Floating the river is the highlight of the summer for many Spokane locals and visitors. It is a great way to spend a day outdoors enjoying the coolness of the water and the softness of the breeze. Often, the safety and knowledge of how to successfully float the river has been second nature to individuals in the Spokane community, but for others, it is a new and unfamiliar concept.
I moved to Spokane in 2017 and only this year spent any time on the Spokane River. It is thanks to my internship with The Spokane Riverkeeper I was able to experience what this river has to offer in forms of recreation, resource, and importance to the Spokane community as a whole. Once I started this internship, I had many of my friends and acquaintances ask me, “Emily, how do we float the river?” As a Spokane transplant, all I knew was that you don’t want to go certain places, and you don’t want to go at specific flows. Although I had a general idea, I did not know specifics.
Because of my lack of experience and knowledge, I teamed up with Jule also of The Spokane Riverkeeper to create this step by step guide to tubing the Spokane River from Peaceful Valley (via Redband Park) to TJ Meenach. This guide is targeted at beginners, like myself, and other tubers who will either be going for the first time, or trying out a new spot. Additional routes are listed at the bottom of the post.
Floating the Spokane River: The Beginner’s Guide
Step 1: Acquire a Life Jacket (It's the law in Spokane County), optional first aid kit, dry bag, and any water and snacks you may want. Life Jackets can be found at many retail locations, but you can also find them at your local thrift store. Many tubers throughout the summer do not have life jackets and this often can be the difference between a calm, relaxing river float and a tragic death of a loved one. This is not something to take lightly. Bring a first aid kit in case of any injuries that may require attention, and a dry bag for electronics and car keys.
Step 2: Acquire a tube. We find most people are comfortable in the $15 River Run or River Rat tubes sold locally. Remember, the Spokane River can be very cold in the summer downstream of Sullivan Road because of the cold aquifer water that feeds it. Pick a tube that will comfortably float you. The other option is the rent a tube and PFD from Flow Adventures. They can help you with the shuttle as well!
Step 3: Before You Go:
Check the River Flows. You can do this online through USGS. You will not want to float the river above about 2,500 cfs. Often, this falls at the end of June or the beginning of July. (At higher water levels "sweepers," the trees on the bank of the river are a danger).
Check the Weather – Common sense can explain that it's a bad idea to be near or on any body of water when there is lightning, thunder, or hail.
Plan Your Float – To float from Water Street to TJ Meenach Bridge (see map below) on raft, kayak, or tube, shuttle your car to the TJ Meenach parking lot, where you will exit the river. This float is usually around 2 hours. Launch your craft, or other boat capable of handling class I-II rapids at the Water Street launch in Peaceful Valley (just west of downtown Spokane). To extend the float, continue to the ramp just past the Spokane Waste Water Treatment Plant, but take note that the retrieval requires a Discover Pass. After this point a number of dangerous rapids-the Bowl and Pitcher and Devil's Toenail- exist. Do not attempt these rapids unless you are in a capable boat with an experienced guide.
Familiarize yourself with a map of the river, and what the end point looks like from the river.
Safety Note – What To Do if You Fall Out: Keep your feet up and your butt down! This is so that your feet do not get caught under any large boulders and cause injuries. To clarify, this is essentially the same position your body would be in inside a tube, just the tube is no longer present.
Step 4: Launch and Shuttle – dependent on where you have decided to float (see above), park one car at the location your float will end at, and drive back to your launching location and launch. Don’t forget the car keys for the second car!
Step 5: Floating Tips: Stay river right, or middle under the Sandifur foot bridge at People's Park to avoid damaging rocks and metal in the river. Avoid the large willows on river right in Peaceful Valley. Check out the streams flowing out of the aquifer and into the river on river right about 1/4 upstream from TJ Meenach Bridge. Watch for moose, deer, redband trout, and ospreys along the riverbanks.
If you have planned a stop for lunch, Bicycle Beach is a great place to stop. It is found on the left just after the mouth of Hangman Creek (the creek that runs out of the Spokane River). Later, keep your eyes peeled for the Pirates Bridge, guarded by the Spokane River Pirates – a group of individuals who have taken responsibility to watch the area, and keep it clear of litter in partnership with The Spokane Riverkeeper. This bridge used to carry water lines, and allow soldiers to have access to Nat Park. For more sights and information, visit this guide.
Step 6: Exiting the River – Scout the take out at TJ Meenach during your shuttle, it is river right about 1/4 mile downstream of the bridge.
Step 7: After Your Float, remember that if you packed it in, pack it out.
If you happened to see lots of trash or other forms of pollution, please report them to the Spokane Riverkeeper.
Special thanks to Taylor Pannell for creating the map above that visualizes the start point, end point, basic landmarks, and various dangers of the Peaceful Valley to TJ Meenach river float.
To view other popular routes and instructions to avoid dangers please visit The Spokane River Forum to view water trails and dangers to avoid.
Stay safe, and happy floating.
– Emily Marvin
SRK Intern, Summer 2020