Top Ten Whitewater Rivers for Tubing & Duckies
DUCK CALL: Nantahala River, North Carolina (courtesy, Nantahala Outdoor Center)
Certain rivers are inexorably linked to the ferocity of their whitewater—let's just call it the "my-Class-V-is-bigger-than-yours" complex. However, a river can also mellow out depending on the time of year, with water levels that have been bolstered by heavy spring snowmelt dropping to an easier summer flow. Unlike bigger, more cumbersome rafts, duckies—small, inflatable kayaks—allow you to navigate normally fierce rivers like the Middle Fork of the American or Nantahala with greater independence. They also give you a better taste of the contours of the river. Go one step further on certain rivers by plopping yourself in an inner tube with a floating cooler in tow, crack open a cool one, lie back, and enjoy the sun as you let the river do all the work. Medical disclaimer: This approach is not recommended for hyperactive over-achievers.
Here are ten of our favorite rivers for tubing and duckies, but we know there are hundreds of other local rivers where tubing is a summer rite of passage. Tell us about them in the comments section below!
Top 10 Rivers for Tubing & Duckies
1. American River, California
2. Chattooga River, Georgia/South Carolina
6. Nantahala River, North Carolina
8. Nolichucky River, Tennessee/North Carolina
10. Lower & Middle Youghiogheny River, Pennsylvania
Like top ten travel lists? So do we. Find more of Away.com's Top Ten Trip Ideas here.
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It seems like everybody in the South has, at some time in their lives, tubed on Deep Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains of NC. Though small on challenge, it is big on beauty and flows right past a national park campground.
Posted by: John | August 25, 2009 at 07:39 PM
I got two "duckies" and I love them. We're going to try out one of these trips after we finish paddling down the Mississippi River. It't slow going right now as the big muddy sure ain't no whitewater (except when those huge barges pass by).
Posted by: Phillip Hullquist | August 02, 2009 at 11:44 AM