Whitewater Tubing: Get You Butt into it

Being the daring mother that I am, I ventured to take my three sons and three of their friends on a whitewater tubing adventure down the Potomac River.  In all, there were three scared ten year olds, three intrepid fourteen year olds, and one ‘braver than smarter’ 44 year old lady.  We wound up at Butts Tubes, Inc., the result of a web search of activities to do in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. The website, www.buttstubes.com, told us all we needed to know.  Well, not exactly, the web said the price for the day was $20 a rider, but when we got there we ended up paying only $17 per rider.

What did we get for our $17?  Simply one of the best days of our summer.  Promptly at 10 a.m. the seven of us boarded a shuttle bus that would take us fifteen minutes up the river.  During the drive up the river, ‘safety’ directions were delivered.  Honestly, you had to pay close attention as the driver was trying to talk over the sound of the wind coming through the windows and the sounds of the experienced passengers chatting away.  If you were astute you would hear everything you needed to know for an enjoyable and safe trip.

After departing the bus and securing our mandatory life vests, we made our way down a small slope and climbed aboard a firmly inflated, vinyl tube with handles.  For the next two hours we alternately floated in peaceful calm beneath blossomed shade trees and through rapid waters breaking white over scattered rock formations.  At one point we discovered an eddy which swirled us around and around in a secluded fourteen foot circle.  Other rapids were easy to navigate in and out of, thus providing the opportunity to maximize the excitement.




The C and O Canal Trail runs along the east bank of the river and the Harper’Ferry National Historic Park runs along the right.  These protected lands provide a beautiful, clean, and scenic landscape.  We enjoyed watching hikers, bike riders, and the occasional train pass overhead as we crossed underneath a railroad bridge.