Tubing the Guadalupe is Beautiful
The Guadalupe was Made for River Sports
The Guadalupe is an ever-changing river. Easily the most popular river to float in Texas, its character changes as the flow fluctuates with the release rate of water from Canyon dam turbines.
On the weekends, the Guadalupe is a great party river. It is crowded, and it is fun.
So long as you're prepared for the crowd, there's little reason to try to avoid them. Parking, driving, and tubing aren't too affected by a crowd. The river is large, and the outfitters prepared. Unlike the small central Texas rivers like the San Marcos or the Comal, the Guadalupe tubing areas are spread out over many miles.
The Guadalupe has rapids, boulders, and tube chutes. The landscape is remote, and other areas tube through the town. The river is more intense than the other central Texas tubing areas.
The river's flow rate is dictating by the water release rates from the dam at Canyon lake. Therefore the river's flow changes much more than does the Comal, San Marcos, or other spring-fed rivers.
When you're ready, view our list of Guadalupe River Outfitters.
The Lower Guadalupe
The Guadalupe River below New Braunfels eventually becomes a twisting, turning, coastal river. The river is scenic, but the limestone bluffs that are characteristic of the upper sections are no longer prevalent. The river is very slow-moving and no rapids of any consequence exist. The major hazards include many log jams along with some small dams. Six small reservoirs - Lake Dunlap, Lake Placid, Meadow Lake, Lake Gonzales, Wood Lake, and Lake McQueeney have been established on the river in Guadalupe and Gonzales Counties.
Where Should I Tube on the Guadalupe?
The Horseshoe: A fun loop float on the upper Guadalupe. After about an hour, you can take out at the bridge, walk about five minutes, and put back in for another go! Or, continue downriver to the chute.
The Chute: This is a tube chute that's a few hundred yards long, and tons of fun. When it's over, you can continue on, or get out and tube it again. Hold on to your glasses!
Around Gruene: There are sets of small rapids here that are lots of fun. When water levels are low, this is one of the only places to tube on the Guadalupe. When water levels are high, this can be a very wild rapid ride.
The outfitters that offer the Horseshoe generally are located there. In other words, you jump straight in from the outfitter, and shuttle back at the end. Other outfitters offer to shuttle you first, and then you take out right at your car once you've floated back down.
Starting at the Horseshoe you'll get to do both the Horseshoe and the Chute if you choose a 4-6 hour float. Or, start at the Chute and see the lower regions of the river. Both trips are unique.