It’s a given that when it is summertime in Idaho, it’s time to ‘float the river’. Idaho has hundreds of bodies of water to keep you busy during our hot months, which is one reason I love this state. There’s quite a few rivers that you can float here in East Idaho, but I want to talk about one of the more popular ones, which is Big Springs in Island Park. To be honest, for the longest time I referred to it as the ‘Mack’s Inn’ float because the float ends at one of Island Parks most notable resorts that provides river tubing rentals from rafts to single tubes.
The float of Big Springs is easy-going and quite serene. It’s a five mile leisure adventure with calm waters, clean mountain air, and nothing but the sounds of nature to grace your ears. It’s fairly shallow and doesn’t get much deeper than 6 feet in just a few spots. You may encounter some wildlife, from eagles to moose to deer. It is a popular float, so expect other floaters on the river. For this reason, as with many summer activities, it’s best to try to get out on a weekday, or earlier in the morning if you are going on the weekend. The float itself can take 3 to 5 hours just depending on how fast you want to go, and how much you might stop. Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards are of course going to move quicker than those who are on tubes. When we go with our group there are some of us on both. We take kayaks and inevitably have to turn around from time to time, but it still is a great time, and my kids get to practice their rowing skills. Let’s get into what you can do to make your float even better!
1. A Little Push
As I mentioned earlier, it is a pretty shallow river, so shallow that you will potentially bottom out in some areas. For this reason I highly recommend bringing an oar (if you are on a tube and not a kayak or canoe). Or, at least a stick, something you can use to push yourself out. I realize you can get out and walk your tube until it gets a bit deeper, but this can still help in many situations. For example there are fallen logs in the river that you could potentially run into, so having something to stick out and push you away from them is a bonus.
2. Shuttling
This is probably a given, but you will need to bring two vehicles. There are a couple of spots on either side of the river that you can park a car for when you end your trip. Then you can hop in the other car and drive to the Big Springs Boat Launch to get yourselves in the water! There is a parking area at the launch for your second vehicle. If you are traveling with one vehicle that’s okay too, Mack’s Inn does offer a shuttle service to the start of the float.
3. Necessities
Again, probably a given, but I want to throw some of these out there anyway. Sunscreen, not only do you have the sun beaming on you, but it reflects of the crystal clear water and you can burn quite quickly. A cooler for any munchies and drinks. You will want to stay hydrated and fed since it is a longer float. There are many places to stop to pull up your watercraft and have a nice lunch. Our favorite spot is a bend where a tree hangs over the river and has a rope swing tied to it. As I mentioned earlier, the river is shallow, but this spot has a deep enough hole here to jump into, just make sure you jump out far enough!
4. Valuables
A water proof bag is never a bad idea. If you want to bring your phone or other valuables that maybe you don’t want to leave in the car, then make sure to bring something waterproof to throw them into. I wouldn’t recommend bringing towels, just in case you do tip or flip your tube or kayak, but that is more of a personal call.
5. Little Ones
This one isn’t so much of a tip as it is reassurance. We just recently did this float with our baby, who was 8 months at the time, so if you have young ones and are nervous just know it is absolutely doable! I propped him in with me, and we were able to take the canopy from his baby boat and secure it to my kayak. It made for the perfect shaded area, where he honestly napped, nestled between my legs, for 70% of the float. The other 30% when he was awake he was of course curious and wiggly, but with how calm the water is I could focus on holding him and making sure he didn’t nose dive into the river! I was also able to breast feed him, and if necessary my husband gave my kayak a soft nudge to make sure I was going in the right direction. Our 4 year old sat with dad on his kayak, and our older two have their own that they can navigate quite well if I do say so.
Just Do It!
I really can’t express more how much I love this float. I think it is just the right amount of time, the water comes right out of a natural spring and is crystal clear and refreshing (okay it is cold. but still refreshing) if you choose to take a swim. If you are looking for some light-hearted adventure or just a way to bask in the sun and get back to nature, find your way to the Big Springs float.
