12 Awesome River Tubing Spots Near NYC!
River tubing is a favorite New York pastime. It is also one of the best ways to cool off on a hot summer day or just get away from the city by floating down a lazy river while enjoying what nature has to offer.
Ready to paddle, splash, and explore? Here are 12 family-friendly spots where you can enjoy an outdoor adventure on the water. Just be sure to check each location’s website for up-to-date hours and availability before you go!
Psst… Check Out the Ultimate Family Guide to Summer Fun 2025!
Delaware River
Edge of The Woods Outfitters
Go on a self-guided adventure through different sections of the Delaware Water Gap with breathtaking views and places to stop and swim.
You can choose between a 4-mile, 6-mile, and 10/16-mile adventure with Edge of the Wood Outfitters. The full-day outing, the 16-mile trip, is known for its many wildlife sightings and small sections of rapids. Ages 3 and up.
Twin Rivers Tubing
Twin Rivers Tubing is a family-owned and operated outpost just one hour and thirty minutes from New York City. Start and end your trip in beautiful, historic Easton, PA. On this three-hour river journey, experience a beautiful view of the Lehigh River Falls! Ages 6 and up.
Bucks County River Country
Find peace and relaxation by floating down the Delaware River, only two hours away from NYC. You can choose between different styles of tubes, including the standard, the standard double, and the standard deluxe. If you’d like to ride with another person, choose the double options!
Lander’s River Trips
Book this five-mile tubing trip from Skinners Falls to Narrowsburg for a day packed with fun and unwinding. Float for the whole day and then hang out on the banks of the river while tubing through the Skinners Falls Rapids as many times as you want! This location is a 2.5-hour drive from NYC.
Silver Canoe and White Water Rafting
Surrounded by the Catskills mountains and the Poconos, this is a leisurely 3-mile trip where you will drift under bridges and splash through rapids. Enjoy the clean, crisp water, refreshing air, and spectacular landscapes and scenery. Ages 12 and up. This is a 2-hour drive up from the city.
Indian Head Canoes
Experience the most exciting whitewater tubing on the Delaware River! Bring a cooler, and they’ll float it along the river with you. You must be over 65 lbs to float in a tube. This adventure is 2 hours and 30 minutes away from the city.
Lehigh River
Whitewater Rafting Adventures
This 3—to 4-hour journey is a fun rafting experience through the Lehigh River in Philadelphia. You will paddle through about a half dozen small rapids, including Bear Trap and Great Gorge. Located in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, it is a 2-hour and 30-minute drive from NYC.
Jim Thorpe River Adventures
Choose your difficulty level from 3 options: Easywater, Intro to Whitewater, and Big Time Whitewater. Easywater is great for families with young kids and perfect for beginners.
Jim Thorpe is 2 hours and 30 minutes from the City in the Poconos. At the same location, they offer whitewater rafting experiences for ages 4 and up.
Farmington River
Farmington River Tubing
The Farmington River is located in Hartford, Connecticut, about 2 hours from the city. Get on their specially designed river tubes for a 2.5-mile journey down the wild Farmington River.
Ride over three sets of whitewater rapids and experience the thrill! They encourage you to call for daily weather and conditions and hours.
Bonus: These are farther from the city (3-4 hours), but no less enjoyable and exciting, tubing spots
Sacandaga river
Wild Waters
This rafting tour is a thrilling two-hour adventure for the whole family. The trip starts at the base of Stewarts Dam, where you will encounter a large breaking wave that is sure to get everyone wet! Wild Waters is three hours and thirty minutes from the city.
Sacandaga Outdoor Center
For a more challenging experience, take a tube down class II and class III white water rapids in this thrilling and fun ride.
Class III has high irregular waves with narrow passages that may require precise maneuvering. Sacandaga Outdoor Center is around 3 hrs and 20 minutes away from the city.
Psst… Check Out the Ultimate Guide to Pick-Your-Own Farms
