Salt River Tubing — Attraction in Four Corners States

LOTS OF TIPS IN THIS REVIEW

Very well organized system they have. Staff was wonderful, and efficient. Suggestion, offer some more family friendly stickers guys (like your magnets.)

This has nothing to do with the company, but I wish they would ban amplified music on the river like they do on hiking trails.. Or make some people turn it down. Some groups you could hear their music coming and going for a long time. Others were more respectful you could maybe here them maybe 20 feet away. Consider this when you are tubing, water amplifies sound, put your music as quiet as possible so your group can still hear it. The majority of floaters do NOT have music though. :-)

Also again nothing to do with the company but the folks squirting water guns near the bridge at you are so rude. Right at your face, and then not moving out of the way so they get tangled in your ropes and pushing you into the shore/rocks/trees.

THINGS TO CONSIDER I brought flat white twin sheets to cover the black tube. Eliminated "sticking" to the tube and the "hot" tube.

Bring a 15' rope, it was perfect for 2 tubes, and the cooler tube. But tie them together on the shore. The water by the bridge is moving pretty quickly and it is hard to do it there.

Stick to the 48qt or smaller cooler if renting one of their cooler tubes. Also if possible bring a cooler with a flat lift up top, not the triangular tops that "rotate" to open. It was really hard to access the cooler with that kind.

I purchased a 2 pack of small collapsible paddles. I tied some twine to the handle and put a carabiner clip on it to attach it to our ropes. Came in handy to re-route or push of the shore a few times.

Speaking of going into the shore, do not worry to much, as the river will push you back out, but watch your head/eyes.

Try to start off /stay on the far left of the river as you head down.

About 2/3 down from the bridge you will see a large flat canyon wall on the right, there is a great place to get up on shore for a break and to empty garbage into their garbage cans. (No toilets)

Their are toilets at the parking lot, by the bridge (the start of the bottom half) and at the exit point. I am guessing there are some at the start at the very top drop off point too.

There are some quicker areas a few times along this route (lower half) too. You can hear them coming, just keep an eye on your littles. Nothing too scary, but this would be a hard place to stop or try to catch up with your group if someone is messing around and flips.

On July 5th, 2025, we arrived at the parking lot at 8:40a and did not dilly dally much through the process of putting on sunscreen and checking in and tying tubes together (pre-purchased tickets) and we were back at the lot by 12p just doing the lower half.

Also on this day and at this time, we saw the wild horses 4 different times on the shore drinking water.

I googled the salt river water temperature. Must have not said "where" because it said it was 82 degrees....nope much much cooler. A "little" take your breath away for a moment, but super comfortable and refreshing whatever the temp was!

Bring some type of water shoes for the whole float. The path to the busses back to the lot from the river is long and rocky. There are times to stop and having the water shoes helped to walk on the slippery rocks. A couple of people in our group had flip flops, there helped for sure, but we also saw a few flip flops floating down the river and folks at the end doing the hot foot hop to the...

UPDATE: RESPONSE TO OWNER

Thank you for your response. While I understand that Salt River Tubing does not manage or control public behavior on the river itself, I think it’s important to acknowledge that your company profits directly from that public space — and with that comes a shared responsibility to help ensure a safe environment for your customers.

Your reply felt more defensive than empathetic. My review wasn’t meant to criticize your shuttle or check-in services, which were fine. It was meant to bring attention to a recurring safety issue affecting the very experience you market and profit from. When guests are being aggressively targeted, soaked in the face, and verbally harassed by individuals stationed near your launch points — that’s more than “occasional irresponsible behavior.” It’s an ongoing safety risk, and one that you, as the primary business bringing people to the river, should care about.

I wasn’t expecting you to personally police the river, but a stronger stance, better communication with local authorities, or even signage reminding guests of safety expectations would show that you’re invested in more than just the transaction. Simply telling people to call the sheriff (when cell service is unreliable at best) doesn’t cut it.

It’s disappointing that instead of taking my concerns seriously, your response shifted the blame entirely and implied I was unfair for not praising your services. I was hoping for concern, not deflection. If you truly value guest safety, I encourage you to be more proactive in working with local agencies to ensure the Salt River experience lives up to the peaceful, family-friendly atmosphere it promises.

ORIGINAL REVIEW: Salt River Floating Experience – Disrupted by Unsafe Behavior

The Salt River is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places to float — the scenery is tranquil, the water is calming, and it’s usually a wonderful way to spend a day. Unfortunately, my recent visit didn’t reflect that experience.

Last Sunday around noon, I floated with a small group starting at the bridge. Just minutes into our float, we were aggressively targeted by people standing in the water with high-powered soakers. Despite us yelling for them to stop, one man in particular continued and even said, “If you complain, you get soaked more.” He deliberately aimed at our faces and bodies multiple times. It wasn’t playful — it was excessive and painful. I was soaked and actually hurt when the water hit my face.

I didn’t have my phone on me to report it in the moment, and there’s usually no service out there anyway, which makes it hard to report these kinds of incidents on the spot.

I’m sharing this because it felt like a genuine safety issue, not just an annoyance. Getting blasted in the face with water at close range can cause injury, and it absolutely shatters the peace and serenity that makes the Salt River so special. I hope these areas can be more closely monitored in the future to ensure everyone can enjoy the experience safely and...

September 23rd and the weekend preceding that day, brought heavy rainstorms in the mountains and SRP (Salt River Project) needed to open the flood gates on Monday to release water from Saguaro Lake. This caused an unprecedented “flash flood” that gushed down through the beloved Lower Salt River Recreational Areas. As frequent visitors and photographers we already had a hard time accepting all the trash left behind during the summer season.

The flash flood has now exposed the whole extent of the trash problem and the whole area literally looks like a landfill. There are thousands of cans everywhere - not just along the river but all the way inland - clothing pieces, sunglasses, linens and towels are hanging up to 15 feet high in the trees. We are outraged and very saddened to see this precious land littered with so much trash. Moreover, the current situation poses a hazard to humans and wildlife alike!

This is a recreational area, but what some people see as “recreation” has become a major burden for the rest of us who like to enjoy clean riverbanks and be able to take photos of precious wildlife without trash.

We do not believe that the tons of trash along the entire Lower Salt River can be removed with a quick cleanup by some school children and volunteers. It is very sickening and saddening what is happening here.

Is this the legacy you want your children to see? Is this how you want the snowbirds and tourists to see the valley’s recreational area? What does it take for people to wake up and realize that this is NOT ok? What does it take to change the mindset of these negligent scumbags? Where is law enforcement? – if littering is not prohibited it should be! What is the forest service doing - where is the day fee going? Where is the accountability of the tubing business? Probably 99% of the cans are beer cans - do you really believe that those who consumed the alcohol, take taxis to get home or have a dedicated driver? What about our expectation to enjoy areas under governmental control subsidized by our tax dollars to be clean and not a health hazard? Where is the appreciation for nature?

Not saying that the Salt River Tubing Business should take all the blame, but they certainly are a major...