This includes the Susquehanna River, which cut through my hometown. If you weren’t boating, waterskiing, pontooning, or jetskiing, you were most likely tubing, the practice of floating with the current in an innertube. The pastime's popularity even led to the creation of an annual water-based fundraiser called Float Your Fanny Down the Susquehanny, the name of which made me cringe every time it was mentioned on local radio stations. (Fans of the Scranton-set sitcom The Office will have heard about this longtime event, and I about freaked when it came out of Ed Helms’ mouth.)
The Pittsburgh region, with its three main rivers and other waterways, boasts plenty of opportunities for summertime tubing, something my friends and I have taken advantage of for years.
As we creep into the August heat, Pittsburgh City Paper decided to provide a guide for first-time or novice tubers, with tips on how to fully enjoy this fun, low-cost activity.
Pick a tubing hotspot
While tempting, tubing on the Monongahela, Allegheny, or Ohio, with their muddy depths, heavy water traffic, and pollution, will probably leave you more scared than relaxed. Instead, look for tributaries and smaller waterways able to provide a pleasant current, and zero barges. A promising option, and one I have frequented for years, is the Kiskiminetas, or Kiski, a 27-mile-long tributary of the Allegheny River. Areas of the Kiskiminetas are prime spots for non-boating activities like kayaking, fishing, and, of course, tubing. Depending on where you land, you’re likely to pass other groups basking in sun-drenched fun.
Parts of the Clarion River, Stonycreek River near Johnstown, and Ohiopyle have also been cited by websites like Visit PA and Only in Your State as great tubing destinations not terribly far from Pittsburgh.
Coordinate transportation
Tubing is all about getting from point A to point B as leisurely as possible. This means taking multiple cars so that, ultimately, the point B car can help retrieve the point A car that dropped everyone off upriver. If that sounds like too much of a hassle, there are other options. My tubing crew depends on The River's Edge Canoe & Kayak (3158 River Road, Leechburg). The small shop along the Kiski rents out tubing and other gear and will transport tubers to a designated spot upriver, from which they can float down. Once you hit point B, River's Edge will also pick up the tubes so you can take your sun-drunk self home without worry.