Tahoe Whitewater Tours

This is a great way to spend a hot summer day. Some of the best entertainment I’ve had in a long time. They have a booth at the entrance to Barbara Bennett park off of Arlington. You may have to pay for meter parking on the street. $ 1 per hour for a maximum of 5 hours. A friend and I rented tubes for $ 20 and did the 5 mile trip. They take you five miles up the river and drop you off with the tube. They have two types of tubes. One has a bottom in it and is a little smaller, the other is larger without a bottom. The entry spot into the river is a nice calm pool of water. The trip is suitable for beginning tubers. They will give you a life jacket and a helmet if you want one. I’ve never floated down any river before today and I did just fine. Totally awesome experience. I recommend bringing at least a bottle of water. Make sure you are adequately covered in sunscreen and you may want water shoes. I kept my flip flops on just fine though. I had a small pelican case for keys and money, and a waterproof bag for the cell phones which worked great. There is some mild white water on the trip so you will get wet. I did not fall out of my tube or flip over but water does wash over the sides. My friend and I plan on doing the 2.5 mile with her kids in a couple weeks. That trip is $ 15. The 5 mile run takes about 3 hours on the water.

We tried renting tubes to go down the Truckee. Couldn’t have been easier! We drove up to Reno, walked up to the stand, paid and got on the shuttle that goes every half hour I believe. It was so fun! Not totally a lazy river as it get exciting in some spots. My aunt lost her sun glasses in a flip, and my sunblock and water bottle fell out of a reusable bag I was holding but other than that! I’m going to go again this month. Take nothing with you if you possible can, unless you don’t mind possibly losing it.

We had quite an adventure on the 5 mi. tube float. Well, we were expecting a «float» but it was a faster and rougher ride than any of us expected. Still, we had fun and will laugh about our almost-​tumbles for a long time. At $ 6 an hour for tube rental, it was a good value for 3 hours of fun. Just know that the river is pretty fast in places and the rocks will either get you from underneath or high center your tube, even with feverish hand paddling to avoid them. I’m sure it varies depending on time of season and river level. I recommend a water safe pouch for valuables. I found mine at the nearby Walgreens for about $ 17 and it kept my phone, cash, and cards perfectly dry despite lots of water contact. Next time we’ll try the shorter route that is offered but we’ll definitely be back. Oh — and check your tube for air leaks before the shuttle driver leaves. One of our 3 had a slow leak and it added a little stress even though the tube remained functional for the entire 5 miles.

Very nice people and great service. I rented tubes to got down the truckee river, they have a one at the park. They also have two runs you can do a 3 mile and 5 mile, plus they had a baby tube for our cooler. They drive you up to the start of the river too. Super fun and totally worth!