If you've never floated in New Braunfels before, the first question is always the same: Comal or Guadalupe? The Comal is the calm, spring-fed, stand-up-if-you-fall option that stays a refreshing 72°F all summer and runs entirely through town. The Guadalupe is colder, faster, and more scenic, winding through limestone bluffs and cypress above Canyon Lake. Below are five outfitters we send friends and first-time guests to, chosen for a mix of rivers, vibes, and price points. There's also the practical stuff nobody mentions until you're already in line.
Texas Tubes
Texas Tubes owns its own private river entry and exit on the Comal, which means you skip the bottleneck at Prince Solms Park entirely. No jockeying for space at the public ramp, no carrying tubes half a mile through a crowd. That alone earns it the top slot for anyone floating a weekend in peak summer.
The location on Meusebach Street puts you a short shuttle from the upper Comal, and the outfitter runs one of the longer seasons in town, from Spring Break through October, river conditions permitting. Cash pays less than card. They offer a discount if you bring bills, which is worth remembering if you're outfitting a group of six.
The one downside is that Texas Tubes is Comal-only. If you want the Guadalupe's colder water and limestone scenery, pick one of the others on this list.
Landa Falls
The value pick on this list. Landa Falls sits on the Wurstfest grounds with 1,000 feet of private Comal frontage, and a single admission includes your tube, a life vest, a climate-controlled shuttle, and a second float the same day at no extra charge. For a family of four who wants to float twice without re-racking the whole operation, nothing else in town is close.
The weekend-only early-season schedule is the one catch. As of April 2026 they're running Sat and Sun 10 to 3 and expanding as peak season ramps up. The last float day is September 28, 2026, so plan September trips accordingly.
One note on pricing. 2026 ticket prices weren't posted on their site at the time of writing (they list "reservations coming soon"). Historical pricing has been $25 to $30 per person. Call or check the site before you drive out.
Corner Tubes
Corner Tubes has been renting tubes since 1977, which makes it the oldest outfitter on this list by nearly two decades. It sits directly across from Prince Solms Park, the shortest possible walk to the Tube Chute. The Chute is the little man-made drop at the old dam that's the signature thrill of any Comal float.
Two reasons this one earns the family spot: life jackets are free and stocked in every size (including child sizes), and they allow dog tubes if you're the kind of family that counts a golden retriever as a kid. Minimum age is 5. Anyone younger should stick to Landa Falls or Texas Tubes with close parental supervision.
The all-day option at $35 is worth it if your group wants to float twice with a long lunch in between, since Corner Tubes runs until 8 PM and the Comal holds shade later in the afternoon than most out-of-towners realize.
Rockin' R River Rides (Gruene Location)
Rockin' R is the only outfitter with a location inside the historic Gruene district, which means your pre-float and post-float plan can include Gruene Hall, the Gristmill, and live music within walking distance. It's the pick for adult groups, bachelor and bachelorette trips, and anyone who wants the river to be one part of a longer day, not the whole day.
They also run more than tubes here. Rafts, kayaks, and funyaks are available, which makes Rockin' R the right call if your group mixes floaters and paddlers. Rockin' R operates five locations around New Braunfels, so the Gruene address above is the one you want for the scene. Their Liberty Street location covers the Comal if you'd rather pair both rivers in one weekend.
Parking at Gruene runs $10 cash-only on summer weekends from May through August, free weekdays. It's not a party-only outfitter, but the Gruene-scene personality is why you'd pick it over Corner Tubes or Texas Tubes.
River Sports Tubes
This is the Guadalupe pick, and it sits about 12 miles northwest of New Braunfels proper, technically in Canyon Lake. But it's the standard recommendation for anyone who's floated the Comal once already and wants the colder, wilder river.
The reason it made this list over other Guadalupe outfitters: River Sports Tubes is positioned in the middle of the Horseshoe Loop, a short bend of the Guadalupe you can re-float all day on a short-float ticket. For $22 cash you can run the loop three or four times, which is the cheapest all-day plan in the region if you're willing to skip the party-strip scene.
Water temperature is the other reason. The Guadalupe runs 52 to 54°F in peak summer (the Comal stays 72°F year-round), so if you want a river that's actually cold enough to shake off a Texas afternoon, this is where you go. Flow depends on releases from Canyon Dam. In low-water years only the Horseshoe short float runs, and there's no refund for shortened trips, so check the USGS gauge before you drive out.