Guadalupe, Medina & Frio River Tubing: Your Texas Hill Country Basecamp Guide

By Gordon Cook · June 29, 2026 · ← All posts

It is officially peak tubing season in the Texas Hill Country, and I'll tell you — there is no better way to spend a summer afternoon in this part of the state than floating down a cool, spring-fed river with a cold drink in your hand and nothing but cypress trees and limestone bluffs for company.

One of the things I love most about our location here in Pipe Creek is how many rivers are within easy reach. The Guadalupe, the Medina, and the Frio — three of the finest rivers in Texas — are all a short drive from the Hideaway. You could float a different river every day of your stay and still not run out of water. People drive from Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio for exactly this, and we get to call it the backyard.

The Tubing Scene: Canyon Lake to New Braunfels

The stretch of the Guadalupe that most folks tube runs along River Road between Canyon Lake and New Braunfels — a gorgeous corridor of clear water, tree-shaded banks, and some of the best swimming holes in the state. Water temperatures in summer stay in the mid-to-upper 70s thanks to the spring-fed flow out of Canyon Lake, which means it's refreshing without being shocking.

A typical float runs 2 to 3 hours, depending on water levels and how often you stop to enjoy the scenery. Most outfitters handle the shuttle for you — you park, grab your tube, ride the bus upstream, float down at your own pace, and end up right back where you started. About as easy a day as you're going to find.

A few names worth knowing:

• Tube Haus — Located at FM 306 near Canyon Lake, they've been putting people on the Guadalupe since 1978. One of the originals, and still one of the best.
• Son's Guadalupe — Offers tube rentals, river cabanas, and even glamping if you want to make a full overnight of it right on the water.
• Texas Tubes — Operates on the Comal River in New Braunfels, which flows right into the Guadalupe. A shorter, spring-fed float that's especially great for families with younger kids.

Plan to spend $15–$22 per person for a basic tube-and-shuttle package. Weekdays are noticeably less crowded, and weekends in late June and July fill up — so if you can swing a Thursday or Friday float, you'll have a better time.

The Medina River — Right in Our Backyard

If the Guadalupe is the most famous river in these parts, the Medina River is the one the locals love. It runs right through the heart of Bandera County — and we mean right through it. From the Hideaway you can be standing on its banks in under 15 minutes.

The Medina is a quieter, more laid-back float than the Guadalupe. You're not going to find big commercial outfitters and shuttle buses — it's more of a put-in-and-paddle situation — but for that reason it draws a different crowd. Fewer people, more wildlife, and the kind of river swimming that feels like it belongs to another era. There are great access points around Bandera, and on a hot July afternoon the cypress-shaded swimming holes along the Medina are genuinely hard to beat.

The Frio River — Worth the Drive

About an hour and a half from us, the Frio River near Concan is one of those Texas experiences that people talk about for years. Crystal-clear, cold — and I mean genuinely cold even in July — and surrounded by bald cypress trees that create a canopy of shade over the water. The Frio is a full-day adventure: pack a lunch, bring the family, and plan to spend most of the day in or near the water.

Neal's Lodges and Garner State Park are the anchors of the Frio tubing scene, and Garner State Park itself is worth a visit whether or not you get in the water. The drive from Pipe Creek to Concan through Medina and Vanderpool is some of the most beautiful road in the Hill Country — you'll want the windows down.

Make Al's Hideaway Your Basecamp

Here's the thing about a tubing trip: it's a full-day adventure, and driving home two or three hours after hours on the river doesn't sound like much fun. That's where we come in.

Al's Hideaway is located in Pipe Creek — about 45 minutes from Canyon Lake and the heart of the Guadalupe tubing corridor. Close enough to make it an easy morning drive, far enough that you're coming home to a genuinely quiet piece of the Hill Country instead of the post-tubing traffic on River Road.

We've got 13 handcrafted log cabins, 10 full-hookup RV sites, and 9 cowboy campsites. After a day on the river, there's nothing better than a long shower in your own cabin, a cold one on the porch, and a sky full of stars overhead. No resort fees. No cleaning fees. No pet fees — bring the dog, they'll love it out here.

A Few Tips Before You Go

Summer weekends on the Guadalupe get busy — not in a bad way, but in a "get there by 10 AM" way. If you're coming out on a Saturday or Sunday, an early start makes a real difference. Bring sunscreen and reapply it on the water, because the reflection off the river will get you faster than you think. Water shoes are worth it on the rocky sections. And leave the good cooler at camp — most outfitters have their own rules about what you can bring on the water.

Check floatingtexas.com the day before for live river conditions. The Guadalupe can run high after rain, and a high-water day is a very different float than a normal one — faster, more exciting, and a little more demanding.

We're out here all summer and happy to answer questions about the area, the river, or anything else you want to know about the Hill Country. Give us a call at 830-510-3331 or just book your dates online and we'll see you when you get here.

Happy Trails.
Be Safe & God Bless.
— Al