Expedition South Carolina

Tubing in South Carolina

Verified September 26, 2026 against SC State Parks, the USDA Forest Service, and Discover South Carolina.

There are two speeds of summer in South Carolina: hide inside with the AC, or float down a river in an inner tube with your feet in cold water and absolutely nowhere to be. We recommend the second one.

Tubing is the laziest adventure on this whole website, and we mean that as the highest compliment. No skills. No fitness requirement. Just a tube, a river, and a shuttle back to your car.

Adventures & Guides

LVL 2 — Easy Going
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Colleton State Park Edisto River Camping

River paddle varies, short park trails
Overnight or multi-day
Bankside camping on the Edisto River under a canopy of trees. The river sounds all night. The Edisto Canoe Trail runs through the park. One of the best river camping experiences in SC.
  • Dog-Friendly (Leashed)
  • Parking at Campground
LVL 2 — Easy Going
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Givhans Ferry State Park

River paddle varies, short trails
Half day to overnight
The downstream end of the Edisto Canoe Trail. Limestone bluffs rising 25 feet above the Edisto River. Camping, kayaking, and one of the most scenic stretches of river in the Lowcountry.
  • Dog-Friendly (Leashed)
  • Parking at Park

The Edisto: the classic Lowcountry float

The Edisto is the longest free-flowing blackwater river in North America. Its tea-colored water winds through cypress and old-growth bottomland forest, and it’s the float most South Carolinians picture when you say “tubing.”

How to do it: Edisto River Adventures runs a full-service tubing operation out of Riverfront Hall at Givhans Ferry State Park, from early May through Labor Day. One price covers a commercial-grade tube, the shuttle, and time at their riverfront outpost. The float is about 2 miles. Reserve through the outfitter.

Good to know: The park itself doesn’t rent tubes or floats, and it doesn’t have a designated swimming area. You can swim in the river at your own risk. See our Givhans Ferry State Park page, or paddle the upper river from Colleton State Park.

The Waccamaw: tubing near the Grand Strand

River Island Adventures sits on the Waccamaw River near North Myrtle Beach. It’s another tea-colored blackwater river, and it feels a world away from the beach traffic. They offer tubing, kayak and paddleboard rentals, and even glamping on the river. Perfect for a beach-week day when everyone’s sunburned.

The Chattooga: mountain tubing with rules

Yes, you can tube the Wild and Scenic Chattooga, but only on one stretch. The Forest Service allows tubing between Earls Ford and Highway 28 with a valid permit. The permit is free, and you self-register at the put-in information boards. Tubing is prohibited below Earls Ford and north of Highway 28.

Take this river seriously. The Chattooga has claimed many lives since the Forest Service began keeping records in 1970. Even the gentler water is cold, rocky, and has real rapids. Wear shoes, wear a life jacket, and skip it when the water’s high. Hike alongside it on the Chattooga River Trail.

Tubing rules that apply almost everywhere

  • Life jackets. Kids should always wear one, and adults should strongly consider it. Rivers have currents, snags, and drop-offs you can’t see.
  • No glass, no styrofoam. Most outfitters and parks ban them. Glass breaks, and foam coolers shatter into litter that ends up in the river forever.
  • Pack it out. Tie your trash bag to your tube. Every can you drop is one a turtle finds.
  • Mind the sun. You’ll be out there for hours with nowhere to hide. Sunscreen, hats, and water.
  • Check the river before you go. Rain upstream changes everything. If the water is high and fast, come back another day.

Tube for every body

Tubing is one of the most accessible water adventures there is. It’s low effort and low skill, and outfitters handle the logistics. Ask the outfitter about getting in and out of the water if mobility is a concern. Check our Accessibility Guide for more.

Keep floating

Want more lazy water? See our Easy River Floats list, the SC Paddling Trails list, and our Kayaking hub. Now go outside and play. Slowly.