Dust off your cowboy hat, lasso a tube, hold on tight, and join Salt River Tubing’s Rocking Rodeo Roundup on Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Enjoy a unique, floating adventure in Tonto National Forest. The annual More Kids in the Woods hoedown, aligned with the USDA Forest Service’s commitment to meet the challenge of reduced youth involvement in outdoor activities, attracts thousands of buckaroos each year. Located on the Lower Salt River, this western-themed event jumpstarts the tubing season.
The first 500 buckaroos will receive a free cowboy bandana. The event offers live entertainment, buckaroo line dancing, pony races, lasso contests and free giveaways.
President and CEO of Salt River Tubing Henri Breault celebrates 50 Golden Years of Tubing this year. In 1938, the Breault family launched one of the first tubing operations in the United States, on the Apple River in Somerset, Wisconsin. In 1941, Terrace Tubes was featured as a unique recreation experience in Life Magazine, as well as National Geographic, the New York Times, Time Magazine and Playboy magazine.
Henri took over the management of Terrace Tubes in 1964, and successfully ran the business for 16 years before relocating to Mesa, Arizona, in 1980. “Tubing has been in my blood for decades,” said Henri. “What a way to make a living… watching people having fun in the sun and enjoying the great outdoors. I truly feel that I have never worked a day in my life.”
The Rocking Rodeo Roundup special event offers a unique river adventure, mimicking the Old West as the madcap Salt River Tubing crews load up their stagecoaches and chuck wagons to shuttle tubers to and from the Lower Salt River. Western attire is optional for tubers. However, Salt River Tubing will award $17 tube rental passes (valid on return visit) for the best cowboy and cowgirl tuber costumes.
So, dust off those cowboy hats, tie on a bandana, and head to Northeast Mesa for the time of your life in the great outdoors of Tonto National Forest.
The cost of tube rental and shuttle bus service all day is $17 per person/tube, which includes sales tax.
Children must be 8 years old or older and at least 4 feet tall for tube rental and shuttle bus service.
Glass containers are prohibited by law in the Lower Salt River Recreational Area and will be confiscated. Ice chests and coolers will be inspected for glass containers before boarding shuttle buses. Have a great time on the Lower Salt River by responsibly appointing a designated driver before beginning your tubing adventure.
Salt River Tubing is located in beautiful Tonto National Forest, just seven minutes from Highway 202 East, on Power Road. Click on www.saltrivertubing.com to catch a glimpse of previous rocking great times on the Salt River.
For more information about Salt River Tubing and the Rocking Rodeo Roundup event, please visit the Web site at www.saltrivertubing.com, or call (480) 984-3305. Daily operating hours are 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and latest tube rental is 2 p.m., weather and water flow permitting. Salt River Tubing opens seven days a week beginning May 5.