Tubing in the Russian River, California

I had been told that the Russian River is a popular place for water activities in the summer for folks living in and around the Bay Area. I was finally able to plan a trip there this past weekend. My husband and I were spending a few days in the Calistoga area and we decided to go tubing in the river. We did not know what to expect but it turned out to be a very relaxing and fun experience.

It was about a 45 minutes drive from Calistoga. It is not far from from San Francisco either – just an additional 30 minutes. Makes for a perfect day trip.

Based on our experience, I have created a list of things you should know to have a fun trip!

What to know before you go

The recommended starting point is at Steelhead beach, Sonoma County. There is a parking lot, a designated launch area and restrooms. You can end you trip at Mother’s beach (If you prefer a shorter ride) or go till Sunset Beach. We went till Sunset beach – the floating distance was about 2 miles and it took us about 4 hours to complete the trip – the river flows very gently in the summer months. Towards the end, the flow of the river was so slow that we had to get in the water and push our float .. haha! Be careful though – while the river is mostly shallow it gets deep in parts.

Go on a weekday or plan to arrive early on a weekend. It is a pretty popular activity in the summer. So, if you want to have a relaxed ride without bumping into others, I would recommend going on a weekday. If you go on a weekend, go as early as 9 am so you have already covered some distance by the time most people start. I was told parking lots gets full by 10 am on weekends. We went on a Wednesday so it was not crowded. There was plenty of parking space too.

Park your car at the beach you plan to finish your float. If you have two cars then you can park one each at the starting and the ending points, but, in case, you travel with one car, you should inflate and drop off your floats at the starting point and park your car the end point and then walk/run back to the starting point. You might get tempted to park at the starting point and plan to walk back or hitchhike after the float but trust me it is not fun to walk back 3 miles carrying your float and with clothes drenched in water. You might be lucky to get a ride back but most people do not want strangers wetting their car.

Also, while walking back to the steelhead beach after parking your car, make sure to follow the walking directions on google maps instead of the driving directions. The route recommended for walking will be safer compared to the one you drove on.

There is a $7 parking fee irrespective of which beach you park at.

Things to carry with you

Make sure your float is sturdy and has a headrest – There are many sections in the river which are shallow – your float touches the bottom of the river which may have stones. At times your float can also get stuck in the bushes. You need to have a float that does not get punctured. No need to get something super fancy but avoid the cheap flimsy ones. You may also want to carry a tape with you in case your tube does get a hole.

Also, a headrest is great to have – it makes a huge difference in your comfort as you you will be in that float for a few hours.

Carry an extra float for your cooler – Your trip is incomplete without a few chilled drinks. Make sure to have an extra float so you don’t need to scramble for space.

You will need a rope to tie your floats together – If you are going in a group, tie all the floats together so you do not need to worry about leaving a friend behind.

Carry a Kayak/Canoe Paddle – If you have a paddle that you can carry with you, it will save your arms a lot of exercise. There are portions in the river where we used our arms to steer away from an island, a partially submerged tree, weeds or a shallow portion. There are also parts where the river flow is really slow and a paddle can help you move faster.

It goes without saying that you will need some kind of pump to inflate your floats. We had a hand pump which was enough.

Wear you water shoes. Keep a change of clothes and a towel in your car. Carry a trash bag to bring the trash back with you. Not to mention, you will need your hat, sunscreen, sunglasses to cope with the summer sun.

Hope this helps with your preparation. Reach out to us in the comment section if you have more questions! Let us know how your tubing experience went.