Photo from Town Tinker Tube Rental.
In the summertime, Catskills life revolves around the weekend. That goes for the Esopus Creek, too -- a Class II/III whitewater that draws tubers and kayakers to the Catskills year after year.
Recreational water releases into the Upper Esopus from the Schoharie Reservoir are usually scheduled about once a month on prime summer weekends, in an agreement hammered out between local recreation groups and the reservoir's New York City overlords. On release days, the creek below the release portal is a wild ride for tubers. Check the websites of the tubing companies for upcoming release dates.
Even on non-release days, the Upper Esopus can be an exciting stretch of water for tubers and kayakers alike. Remember, it's nature, not a theme park: Be prepared to meet a few of our abundant native rocks. Two tubing companies operate out of the funky little mountain community of Phoenicia. Both offer wetsuit and gear rentals, group rates, and bus transport to and from the river.
Town Tinker Tube Rental
Owner Harry Jameson, who also presides over the Catskill Mountain Railroad, has been sending tubers down the Esopus for over 30 years. If there's something on the river he doesn't know, it's probably not worth knowing. Memorial Day through September. Phoenicia.
F&S Adventures
This tubing company, founded around the same time as the Town Tinker in the mid-1970s, is under new management since founder Richie Bedner retired a few years back. Still the same: The hand-painted tubes, former-school-bus tube taxi, and laid-back river vibe. Memorial Day through September. Phoenicia.
For more on exploring the Catskills great outdoors, see the rest of the Watershed Post's 2013 Catskills Outdoor Guide, available online here or in print at visitor-friendly locations around the Catskills.
