Super chill float trip on the Colorado River halfway between Vail and Glenwood Springs. The bonus is that Turtle Tubing also has the Turtle Bus, which will pick you up in the Vail Valley and take you to the tubing location.
The South Platte River has a few options for tubing. The most popular location near Denver is in the southern suburb of Littleton. The other option is at Confluence Park on the westside of downtown Denver. The river has historically been pretty dirty in this area, but the city is putting in a lot of money to clean it up and make this a tubing destination.
This is a hidden gem where visitors come to camp, fish, and tube the South Platte. Deckers is a small town equally northwest from Colorado Springs and southwest from Denver. You can buy a tube at the general store.
Pagosa Outside is the #1 operator for tubing in Pagosa Springs. They have an efficient operation where they will bus you up the river, let you float down, and then you can press "repeat" and do it again.
CSU students and FoCo residents love spending summers floating on the river. There aren't a lot of tube rental companies (we couldn't find any), but most people will bring their own tube. You can buy a tube at Big O Tires and enjoy it for the summer.
The Animas River in southwest Colorado is better known for rafting, but thrillseekers can try taming the river on top of a tube. This is definitely more adventure than some of the other "lazy river" options around the state. Check out Mild To Wild, the best operator in the area. They provide tube rental and shuttles.
Few places are as surreal as Telluride in the summer. You can rent a tube from Bootdoctors in town.
Whitewater Tubing & Recreation offers tube rentals near Golden's unique river park, Clear Creek Whitewater Park. The river runs through Golden and alongside bike and jogging paths.
Boulder Creek fits in great with the Boulder culture ("Keep Boulder weird"). The river hosts a "Tube to Work" day once a year, where people dress up for work and then tube down the river. The best option for tube rental and shuttle service is Whitewater Tubing & Recreation.
Steamboat Springs is incredible during the summers. The Yampa River runs right through town. The tubing is an easy float trip where you can bring a beer or two. The river is only a couple of feet deep. Wave at people who are enjoying drinks at the bars alongside the river.
