The Great Outdoors: Tubing and Water Parks Are Two Great Ways to Beat the Heat

Summer is the time when most of us go camping, boating, sightseeing, and hiking, but what do you do when it gets this hot?

Certainly, I love a day floating down the river in my kayak, but there are times when it’s a bit too much like work, and I get hotter rather than cooler.

For me there are two obvious solutions: Tubing and waterparks!

Tubing is a great activity now because it is definitely not as much work, and when the rivers are low, it’s easier to guide float in a tube than it is paddle a canoe or kayak. If you have to drag one, well –  that’s a tube clearly a better choice than a boat.

Tubing in the Clarion River in Cook Forest State Park was always a fun experience when we were growing up.  Even as I grew older, tubing was a sure bet to beat the oppressive summer heat and high humidity. I remember a few occasions tubing with a former girlfriend down the East Branch of the Clarion River in Elk County from Bendigo State Park to her parent’s home a few miles above the paper mill in Johnsonburg.  It wasn’t a place where many people went because of the private property that bordered the river, but it worked pretty well.

Then, I and an old friend of mine took his two kids to Clear Creek State Park. We parked near the back end of the park and walked upstream a ways before we launched our inflatable vessels. My buddy had a small inflatable canoe which he and his young son used. His older daughter and I each had tubes and off we went. Not being in a hurry, we floated, got out and explored and just enjoyed the coolness that accompanies water before getting out where Clear Creek flows into the Clarion.

Another great thing about taking a tube ride is that not much planning or gear is needed.

Sunscreen is a must, the higher the SPF the better. A hat of some kind is good, but not necessary. It mostly depends on just how long you are on the water. Bug spray may be needed, depending on how much the bugs prefer you!

Flip flops or sandals are adequate footwear, but water shoes or an old beat up pair of tennies are much better. Swim trunks, bathing suits, or an old pair of shorts work well – take your pick.

As far as the tubes themselves, I’ve rented from the various canoe liveries in the area and used my own. Unless you are an avid water person or live near water where you may use a tube on a regular basis, you are better off renting.

In the PA Great Outdoors region, there are a number of places that rent tubes. Pine Crest Cabins has both tube rentals and also has bumper boats. The 2-mile tube ride is just $7.00 and the 4-mile is $14.00.

Another place to rent tubes is Pale Whale Canoe Fleet located at Cook Forest State Park. You can get a single or double tube, and trips include 2.5 miles or 4 miles. The single tube rental for the 2.5 mile trip is only $10.00, too!

If you are looking for a water park, the Cook Forest area is also the place to go. Cook Forest Fun Park has, among many fun things, bumper boats and the Sky-Rapids Waterslide.

“The Great Outdoors,” sponsored by the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors, is a weekly blog by exploreClarion.com’s Scott Shindledecker. Plan you next outdoor adventure at VisitPAGO.com or call (814) 849-5197 for more information.