Boise – Mommy Travels

How to Float the River

Meagan — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 13:58:05 +0000

Find out everything you will need to float the river with kids, plus a list of fun rivers to float across the United States.

How to Float a River with Kids

One of our favorite outdoor activities to do as a family is float the river. It’s relaxing and fun. We typically float for half a day so somewhere between 3 – 5 hours. If you’ve never floated a river, it can be a little intimidating even though there’s no skill needed. There are a few designated areas that I call out below where you can float.

There are some things you need to know before you float. For example, what to wear and how to chill your drinks. Use your judgment and make sure conditions are safe before heading out.

What to wear while floating the river:

Clothes and shoes that can get wet like your swimsuit
Shoes that stay on your feet, like river sandals, aqua socks, or even tennis shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Do not wear flip flops.
Sunglasses
If you wear glasses, straps to keep them secure are a good idea.
Hat
Wearable Drybag

Other Items to Bring

Raft or tubes: In Texas, tubes are ideal, because it’s so hot and the water is warm. In Oregon and Idaho, rafts are better because the water is so cold.
Life jackets: Laws vary by state, but everyone should always have a life jacket. Never take a child into a river without a life jacket.
Paddles: You may not need them, but on the off chance you do, you will be happy to have them with you.
Sunscreen
Snacks: Pack snacks with minimal packaging.
Non-alcoholic beverages
Water: It’s important that everyone stays well hydrated while out in the sun.
Mesh laundry bag: I use a mesh laundry bag and fill it with drinks and tie it to our raft. Typically the water is so cold it will keep the drinks super cold.
Waterproof camera: Nowadays there are lots of waterproof cameras on the market.
Air Pump: You will want to quickly fill up your tubes and rafts.

What else to bring, but leave in the car until the end:

A change of dry clothes
Towel

What Not to Bring

Glass bottles or containers
Styrofoam coolers or cups

Where to Float a River with Kids

Florida:

Fort White offers the most popular place to float in Florida at Ichetcucknee Springs State Park and is open May – September.

Visitors bringing tubes into the park: Enter park at the north park entrance located at 8294 SW Elim Church Road.
Drivers will leave tubes and passengers at the tube drop off location in the upper parking lot area.
Drivers will proceed to the South main entrance parking area located at 12087 SW U.S. Highway 27.
Drivers will purchase a shuttle bracelet for transportation to North main entrance tube drop off from the general store. (The driver can also purchase tram bracelets for everyone in their party)
Visitors renting tubes from within the park will need to enter the park at South main entrance instead, located at 12087 SW U.S. Highway 27.

Between Jacksonville and Tallahassee is Madison Blue Spring State Park, where you can float on weekends from May to September.

In Apopka, you can float Rock Springs Run in Kelly Park. Bring your own, or rent tubes for $5 – $7 from private outfitters located just outside the park. The float trip is short, it only takes about 25 minutes. When you are done, it is a 5-minute walk on a paved sidewalk back to the start. The deepest part is about 5 feet and is much shallower in many places.

In High Springs you can do a short float down the Santa Fe River at Ginnie Springs. Put in at Devil’s Spring and float for an hour. You will exit at Twin Spring and walk back to where you parked. It takes around 15 minutes to walk back on the tubing trail. There are free air stations located in the park.

In Holt, in the Florida panhandle is Blackwater River State Park. Blackwater River offers a four-mile stretch of water that will take you 3-5 hours to float.

Spring Creek in Marianna near Tallahassee offers a four-hour tubing experience. Start at Merrit’s Mill Pond where Spring Creek opens up to the Chipola River.

Georgia:

Near Atlanta, in Roswell, you can float the Chattahoochee River. You will only want to float here if it is over 80 degrees outside because the water is cold.

In Blue Ridge, the Toccoa River offers smooth rides through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Idaho:

In Boise, you can float the Boise River. (Some people even surf it, but we just float!) You can park your car at Ann Morrison Park and catch a bus. For a few dollars, the bus will take you up the river and drop you off at Barber Park. Last time we paid $2 per adult and they didn’t charge me for the kids. At the drop off point, there’s air available and you can inflate your raft or tube. You can also rent a raft or tube where they drop you off. I recommend using a raft because this river is extremely cold. It takes about two hours to float back down to the park. There are two small drops so you will have to hang on to your kids a few times.

Oklahoma:

In Oklahoma, in Chickasaw Country, you can float the Washita River. Washita River Floats will take you up the river and drop you off for a 4 mile float. It will take between 2.5 – 4 hours depending on how the river is moving.

Oregon:

There are several rivers that you can float in Oregon, but we tend to stick to the same one. We float the Sandy River near Troutdale, Oregon. Start at Dabny State Park and pull out at Lewis and Clark state park. You do have to pay to leave your car in both of the parks. The last time we went it was $5 and they took credit cards.

Texas:

For the most part, there are shuttles available along popular Texas rivers. In Texas, the only legal access points are where bridges cross a navigable river. Keep this in mind if you’re doing it yourself and not using a shuttle service. The tube rental/shuttle companies are fairly cheap and make the whole thing super easy.

In San Antonio, you can float the Comal or Guadalupe River. Near San Antonio in Bandera is also the Medina River that can be floated

In San Marcos, you can float the San Marcos River.

In Austin, you can float the Barton Creek Greenbelt. There are no shuttles or tube rental outfits here.

In the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you can float the Trinity River.

Best Places to go Tubing in Texas

Virginia:

Most people float the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in Shenandoah Valley. Virginia has a no drinking in public law, so leave the booze at home.

Washington:

Yakima River Canyon is a popular place to float near Yakima, Washington. – Start at Umtanum for a three-hour float to Roza. Leave one car at Roza, this is where you will pull out of the river. It will likely cost $5 per car to park.

Get Travel Insurance

Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on any trip. Be prepared for the worst with travel insurance. We use Travelex or Safety Wing (often cheaper).

Book Flights

I use Skyscanner to find flights. I use it so much, I wrote an entire guide to finding cheap flights with Skyscanner! Another option for finding deals is FlightHub.

Book a Place to Stay

I recommend using Expedia.com or Hotels.com for most hotel bookings. I prefer to book directly with Marriott when I stay there because of their excellent military discount.

If you prefer staying in a vacation rental instead, I recommend VRBO. If you are looking for a hostel, I use HostelWorld.

Choose Activities and Tours

To find great activities in any area I use Viator. If we are visiting a city with lots of popular attractions I always check CityPass, PogoPass, and GoCard to see if they have discount cards available. Groupon also tends to have a lot of local travel deals.

When I want to book a full-on multi-day tour I use TourRadar. They’ve got fantastic weekly deals. If going somewhere in Mexico or the Caribbean, I use Apple Vacations.

Rent a Car or Get a Lyft

More often than not, Lyft is cheaper than Uber. Use my Lyft link for an $18 credit! For a car rental in any country, I recommend Hertz or Discover Cars.

Save Money on Gas

Upside a free app gets you cash back on gas! Use promo code RV2Q2 to get an extra 15¢/gal bonus on your first purchase.

Get a Visa

I use iVisa to get all of my Visas.

Travel Printables

If you found this information helpful consider buying me a cup of coffee aka helping me pay to put kids through college! Just scan the QR code or click the link. As always, thank you for your support!

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The post How to Float the River appeared first on Mommy Travels.

Family Fun in Boise, Idaho

Meagan — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:29:00 +0000

Welcome to Boise, Idaho, a hidden gem where family fun and adventure abound in every corner. Often overlooked as a family vacation destination, Boise surprises with its blend of urban charm and outdoor escapades, making it a perfect playground for families seeking a mix of relaxation and adventure. Nestled in the Treasure Valley against a backdrop of majestic mountains, this vibrant city offers a plethora of activities that cater to all ages and interests.

From the lush trails of the Boise River Greenbelt to the interactive and educational wonders of the Discovery Center of Idaho, Boise is a city that invites families to explore, learn, and create lasting memories together. Whether you’re looking for a serene day in one of the city’s many parks, a cultural journey through its museums, or an exciting outdoor adventure, Boise promises a delightful and unexpected family getaway. Join us as we uncover the multitude of family-friendly experiences that make Boise, Idaho, a must-visit destination on your travel itinerary.

Family Fun in Boise, Idaho

Floating the Boise river

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Boise, Idaho is the perfect spot for a family trip, or even just a family weekend getaway during the warm months. There are a variety of things to do in Boise. It is easy to get around and it’s a relaxing area.

Float the Boise River

I personally enjoyed floating down the Boise River. (Some people even surf it, but we just float!)You can park your car at Ann Morrison Park and catch a bus. For a few dollars, the bus will take you up the river and drop you off at Barber Park. At the drop off point, you can inflate your raft or tube. You can also rent a raft or tube here. I recommend a raft because this river is very cold. It takes about two hours to float back down to the park. There are two small drops so you will have to hang on to your kids a few times. Don’t forget life jackets!

Julie Davis Park

Julie Davis Park is a great place to go bike riding or roller skating. They have paved sidewalks all along the Boise River. The Boise Zoo is also located at this park. The zoo was okay. It is no way near as good as any of the zoos you would find in Washington or Oregon.

Ivywild Pool

This is a great community pool with a fantastic area for toddlers. It is inexpensive and makes for a great day out!

There are five other public pools in Boise. I have not tried them, but have heard good things about each of them.

Roaring Springs Water Park

Roaring Springs Water park is located right outside of Boise to the west in Meridian, Idaho. It is a good water park and they are pretty good about adding new stuff on a regular basis.

Boondocks Family Fun Center

Right next door to the water park is Boondocks Family Fun Center. The kids can putt-putt and play games.

Boise’s downtown area is nicely laid out and extremely clean. They have a farmer’s market on Saturday mornings during parts of the year that is fun to go to.

Tumble Time Gymnastics

We discovered this wonderful gymnastics gym, Tumble Time Gymnastics, in Boise, Idaho back in 2003 when our oldest was just two years old. They have a fantastic mommy and me program. They make gymnastics so much fun for all ages. The owners are great people and you can tell that they love what they do. Visit during their open gym time Mon- Thurs, 12-1 PM and Saturday from 11 AM – 1 PM.

Fly High Trampoline Park – Fly High Trampoline Park coupon.

Morrison Knudson Nature Center

A couple of years ago, my family and I meet my parents in Boise, Idaho for a one-week vacation. Someone had recommended a park to my parents I had never heard of. This surprised me because we lived in the area for two years previously. Well, needless to say, it is worth hearing about. I can’t believe we had never heard about it before. I thought it was really neat and my kids did too. Better yet, it is free!

Basically, it is a park, but it has been built into an outdoor nature walk. They have built up walls with viewing windows along a stream so you can see the fish and other wildlife that is in there. We saw beavers, fish, ducks, birds, and squirrels.

Info from their website: The Morrison Knudsen Nature Center offers a one-of-a-kind fish and wildlife experience on a 4.6-acre site along the Boise River Greenbelt near downtown Boise. The Nature Center’s stream walk and education building provide a glimpse of Idaho’s many landscapes and abundant wildlife. The underwater viewing windows along the stream walk give visitors a fisheye view of the world.

Ann Morrison Park

This park is so great it should have its own post. We used to hang out here all the time. We would bring our bikes or roller skates, play tennis, or just watch the kids play on the massive playground they have.

If you want to float the Boise River along the green belt this is the park you need to be at in order to catch the bus. The bus never charged us for the kids and we were charged $1 or $2 per adult.

You can park at Julie Davis park, feed the ducks and then bike over to Ann Morrison Park along the Greenbelt.

There are always lots of people there playing horseshoes or cricket. I saw a lot of soccer teams out there playing. If you are visiting the area, it is a great park to take your kids to.

Boise Restaurants

An excellent kid-friendly Italian restaurant in Boise is Gino’s. They have several locations, including one in downtown.

The best Mexican food in the area that we were able to find was Rocca’s in Eagle, Idaho right outside of Boise.

A good steak house is Cottonwood Grill, but I wouldn’t take the kids with you.

Dave & Buster’s – This is a great place for families. They have a huge arcade.

Boise Hotels

The hotel we enjoyed the most while we were there was the Residence Inn by Marriott by the Boise mall.

Day Trips from Boise

Soldier Mountain

Two hours from Boise is a small ski resort, Soldier Mountain. This happens to be Eden’s favorite place to ski in Idaho. They are open every Thursday through Sunday. See our review of Soldier Mountain Ski Resort.

Sun Valley Ski Resort

This bougie ski town is just 3 hours away. Here’s everything you need to know to visit: Sun Valley Ski Resort

Magic Mountain

Another little ski resort not far past Twin Fallas. Magic Mountain Ski Resort Review

Pomerelle Ski Resort

Pomerelle Ski Resort is barely close enough to be a day trip but we love it, so I thought I would go ahead and include it.

There are plenty of fun things to do with kids in Boise, Idaho! From the Zoo Boise and Discovery Center of Idaho to exploring local parks and caves, there’s something for everyone in the family to enjoy. With so many great options, you’ll never be bored in Boise!