C. 194 and Watauga River Road. It runs through Valle Crucis Park and past the two Mast General Stores along N.C. 194.
This stretch of river can take up to 2 hours to tube.
Along the way, you’ll likely encounter anglers at multiple points and kids playing in the river on the Valle Crucis Park property.
Exit after tubing underneath the high-water bridge under N.C. 194. The trail up to the parking area is easy enough to find.
The problem with tubing any further is there is no public parking downstream until you get closer to Sugar Grove. So, you either tube forever or get out here.
The Short Trip
- Dewitt Barnett Road to Valle Crucis Park
- Valle Crucis Park to Watauga River Bridge at N.C. 194
Instead of tubing the whole trip, consider splitting it into two adventures for different days.
Thanks to Valle Crucis Park being in the middle of the two-hour trip just described, plenty of parking is available at the beginning or ending of the trip.
The low-water bridge at Dewitt Barnett Road to Valle Crucis Park is floatable.
So is the section from Valle Crucis Park to the N.C. 194 bridge over the Watauga River.
Another Long Tubing Trip in Valle Crucis
Old Ford Trail to Dewitt Barnett Road
Old Ford Trail low-water bridge to Dewitt Barnett Road is a known tubing area. But it’s pretty long, taking up to three hours or more to complete. With the river running through Camp Broadstone property, this area has been tubed for decades.
Check out a couple of these old photos from back in the day.
Tubing the Watauga River in Sugar Grove NC
Tubing on the Watauga River in Sugar Grove is about like tubing through Valle Crucis. Boulders become bigger the more westward you tube and there are a couple rapids that are pretty enjoyable to ride.
While many miles of the river likely offer great tubing, the parking situation limits the put-ins and take-outs along the way to just a few spots – just like Valle Crucis.
For tubing (kayaking and canoeing) on the Watauga River beyond Rominger Road, checking the U.S. Geological Survey discharge gauge comes in handy. The gauge is located just upstream of the Watauga River bridge along Rominger Road.
Above 100 cfs (cubic feet per second) seems to be pretty good tubing without bottoming out too much.
For example, my family tubed the Watauga River recently and the latest reading was 110 cfs. I think we bottomed out once or twice on a large rock. But this water level was pretty good. I wouldn’t tube lower than 80.
There have certainly been times where it seemed we walked most of the way. Now, I know to check the gauge to see the water level.
The Long Trip
Rominger Road to Upper Watauga Gorge Park
This trip is probably three hours or so.
The pull-off near the bridge at Rominger Road offers a few spots to park. Watch out for the Ward’s Mill Dam and exit sooner than later if you start to tube here. Or you can walk the half-mile past the dam and put-in downstream of the spillway.
Once you get to Upper Watauga Gorge Park, you should exit the river at the steps to the park. A nice swimming hole exists at and around the bend downstream, but you don’t want to go much further.
Once Laurel Creek merges with the Watauga River, the river gets intense.
The Shorter Trip
Rominger Road to Hubert Thomas Road
If you want to save 30 minutes or less (depending on the flow), exit at the Hubert Thomas Road low-water bridge. Here there is a small pull-off with several parking spots. This is also a popular area for anglers.
The Shortest Trip
Hubert Thomas Road to Upper Watauga Gorge Park
I’m fortunate to live less than 10 minutes from the Upper Watauga Gorge Park. This tubing run is fun and one my family does several times (or more) each summer.
It’s a quick adventure that you can run in less than 30 minutes if you are in a rush or can last an hour, if in our case, we stop to let the kids swim and explore some of the deeper sections of the river. If the river is running to pretty good, at least above 100 cfs, and the wind isn’t blowing upstream, the trip is pretty quick if you keep moving.
Like everywhere else, parking can be an issue here. We have developed a system where we lock up a bike at the Upper Watauga Gorge Park and park at Hubert Thomas Road. Float down to the Upper Watauga Gorge Park, and I’ll ride my bike back to the truck. It easy enough and saves a parking space, which around the Watauga River these days is a pretty big feat.
On this stretch of the Watauga River you might see a Blue Heron and you’ll probably see a few ducks, some jumping fish and trout swimming by your feet.
Last-Minute Tubes at Cove Creek Store
If you need a tube at the last minute, the Cove Creek Store on U.S. 321, in between old U.S. 421 and Mast Gap Road has tubes and more for sale. You don’t even have to worry about pumping them full of air.
The Watauga River offers some of the best tubing in the Boone NC area.
Click for more information on the Watauga River.
Guided Tubing along the Watauga River
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