Floating the Salt River in Arizona
With scorching temperatures and endless sunshine, summertime in Arizona can be brutal. For a refreshing reprieve from the heat grab a tube and float the Salt River. Nestled in Tonto National Forest, this popular destination is about a half an hour drive from Phoenix.
You can float the river on a paddleboard, kayak or inner tube. There are places nearby to rent equipment or you can bring your own. A couple gals in our group are locals and some of us were visiting from out of state. To keep things as chill as possible we opted to rent our tubes from Salt River Tubing and let them handle the transportation to and from our starting and ending points.
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Tonto National Forest Pass
If you float the river with Salt River Tubing, no pass is required. But, if you are bringing your own equipment and parking elsewhere along the river, you will need a Tonto Pass.
Optional Items to Bring
We arrived later in the day, so we only had the option of getting in the river at Pebble Beach. This was perfect for us. The entry was easy and the entire 4 mile stretch was calm. If you want to add small rapids to your adventure, arrive by noon and take the shuttle to Stop number 1 at Water Users. This adds about 2 miles and 1 hour to your float.
Getting our Tubes
Getting ready for our time on the river was a breeze. We simply parked in the designated lot, checked in, and rented a tube for each of us. We also grabbed a bucket tube to hold our drinks and snacks. Then we hopped on the bus, ready to enjoy the beautiful views from the Salt River.
The Bus
The bus shuttled us a few miles up river to our drop off point at Pebble Beach. As you can see, this is a legit old school, school bus. Nothing fancy, but it got us from point A to point B.
Our Entry Point
Our starting point was at Pebble Beach. It was a perfect spot to hop in the river, with a gradual, easy entry.
We were welcomed by horses chillin’ in the water.
Floating the Salt River
It was a beautiful lazy day on the river. I couldn’t have asked for a better day with my girlfriends.
The river flowed slowly for a relaxing ride, rarely even pushing us to the water’s edge. We floated as one big group. Since there was little water movement, we could just hold on or rest a foot on a friends tube to stay together. We simply floated, chatted, and enjoyed a warm summer’s day on the river.
Horses
There is ongoing controversy whether the horses seen along the Salt River are wild horses from the descendents of a herd dating back to the 1600’s or rather a new-ish herd and categorized as unauthorized livestock. Either way, the magnificent horses are protected and call the area home. We spotted them a few times during our float.
Getting Out of the Water
After floating a little more than 2 hours, we exited at Goldfield. I don’t really like the getting out part of river floats. It feels stressful with the current trying to push you a different direction than you want to go. But, this exit wasn’t too bad.
After getting out, we walked to the waiting shuttle and then it was a short ride back to the parking lot.
What to do After Floating the River
After floating the river consider spending your evening in the Phoenix area exploring historic areas or walking along the Rio Salado Pathway.
Visit Old Town Scottsdale for cute shops and good food.
Where to Stay
There are a plethora of hotels, resorts, and campgrounds in the Phoenix area. During this girl’s trip we enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton Desert Oasis Villas in Scottsdale, where we spent more time floating.
LEAVE NO TRACE
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This review is based only on Jennifer’s experience. Float at your own risk with the understanding that individual scenarios in a natural environment will be variable.
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