Salt River Tubing and Recreation Rockin Rodeo 2015
If you can ride a stick pony and hold on tight to your cowboy hat while rocking on the Lower Salt River rapids, it’s time to kick up your heels at the Salt River Tubing 35th anniversary celebration event, the Rocking Rodeo Roundup, on Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Each year, cowpokes jumpstart the summertime tubing season cowboy-style at the annual More Teens in the Woods event, attracting thousands of buckaroos on the Lower Salt River. The first 1,000 buckaroos will receive a free cowboy bandana.
The event offers live entertainment with The Dry Heat Picker band, KMLE 107.9 radio, cowboy line dancing, pony races, steer lassoing and free giveaways. If you are looking for a unique, Western adventure in the great outdoors, Salt River Tubing’s Rocking Rodeo Roundup event embodies the Old West with stagecoach shuttles to and from the Lower Salt River. Western attire is optional for tubers. However, Salt River Tubing will award $17 tube rental passes, which are valid on a return visit, for best cowboy and cowgirl tuber costumes.
The More Teens in the Woods event is aligned with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service’s commitment in meeting the challenge of reduced youth involvement in outdoor activities.
Happy Anniversary
Salt River Tubing’s 35th anniversary celebration is a momentous occasion for the company. Since 1981, Salt River Tubing has been providing tube rental and shuttle bus transportation to floating enthusiasts each year, from May through September, in the Lower Salt River Recreational Area. The company is a family-owned, recreational service partner with the USDA Forest Service in Tonto National Forest.
“My family envisioned tubing as a national pastime in 1938, when they opened Terrace Tubes, the first tubing operation in the United States, on the Apple River, in Somerset, Wisconsin,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of Salt River Tubing Henri Breault. “Terrace Tubes was featured in a multitude of publications, including Life Magazine (1941), the New York Times and National Geographic. I continued the family tubing tradition in 1981, in Arizona, when I opened Salt River Recreation in Tonto National Forest. For decades, our catchy radio commercial jingle has been sing-songed by thousands of radio listeners, even today.”
Salt River Tubing’s Floating Beach Blast is an Arizona tradition, which millions of floaters have enjoyed for more than 34 years. Relax and float on the cool and refreshing mountain-stream waters, and experience the natural wonders of the Mini-Grand Canyon of Tonto National Forest. Enjoy the beauty of this recreational paradise, and catch a glimpse of the wild horses crossing mid-stream, blue herons gliding across the water and the majestic mountains as you float by. It’s the perfect venue for creating a memorable, enjoyable adventure in the great outdoors.
So, dust off those cowboy hats, tie on a bandana, and head to Salt River Tubing, in Northeast Mesa, for the time of your life in the great outdoors of Tonto National Forest.
Great News
In celebration of 35 years of Fun in the Sun on the Lower Salt River, Salt River Tubing will be accepting credit cards this year. VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards will be accepted. Credit card transactions will require a minimum purchase of $20, with a valid driver’s license matching the credit
card information. For more details on credit card transactions, please visit saltrivertubing.com.
The cost is only $17 per person or tube, which includes tube rental, shuttle bus ride and free parking at Salt River Tubing.
Tubing Tips
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.
Daily hours of operation are from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with weather and water flow permitting. Salt River Tubing is open seven days a week.
Salt River Tubing is located in beautiful Tonto National Forest, just seven minutes from Highway 202 East and Power Road Exit 23A.
For more information about Salt River Tubing and the Rocking Rodeo Roundup event, and to catch a glimpse of previous Rocking Great Times on the Salt River, please visit the website at saltrivertubing.com. You also can call (480) 984-3305. Like us, follow us and float with us.