tubing_express

River Tubing Express

Activities River tubing

Skill level Beginner

Age 3+ Years

Weight limit 300lb/person

Duration
1/2 mile float and chill; no time limit

River features
Slow moving flat water

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Trip Cost

Regular Tube

1 cup holder, no backrest or mesh floor

$39

Premium Tube

1 cup holder, back rest, mesh floor

$44

Child (3 - 7 yo)

tube varies on child's size

$34

Cooler Carrier Tube

tube for personal belongings and refreshments

$15

River Tubing Express

Looking for a quick cool-down with zero rush? Enjoy a ½-mile lazy float down the river, perfect for catching some rays and relaxing in the water. With unlimited time on your trip, you are completely in control. Go at your own pace, splash around as long as you like, and end the journey whenever you're ready! Transportation is provided at the beginning of this trip. You end up at our private ramp and parking lot.

Things to know before you go

River is not a water park!

River is an uncontrolled wilderness environment with unpredictable outcome! You are exposed to all nature’s elements (sun, rain, wind, thunderstorms, etc). There are rocks that can scratch you, mud that can get you dirty, deep spots where you are not able to stand, thunderstorms that might form over you, wildlife and other unpredictable factors that can harm you! There is no way to abandon the trip early!

It's only 1/2 a mile long

This trip is a much shorter alternative to our regular Lazy River Tubing journey. You’ll float about ½ mile down the river, which typically takes around 45 minutes. Even if you reach the end early, we allow all day for you to swim, splash, play, relax, and soak up the sun. Simply hang out near the takeout area and exit the river when you are ready.

No glass containers!

We will check coolers to ensure no glass containers are being brought on the river.

What to wear

Since tubing is a mostly summer months activity when the weather and water are warm, you can plan on wearing a swimming suit, shorts or something you can plan on getting wet and swim in. No pajamas (yes, it's happened before! 🤭) Wear closed-toe shoes: water shoes, sandals, or sneakers is highly recommended, no flip-flops!

What to bring

  • Plenty of water! Plan on taking one 12 oz bottle of water per person per river hour. Absolutely no glass containers! Nalgene bottles or regular plastic bottled water is your best option.
  • Sunscreen is a must, even on cooler days!! Alternatively, you can wear long sleeve clothing.
  • Closed-toe shoes are highly recommended! There is a great chance of you having to walk on rocky riverbed at some point or another.
  • Lunch and snacks. Bring along your cooler, mid to larger sized coolers fit very nicely in our cooler carrier tubes.
    Please note: our cooler carrier is just a carrier and doesn’t include a cooler.
  • Phone(s). We will ask you to bring at least one phone per group. We have dry pouches, dry boxes, and dry bags for sale in our shop, if needed.
  • If you’d like to bring a change of dry clothes to leave in your car, please do. We have changing rooms you can use at the end of your trip.
  • Cameras, water toys, speakers, etc.

Picture Gallery

Trip F.A.Q.

We strongly recommend making online reservations! It allows you to complete all the required paperwork online and it will speed up your check-in! That’s also the only way we can guarantee the equipment you need.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your activity, please do so at least 72 hours before your activity start time for a full refund or a no‑fee reschedule. Inside 72 hours, bookings are final and cannot be changed or refunded. We will do our best to accommodate your trip as scheduled. However, we reserve the right to adjust your activity due to river conditions or weather by rescheduling, offering a different activity, or issuing credit for future use. Refunds are not provided for weather‑related changes.

3 years old and up.

300lb. The heavier a person, the lower a tube sits in the water, making it more challenging to float on a low, rocky river!

We promote healthy living and healthy enjoyment of the great outdoors! Alcohol is not recommended to have an amazing time on the river, however if you must… Responsible, moderate consumption is strongly enforced. All North Carolina and Waterways laws apply and are closely monitored by local and Wildlife Law Enforcement.

ABSOLUTELY NO GLASS CONTAINERS OR LIQUOR!

You have to have at least one 18 year old individual in your party out on the water. Anyone else under 18 must have consent from a parent or legal guardian.

We offer 10% off for groups 12-23 people and 20% off for groups of 24+ people.

Choose any river activity that suits your group the best. Once you have the date and trip picked, we will email a quote that has the appropriate discount applied. Groups must be paid for in one single payment to qualify for our group discount. Give us a call 919.495.5555 or contact us with questions!

Yes! We offer 10% discount for military, EMS, Fire, Police, Teachers, and Students. Use Promo Code SERVICE when making your online reservations. Be sure to have your military or relevant ID when checking in on the day of your trip.

You MUST exit at the take-out 1/2 a mile downstream from the put-in at Shiner Park. Do not attempt to get off the river before you reach the Cape Fear River Adventures river ramp.

Yes, you can. We do not offer a discounted rate if you are using personal tube.

Yes, we do! We accept all major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

There are no gators or sharks, but there are water snakes. They are mostly non-aggressive type, but we ask you to respect wildlife and keep your distance. Checking your surroundings while on water goes a long way. Any incidents with wildlife are extremely rare and generally it is a unique experience to spot any wildlife while out on the river!

Dogs are not allowed on this trip.

1.5ft x 2.5ft of inner usable space.

It can be more difficult than it looks, especially in deeper water. It will take some upper body strength to pull yourself up.

Yes!

We sure do! The group discount is based on the size of your group. Please check out our Group Page for more details.

Yes we do! We accept all major credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Yes! We offer 10% discount for our outfitter services for military, EMS, Fire, Police and Teachers. Use Promo Code “service” when making your online reservations. Be sure to have your military or relevant ID when checking in. Excludes retail sales and glamping.