Here is our list of the best places to go tubing in the Hill Country.

The Lion's Club in San Marcos has been renting tubes for years on the ridiculously beautiful San Marcos River. This 1 to 1.5 hour trip takes you down the slow running San Marcos to the chute at the Rio Vista Dam where if you are not careful the local teenagers will throw you into a counterclockwise spin just before you go down the chute. Before you get to the chute it is all flat water so if you don't want to get banged up on the Lower Guadalupe maybe this is the place for you. When you rent the tube it is for all day so you can take the water taxi back up to the put in point and float down a second or third time if you like. We haven't been tubing here in quite a while so be sure to ask whether you still need to take a few dollars with you to give to the water taxi at the dam so you can get back up to the shop.

Some folks really like tubing in San Marcos and they don't mind that sometimes it can get pretty crowded on the river. If you want to avoid the large crowds and go tubing outside of San Marcos you could give the folks at Eskimo Hut a call. This is still a very beautiful part of the San Marcos River on the east side of town and it has the added advantage of not being nearly as heavily used as the upstream portion of the river. Don't be surprised if you see a few kayaks on the water during your trip.

The folks at Corner Tubes can hook you up with some rentals if you are wanting to go play at the chute in New Braunfels. This tube rental place is located right across the street from the chute. If you are so inclinded you can zip down the chute and then get out of the water and walk back uphill to the put in point as many times as you desire. Try not to lose the contents of your ice chest while you are here. Also, it can get crowded here by mid-afternoon so it might be best to come out early.

If you don't want to put in right at the chute, there are other options. Another place to rent tubes for a trip down the Comal chute is Texas Tubes. The put in is about 30 minutes upstream from the chute so you could use these folks if you want to float for a bit before getting to that play area.

The folks at Rockin R have been in business for decades and they provide very good service. It is real handy to keep in touch with these folks because they give you several tubing options along the Lower Guadalupe outside of New Braunfels. They can put you in to float Huaco Rapids and Slumber Falls if you don't mind getting banged around on the rocks and having all your personalty fall out of the tube. If you prefer something a little less challenging, they can hook you up with a more flat portion of the river. They also have a shop near the chute in New Braunfels.

The Lone Star Float House rents tubes on a really nice part of the Lower Guadalupe upstream from New Braunfels. An added bonus to coming here is that as soon as you pull your tubes out of the water you can go sit on their deck and get a burger and a beer. Another option would be to put in above their store, get off the water for a pit stop when you get here, and then get back in the water and float down to your take out location.

The folks at Mountain Breeze run a pretty tight ship and they should be able to put you in the water upstream of the chute/dam no. 5 on the Guadalupe River. This is not the same chute that is in New Braunfels, but it is a popular play area on the river and it sure enough is on a nice stretch of the stream. You could also camp here if you are looking to make a weekend of it.

Shanty Tubes is the place to go if you want to rent tubes to float down the Horseshoe. The Horseshoe is about a 1 mile stretch of the Guadalupe that crosses 306 twice. When you get to the end of the Horseshoe where it crosses 306 the second time you can get out of the water, walk back up the hill to the river, and jump back in to make another lap. That is what most people do who visit here. Because folks are constantly getting back in at the first 306 crossing, you should know that it can get pretty crowded on the water so the earlier you arrive the better.

The Rio Raft Company is a good place to rent tubes on the northern portion of the Lower Guadalupe a little bit downstream from the Horseshoe. This also is a real nice stretch of the river and often times is not as crowded as the Shoe in case you are looking for something a little less congested.

If you want to try your hand at tubing on the Upper Guadalupe a good place to contact is Guadalupe Canoe and Livery. They have a couple of different runs for you to try out and all of them will definitely be longer than a trip around the Horseshoe would be. Because this area is on the Upper Guadalupe you shouldn 't expect to see many tubes at all. Instead, you likely will see a fair amount of canoes, kayaks and maybe a raft or two.

If you are going to be tubing the Medina River up around Bandera the folks at Bandera Beach Club should be able to get you set up. Be sure to call them before driving all the way out because the Medina will dry up sooner than a lot of the other rivers. When the water is up, this is a very pretty river to go tubing on and it typically is not as crowded as all those areas along River Road outside of New Braunfels.

The folks at Josh's can rent you a tube if you are going to be tubing the Frio up around Leakey. There is real nice tubing all up and down this river when the water is up, but be sure to check in with Josh's group and they can tell you the best places to go.

The good people at Happy Hollow can set you up with tubes and sunscreen and t-shirts and all other kinds of gear if you are going to be tubing on the central part of the Frio up around the Garner State Park area.

If you are going to be tubing the southern part of the Frio down around Concan give the folks at Andy's a shout and they can put you in a tube. As long as the water is flowing you should really enjoy this portion of the river and they can tell you about the options for tubing in this neck of the woods.

Big Oak River Camp is the place to contact if you want to go tubing on the fabulous Nueces up around the Camp Wood Area. There typically are not nearly as many people tubing on the Nueces as you will find on the Frio so if you are trying to avoid the crowds this might fit the bill.