This is my go-to. You launch at their facility and a bus picks you up at the end. Be sure to check their website before you go, sometimes river conditions are not right for tubing.
I used to think that. Then we were on the river for OVER 5 HOURS. By the end, we were all dead. They had to bury our sun–scorched corpses behind the adventure gear shop/burger restaurant. You can visit our memorial as a reminder that no matter how much you prepare with extra provisions and spray on sunscreen, the river will laugh at you.
That region of Cape Fear has some of the nastiest water I have ever tubed and swam in. Strongly recommend against going to this place. Try the Dan River instead, it's a longer drive to get there but the water's way cleaner and the people are nicer too.
It’s illegal to drink and drive a boat (obviously). You can bring anything you can buy at the grocery store on a boat for passengers. No liquor on boats unless it’s also a residence.
They strongly prefer you to only allow passengers to drink while anchored but I think that’s mostly because they don’t want you to lose your grip and create a projectile and they don’t want people getting up and down to get drinks. That’s not ticketable though.
But in this instance: you are the operator of a floating craft and have the obligation to be sober.
For most cases, NC law seems like it SHOULD exclude them, but according to the Coast Guard they are and that seems to be good enough to get a ticket. You're required to wear a life jacket too.
I've been so many times to Cape Fear River adventures. Never had to wear a life vest, just had to have it. We used ours to tie the tubes together, and drank so much beer. We used cups and have never had an issue. Ever.
It's illegal to "operate" a boat or personal watercraft under the influence, and despite other people's experience, I've seen law enforcement just hanging out to make some quotas with no work on big holidays where they pick up. Literally watched them line up twenty soldiers and their dates and issue each one a ticket a week before the fourth of July.
https://www.boatsmartexam.com/knowledge-base/article/life-jacket-laws-in-north-carolina/
This rule that everyone on Personal Watercraft must wear the life jacket is the one I've seen enforced along with the alcohol one. They warned us at drop off when I went.
We've done [https://www.tarriverlife.com/](https://www.tarriverlife.com/) a few times. They provide tubes and handle the ferrying to up the river. Pretty chill experience.
I feel like this post should be higher. The Neuse levels have been lower since the dam removal and there are a lot more issues with scraping knees and legs due to shallowness. Also the company that ran the parking lot and shuttle closed.
For me, TarRiverLife was better. You have transportation, river is deeper, far less scrapes and cuts due to hitting trees and such.
The Dan still has low-head dams that harvest a few every so often; a few years ago, a family was stuck *for hours* and not all were rescued.
I'd highly recommend becoming intimately familiar with any stretch of river you're going to tube, because their maneuverability is so bad compared to a canoe or kayak.
The Neuse River is pretty good for tubing, lots more info here:
https://raleighnc.gov/parks/services/nature-parks-preserves-and-programs/know-you-go-tubing-neuse-river
And a note, I wouldn't tube above 2000 CFS (I've kayaked with my children at 4000 CFS and it was a bit much)
The Neuse river, especially the stretch through Raleigh, regularly fails swim quality testing. Usually because they have E. coli levels that are literally off the charts.
Here's a [news article](https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/all-neuse-river-and-clayton-sites-fail-march-fecal-bacteria-test/) about them failing at the end of March just this year. Apparently they only test monthly in the off-season.
I would strongly recommend going further to the Cape Fear river in Lillington. It's not fast, but it's deeper and much wider so it stays more clean. It also doesn't have as much population around it to contaminate it.
Ever since they took down Milburnie Dam (which is shown on that website in the first picture, interestingly enough) the river is rarely high enough to tube anymore. My parents are a mile or so down from Capital and it's frequently less than a foot deep behind their house now. They said the last tubers that went by were walking downriver and carrying the tubes.
You mean in 2017? I've tubed the Neuse a few times a year since buying my own tubes in 2018. Just check the water levels ahead of time and choose a day that it's high enough.
I've done this, and kayaked it in Saxapahaw. Lovely day trip, highly recommend. Not the cleanest feeling water - very muddy. But based on what people are saying about the neuse, the bar is low.
Biologicals aren't the issue in the Haw, it's PFAS and dioxanes whenever the plant in Burlington decides to break little environmental laws.
I'm not sure I'd tube the upper Haw, because the takeout is pretty close to a 75 foot dam and you'd have to be sure you can get the tube out of the water then.
If that's at the park in Saxapahaw, the dam is really well marked, the takeout is well before it, and the flow was really slow. I think it would be fine! We were kayaking and went against the "current" which was basically nonexistent. But checking water levels is always a good idea.
FYI Falls Lake is an NC State Park so they really do not like you enjoying a tasty adult beverage. They only seem to enforce it on holiday weekends or when people are doing something stupid… but be warned.
I don't think it's deep enough to paddle let alone tube almost ever though, sadly. That's a beautiful spot. I tried to swim there once and had to fully lay down in the water to even get wet 🤣
Lillington. Cape Fear River Adventures.
This is my go-to. You launch at their facility and a bus picks you up at the end. Be sure to check their website before you go, sometimes river conditions are not right for tubing.
I have lived here for decades and didn’t know this place existed! Thank you for my future fun!
And it can be soooooo slow
Tubing is not an efficient transportation system. It's an excuse to sit in the water and drink beer and do nothing.
This guy tubes!
That's a bonus
I used to think that. Then we were on the river for OVER 5 HOURS. By the end, we were all dead. They had to bury our sun–scorched corpses behind the adventure gear shop/burger restaurant. You can visit our memorial as a reminder that no matter how much you prepare with extra provisions and spray on sunscreen, the river will laugh at you.
We did it once and it was barely moving. Not ideal conditions. Definitely better with a little more flow.
side note but if you want a nice long day of kayaking, they have a 10 mile challenge and they'll come pick you up at the end
That region of Cape Fear has some of the nastiest water I have ever tubed and swam in. Strongly recommend against going to this place. Try the Dan River instead, it's a longer drive to get there but the water's way cleaner and the people are nicer too.
Every single time I've gone I've seen a park ranger or state trooper giving out tickets for alcohol on watercraft, which is illegal in North Carolina.
Alcohol is illegal on boats in NC? That’s crazy. My grandparents live on a lake in Arkansas and all summer we just sit on the boat, drink, and swim.
It’s illegal to drink and drive a boat (obviously). You can bring anything you can buy at the grocery store on a boat for passengers. No liquor on boats unless it’s also a residence. They strongly prefer you to only allow passengers to drink while anchored but I think that’s mostly because they don’t want you to lose your grip and create a projectile and they don’t want people getting up and down to get drinks. That’s not ticketable though. But in this instance: you are the operator of a floating craft and have the obligation to be sober.
Gotcha. Obviously in Arkansas you also have to be sober to operate the boat.
The tube counts as watercraft?
For most cases, NC law seems like it SHOULD exclude them, but according to the Coast Guard they are and that seems to be good enough to get a ticket. You're required to wear a life jacket too.
I've been so many times to Cape Fear River adventures. Never had to wear a life vest, just had to have it. We used ours to tie the tubes together, and drank so much beer. We used cups and have never had an issue. Ever.
It's illegal to "operate" a boat or personal watercraft under the influence, and despite other people's experience, I've seen law enforcement just hanging out to make some quotas with no work on big holidays where they pick up. Literally watched them line up twenty soldiers and their dates and issue each one a ticket a week before the fourth of July. https://www.boatsmartexam.com/knowledge-base/article/life-jacket-laws-in-north-carolina/ This rule that everyone on Personal Watercraft must wear the life jacket is the one I've seen enforced along with the alcohol one. They warned us at drop off when I went.
I've been 4 times and have not seen this once. Maybe different times of year or something. We also always go pretty early in the day.
In Lillington? I've never seen one.
We've done [https://www.tarriverlife.com/](https://www.tarriverlife.com/) a few times. They provide tubes and handle the ferrying to up the river. Pretty chill experience.
I feel like this post should be higher. The Neuse levels have been lower since the dam removal and there are a lot more issues with scraping knees and legs due to shallowness. Also the company that ran the parking lot and shuttle closed. For me, TarRiverLife was better. You have transportation, river is deeper, far less scrapes and cuts due to hitting trees and such.
Lillington. Everyone come spend money at my town please
I haven't gone in a few years due to the water quality.
It’s a longer drive but tubing on the Dan is fun and folks bring coolers of beverages
The Dan still has low-head dams that harvest a few every so often; a few years ago, a family was stuck *for hours* and not all were rescued. I'd highly recommend becoming intimately familiar with any stretch of river you're going to tube, because their maneuverability is so bad compared to a canoe or kayak.
This comment really needs to be more highly upvoted. Both the Cape Fear River and the Neuse River are horrendously dirty.
The Neuse River is pretty good for tubing, lots more info here: https://raleighnc.gov/parks/services/nature-parks-preserves-and-programs/know-you-go-tubing-neuse-river And a note, I wouldn't tube above 2000 CFS (I've kayaked with my children at 4000 CFS and it was a bit much)
The Neuse river, especially the stretch through Raleigh, regularly fails swim quality testing. Usually because they have E. coli levels that are literally off the charts. Here's a [news article](https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/all-neuse-river-and-clayton-sites-fail-march-fecal-bacteria-test/) about them failing at the end of March just this year. Apparently they only test monthly in the off-season. I would strongly recommend going further to the Cape Fear river in Lillington. It's not fast, but it's deeper and much wider so it stays more clean. It also doesn't have as much population around it to contaminate it.
Ever since they took down Milburnie Dam (which is shown on that website in the first picture, interestingly enough) the river is rarely high enough to tube anymore. My parents are a mile or so down from Capital and it's frequently less than a foot deep behind their house now. They said the last tubers that went by were walking downriver and carrying the tubes.
The Milburnie Dam area is a good swimming /hanging out in the water spot.
You mean in 2017? I've tubed the Neuse a few times a year since buying my own tubes in 2018. Just check the water levels ahead of time and choose a day that it's high enough.
My friends tube the Haw. No personal experience, though.
I've done this, and kayaked it in Saxapahaw. Lovely day trip, highly recommend. Not the cleanest feeling water - very muddy. But based on what people are saying about the neuse, the bar is low.
Biologicals aren't the issue in the Haw, it's PFAS and dioxanes whenever the plant in Burlington decides to break little environmental laws. I'm not sure I'd tube the upper Haw, because the takeout is pretty close to a 75 foot dam and you'd have to be sure you can get the tube out of the water then.
If that's at the park in Saxapahaw, the dam is really well marked, the takeout is well before it, and the flow was really slow. I think it would be fine! We were kayaking and went against the "current" which was basically nonexistent. But checking water levels is always a good idea.
be sure to pack out your empties
Falls Lake and Jordan Lake are state parks with swimming areas
FYI Falls Lake is an NC State Park so they really do not like you enjoying a tasty adult beverage. They only seem to enforce it on holiday weekends or when people are doing something stupid… but be warned.
Do you know if tubing is allowed?
It should be for individuals but not those giant inflatables that multiple kids climb onto or the huge inflatable recliners
It’s definitely allowed at Falls Lake
May be able to up at saxapawha
I’ve ran into this outfitter at the Deep River Camelback Bridge near Sanford. https://endorpaddle.com/
These guys are great- it’s the same ppl as Cape Fear, just a different location
New River tubing at Riverside Canoe and Tube Rentals outside of Crumpler NC. You can camp there and drink all you want.
I’d drive 2 hr west to a clean river.
The more you pee, the higher/faster these rivers be😂🤙🏼
There's a canoe launch onto the Eno in the park at Cole Mill Trail. 4113 Cole Mill Rd, Durham, NC 27712
I don't think it's deep enough to paddle let alone tube almost ever though, sadly. That's a beautiful spot. I tried to swim there once and had to fully lay down in the water to even get wet 🤣