Have a "Zen" like float down the French Broad River at Zen Tubing

Looking for a relaxing way to spend the day in nature? You will certainly find it at Zen tubing just south of Asheville. When we first relocated to the area, someone had told me about Zen tubing and we were anxious to give it a try!

Zen Tubing is about an hour from Greenville, an easy drive up HWY 25. They have two locations to “drop in” your tubes for an easy going float down the French Broad River. I highly recommend looking over the website to pre-plan your trip as you will notice they have not only general information but also up to date weather, which is a key aspect to the trip. https://zentubing.com/

We decided to get there right when they opened at 10 am and I’m sure glad we did, because as we left at around 1pm, the parking lot was jam packed on a Sunday. Upon our arrival, we were asked to sign waivers and were given information as to what to do in the event of inclement weather. The total trip time varies based on the water level but it’s typically around 2-3 hours total. The cost per tube is $20 per person unless you have your own tube (which we did) and the cost is only $10. For coolers, you can even rent a tube for $10 and bring all your snacks, lunch, and adult beverages (as long as they are in cans). You will also want to make you have sunscreen, hats, rash guards, and water shoes. Don’t be fooled by a cloudy day, we learned that the hard way with a touch too much sun after our trek. After we paid and signed our waivers, the kids were then suited up in life vests as we waited to board our shuttle to the drop off point. The shuttle was about 10 minutes and a bit bumpy so make sure you and the kiddos have eaten a solid meal.

Once we were brought down to the entry point of the river, we had given the folks at Zen our tubes to blow up and then selected our cooler tube. They also gave some information regarding the “frequent floater” program where you pay for two floats and the 3^rd is free! After some safety tips, it was time to get in the water. We had a fairly large group of 8 so we roped all of our tubes together so we could begin our journey down the river together. The water was cold but not too cold and the current was slow and relaxing. The water is also very shallow so if you need to for some reason get out of your tube, you would be able to walk if necessary. The kids enjoyed looking for wildlife on the riverbanks. We spotted turtles, birds, and geese along the way.  There was also little pull off spots for photo ops as well as a rope swing. Floating down was very serene and peaceful. It was truly a “Zen” like experience for the whole family.