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Tubing a lazy river

Lolling on water, it's easy to play it cool.

It’s almost magic, the power of wind and water on a hot day. It's enough to give you goosebumps.

Tubing Minnesota's Rum River on an oppressively hot afternoon, I was amazed to see goose flesh rise on my legs when a breeze sprang up and a cloud crossed the sun. We’d entered a microclimate that seemed to exist only along the river’s surface.

“I don't even feel the heat here,” said my friend Adele. “You'd never guess it was 95.”

The last time Adele and I went tubing on a lazy river, it was February in the Wisconsin Dells. This time, it was July in Isanti, just north of the Twin Cities, and we were tired of the heat, not the cold.

So we hopped in the car and headed north on I-35, turning west at North Branch. In Isanti, the Rum River is 32 river miles from its confluence with the Mississippi in Anoka and 113 miles from its start in Mille Lacs' Vineland Bay. From there, it flows through Mille Lacs-Kathio State Park, ancestral homeland of the Mdewakanton Dakota, before heading south.

The lake the French called Mille Lacs was Spirit Lake to the Mdewakanton, whose name means “people of Spirit Lake.” They called the river that flowed from it “spirit waters”; it was either mistranslation or mischief that turned “Spirit” into “Rum.”

Today, the Rum is designated a state wild and scenic riverway. South of Isanti, its banks are lined with trees and its bottom with sand, so it's perfect for tubing. On warm weekends, Country Camping Tent & RV Park keeps its two vans going nonstop, shuttling tubes and people to Martin's Landing, from which they make the two-mile float back to the campground. Usually, it takes two or three hours.

“Last week, it was so hot people just held on to the tubes and stayed in the river,” said JaRae Midlo, whose family runs the campground. “We had 100 people here waiting for them to come back.”

When Adele and I arrived at noon on a Friday, all was quiet at the campground, and driver Charlie Castner zipped us to the landing as soon as we were ready.

In early afternoon, we were the only people on the river, which meant we were able to float right up to three great blue herons and get close-up views as each lifted itself into the air and flapped languidly away. We didn't see any of the bald eagles Midlo said nest near the river, or the sandhill cranes she said she'd seen in the fields. But the trees were full of songbirds, breaking the silence with their trills.

The only other wildlife we discerned were the deer flies buzzing around our heads and the unseen fish that nibbled the tips of our thumbs, trailing in the water. Since there wasn't much to see, we just lolled on our tubes, chatted and relaxed.

We did see a knotted swing hanging from a tree, so I took a break from adulthood and used it to swing as far as I could into the river. Too soon, we saw the Stop sign marking the takeout, and I literally dug my heels into the sandy river bottom to slow down.

But we couldn't stand in the river forever, so we got out, changed and treated ourselves to Cherry Garcia ice-cream bars from the campground store. In Isanti, we treated ourselves to iced lattes from the Rendezvous Coffee Shop on County Road 5, because we needed the caffeine to get ourselves home.

“I feel so relaxed, after all that bobbing along and a few hours in the sun,” Adele said.

The only bad thing about most tubing trips is they don’t last long enough. On a hot summer day, there's almost nothing better. Weekends bring crowds, many of them drinkers, but usually you can avoid them by heading out first thing in the morning. The best time to go, of course, is on weekdays.

The Apple River in western Wisconsin is most famous for tubing, but not everyone wants to float on a river whose guests are so notorious for bad behavior they have to be watched from security towers. Luckily, there are many other tubing rivers.

On the Root River in southeast Minnesota, it’s easy to have a cooler-than-thou attitude if you’re on a tube, watching the sweaty bicyclists on the Root River State Trail. In Lanesboro, floaters start downtown on the South Branch, chilled to 48 degrees from passing through Mystery Caverns, and get tossed over a flume-like series of rapids before joining the warmer North Branch.

In Chippewa Falls, floaters can do their beer-drinking before the trip by taking a tour of the Leinenkugel Brewery, which ends with free samples. Then they can float off the effects on the wide Chippewa River, gliding from the dam downriver from downtown to Loopy’s Grill and Saloon on Wisconsin 29.

In northeast Iowa, the Upper Iowa River takes tube people past a spectacular series of limestone pillars and chimneys. In northwest Wisconsin, the spring-fed Namekagon takes flotillas of floaters through a forested north-woods landscape. On the Zumbro, the first tube riders of the day are likely to see eagles.

When you’re in hot pursuit of something cool, look for a river.

Trip Tips: Tubing

Below are some of the outfitters who rent tubes and offer shuttles. In Minnesota, other outfitters are listed at www.exploreminnesota.com; in Wisconsin, at www.travelwisconsin.com.

It’s also possible to do a self-shuttle on other rivers if public landings and parking areas are available. Since most floats are only a few miles long, leave bicycles at the take-out point and, after floating, use them to ride back to the car. It’s also easy for two or more people with two cars.

For information on landings, river mileage, water levels and rapids, get free maps for Minnesota’s designated water trails at the DNR Information Center, 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul, 651-296-6157 or 888-647-7367. Not all canoeing rivers are appropriate for tubing.

The Wisconsin DNR doesn’t have handy maps, the Wisconsin Activity Guide lists outfitters; for a copy, call 800-432-8747.

When tubing, wear water shoes as well as hats and sunblock. Flotation vests are necessary for small children and a good idea for adults, though most of the rivers are shallow, especially in late summer. The biggest danger comes from the root balls of fallen trees, which can entangle people and puncture tubes. In general, trips are faster in spring and slower in late summer.

The rivers below are popular for tubing and may get crowded and/or rowdy on weekends. Reservations usually aren’t necessary, except for large groups, but it's a good idea to call ahead on weekdays to make sure a shuttle will be available.

Rum River, Isanti, Minn.: In central Minnesota, Country Camping Tent & RV Park takes people upriver for the two-mile, two-hour float back to the campground, $10. It’s one of the less-known tubing rivers, so it’s quiet on weekdays; weekends are crowded. Tanger Outlet Center in North Branch is right on the way and makes a nice side trip on the way back. 763-444-9626, www.country-camping.com.

Root River, Lanesboro, Minn.: in the southeast corner of Minnesota, the chilly South Branch of the Root River carves a shady one-mile loop around downtown Lanesboro that takes 30 to 45 minutes on a tube; people can get into the river right below Root River Outfitters, ride the rapids to the County Road 250 bridge and walk back with their tubes on the Root River State Trail to do it again.

A longer trip takes tubes past the confluence with the warmer North Branch to the Minnesota 16 access, three to four hours. The short trip is $8, and the longer trip with pickup is $12. 507-467-3400, www.rootriveroutfitters.com.

In Lanesboro, Little River General Store and Eagle Cliff Campground also rent tubes on the Root River, as do Gator Greens Mini Golf in Whalan and Geneva’s in Peterson, www.lanesboro.com.

Chippewa River, Chippewa Falls, Wis.: From Loopy’s Grill and Saloon on Wisconsin Business 29 just west of Chippewa Falls, floaters are taken upriver and allowed to float back, a trip that usually is 2½ hours. Loopy's hosts what it calls the world's largest one-day tubing event, the Frenchtown Annual Tube Float and Regatta, FATFAR, on the third Sunday in June. 715-723-5667, www.723loop.com (for a four-for-three deal, print out the coupon on the Web site).

Cannon River, Welch, Minn.: It pays to get to Welch Mill Outfitters early, because it’s only 45 minutes south of the Twin Cities and very popular. On weekends, it opens at 8 a.m.; floaters are taken toward Cannon Falls and left to float 3½ to 4½ hours back to Welch. Tubes are $9 with shuttle, 800-657-6760, www.welchmillcanoeandtube.com.

Upper Iowa River, Bluffton, Iowa: This stretch of river just north of Decorah looks more like Utah than Iowa, with its steep bluffs and free-standing rock chimneys. One of the most picturesque stretches, the five river miles between Bridge 5 in Chimney Rock Park and Bridge 7 in Bluffton, is a good candidate for a self-shuttle because it forms two loops separated by little more than two miles of County Road W20, just west of U.S. 52.

However, there are many outfitters, including Chimney Rock Campground, 877-787-2267; and Hruska’s Canoe Livery, 563-547-4566. For a copy of the Upper Iowa River Canoe Guide, call 800-463-4692, www.decoraharea.com.

Red Cedar River, Menomonie, Wis.: Just south of Menomonie, the Red Cedar River is beloved for its easy access and scenery, including canyonlike walls of gold sand and abundant wildlife. People can rent tubes from Roscoe's Red Cedar Outfitters, south of downtown off Wisconsin 29, or bring their own tubes and leave bikes in Irvington, floating from Riverside Park and riding back on the Red Cedar State Trail. Roscoe’s opens at 10 a.m. and rents tubes for the two- to three-hour trip, 715-235-3866.

Zumbro River, Zumbro Falls, Minn.: The seven-mile stretch from Zumbro Falls to Hammond in southeast Minnesota bluff country is very scenic, with limestone cliffs and steep hillsides. People who show up by 9 a.m. at Zumbro Valley Canoe & Tube Rental are most likely to see the many bald eagles that nest in the area, plus herons and turkeys. When water is low, the trip takes five to six hours; last tube trip leaves at 2 p.m. The outfitter is in Sportsmen’s Park, across the river from downtown Zumbro Falls, 507-753-2568.

Namekagon River, Trego, Wis.: From the village of Trego, just north of Spooner at the junction of U.S. 53 and U.S. 63 in northwest Wisconsin, two outfitters take people up the cool, spring-fed Namekagon and let them float back. Log Cabin Resort & Campground has a sandy beach, showers and splash park, 715-635-2959, www.logcabin-resort.com. Jack’s also rents tubes, 715-635-3300, www.jackscanoerental.com.

Crystal River, Waupaca, Wis.: This isn’t a tube trip, but it has the feel of one. In this central Wisconsin lakes area, Ding’s Dock offers trips on the narrow, twisting Crystal River in specially made small canoes. The 11-mile trip takes about three hours and takes canoeists on a shady route past historic homes, gardens, scenic foot bridges and the village of Rural, a historic district. Cost is $14.25 per person based on two in a canoe, including shuttle. 715-258-2612, www.dingsdock.com.

Wolf River, White Lake, Wis.: Northeast Wisconsin is known for its whitewater, so here people bump over the rocks on rafts,  not tubes. There's a list of outfitters on the Wolf River Territory web site.

Last updated on August 4, 2008