How to float the Deschutes River in Tumalo, Central Oregon
This weekend we were on a mission to float the river near Tumalo, Central Oregon. We really enjoyed riding inner tubes in Bend. Floating is so popular there, you can easily rent tubes, take the $3 shuttle, and ride for two hours or more. If you’re visiting and don’t have your own tubes, Bend’s a good place to start.
But we were hoping to find a spot with less crowds that was a bit closer to Redmond. We had heard rumors about floating in Tumalo but found very few details online (hence why we’re sharing our experience in this blog post). We scoped out the situation, left a car in Tumalo, and got dropped off at Tumalo State Park with our double inner-tube and double ziplock bags for car keys, phone, and sunscreen.
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Update: We returned a month later to try floating the remaining part of the river from Tumalo to Twin Bridges.
Floating in Tumalo State Park – 20 to 30 minutes
Tumalo State Park to Tumalo parking area – 1 hour
Tumalo parking area to Twin Bridges – 2 hours and 20 minutes
Floating Map for Tumalo, Central Oregon
Floating Tumalo State Park
If you’re camping at Tumalo State Park or staying in the day use area for a picnic, there are several places to put in your tube or raft and start a float.
The park was very busy when we went, since it was a hot summer weekend. A State Parks pass or day use fee is required, although there was also a little bit of parking on the main road just outside the park entrance. We were just getting dropped off to start our journey, so we temporarily pulled into the campground side to unload.
Tumalo State Park, main entrance to the river
The thing to do seems to be: pump up your tube or raft in the park, then follow the riverside trail through the picnic area and pick a spot to begin.
According to Google Maps, you could potentially walk almost a mile up river on the trail. As we followed it, we were noticing a number of spots along the river that looked pretty shallow, so we decided to put in our double tube near the first bend.
Families playing in the river along the picnic area
To be honest, this section of river in the State Park did get pretty shallow in a number of spots, and we were starting to question our decision to tube in Tumalo.
It didn’t help that our cheap tube from Fred Meyer wasn’t holding its air at maximum capacity. So we bumped a couple of rocks with our bums, but nothing too bad – no bruises!
I’m sure if you had a sturdier inner tube to float the river, it wouldn’t be as bad.
Tumalo State Park to Tumalo Road
There were more shallow sections to come and a few areas where we needed to maneuver ourselves around rocks, fallen trees, or islands in the river. I think there were even a few Class I rapids. It was a lot of fun! (Though it might be too much of a challenge for young kids.)
If you start near the entrance of Tumalo State Park, it takes about 30 minutes to reach the outskirts of Tumalo and another 30 minutes or so through town to reach the parking lot at Tumalo Road.
Going through Tumalo was one of my favorite parts. You could see houses along the riverfront and even chat with people hanging out on their lawns as you go by.
We got out immediately after passing under the Tumalo Road overpass. The small parking lot was full that Saturday afternoon, so we had left a car on the roadside right across from it. There were also people parking along the roads near Tumalo Coffee House, which is just a block away.
If you’ve worked up an appetite, it’s just a short walk down Cook Ave to the food carts in Tumalo. We’ll definitely have to do that next time.
Our total time on the river was about 90 minutes. That includes some time floating the State Park, since we hiked up the riverside trail a bit before putting in.
Tumalo Road to Twin Bridges
As we got out at Tumalo Road on that first run, we saw quite a few people starting their float at the same spot. We asked them how far they were going, and they said they had left their cars at Twin Bridges. They estimated it would take around 2 hours. And they said that section of river is also a mix of slow, glassy spots as well as some shallow sections and minor rapids.
We drove by Twin Bridges and scoped out the ending point for a future float. And then a month later we returned! (Updates below.)
View of float exit from Twin Bridges Road
To do our float from Tumalo to Twin Bridges, we decided to bring our two-person tube again. In hindsight, this probably wasn’t the best idea. But we did have fun!
The tempo varies a lot on this ride. My favorite part (again) was drifting past peoples’ backyards as we left Tumalo.
Then, there are two significant sections with rapids, shallow rocks, and downed trees to navigate around.
Having the larger tube made it easier for us to get stuck. Sturdier, single inner tubes are able to power through those spots without fear of popping. Not so with our cheap tube!
Pulling to the side of the river with our double tube
At the first hairy section, which happens at a kind of fork in the river, we ended up having to get off the tube and walk. Either side of the fork was shallow and bumpy, and we were afraid of popping our tube. Walking in the river was a bit treacherous. The river rocks are pretty slippery.
We found our way to land and were able to walk along a path until the river got less rocky. In fact, it appeared that there were trails on both sides of the river most of the way.
A small trail along the river
Around the two hour mark, there’s an old wooden bridge crossing the river. We almost mistook it for our end point until we realized it was only for pedestrians. From that point, there’s still 20 to 30 minutes of floating.
It took us 2 hours and 20 minutes to reach Twin Bridges Road. Being a Wednesday afternoon in August, we saw only two other groups of people floating. We passed more people hanging out on the banks of the river, fishing or wading with kids, than inner tubing.
There are some open areas to the right where you can pull off and walk back to your car. A sign on the bridge indicates the importance of exiting at that point – or you’ll face a dangerous waterfall after the bridge.
Approaching the end of the float from Tumalo 
Roadside parking at Twin Bridges
If you’ve floated this area of the river, please let us know your tips. We always aim to keep our information up-to-date and accurate so that everyone can enjoy a safe experience while roaming around Redmond!
I just wanted to thank you for putting this online. This was the best ride! We stayed at Eagle Crest and didn’t want to go into Bend where it’s super busy in the water. We started at Tumalo state park and got out at Tumalo Road at the bridge. We will definitely do it again as well as go further down next time.
So glad to hear that! Thanks.
Thank you for sharing!! I live in Bend and have been wanting to float in Tumalo. We have friends coming in a few days and will do this for sure! Bend has gotten crazy busy!!
You’re welcome. Enjoy! The crowds are much smaller in Tumalo. 🙂
Is there enough water to float this section right now?? I did it last year but this year has been even drier!
I’m not sure of the conditions right now, but there were some parts we opted to stand up and walk a bit where it gets shallow, especially near the State Park. It’s a good idea to have some sturdy water-ready shoes.
Thank you so much for posting! We live in bend and the tourists are DESTROYING floating here in town. We’re going to give this a try tomorrow!
I’m sorry to hear about Bend. Let us know how it goes in Tumalo!
We do the float from Tumalo State Park to Tumalo about 5 times a week in the spring and summer. It’s a great activity for the whole family. If the weather is cooler and the river running fuller, we take kayaks. In the hot heat we use inner tubes.
Although most don’t use them, we bring our kayak paddles to help when we float in tubes. It’s nice to have a little control and something to keep you out of the bushes if needed. We always follow up our float at The Bite!
We floated the Tumalo once to Twin Bridges. We were in kayaks and I definitely DO NOT recommend that! Too many rocks that the kayak can get hung up on sideways and then nearly spill you into the river. I’ve seen and talked to many that float it in a single tube and have a great time. We will trying it again soon in tubes.
I like the idea of a longer float. 😄
Wow, 5 times a week – what a dream! We can’t wait to get back out onto the river again this summer. Thanks for sharing your input here!
How far of a walk would it be from twin bridges back to tumalo park?
Hi Janette. That would be quite a long walk with all your equipment. Google Maps says it’s about 5 miles, so maybe an hour or more. And there’s no sidewalk.
Are there any other places to float in Redmond or bend that are similar to this float, time wise?
Hi Ciera. We covered the main Bend river float options in this post: https://roamredmondoregon.com/floating-deschutes-river-bend/
There are certainly different options at other points of the river, including closer to Redmond, we’re just not familiar with them.
Thank you for posting this. Heading to a house in Redmond next week, with plans to drive into Bend and Tumalo as warranted. Our goal is to avoid crowds and we will be there on Thurs and Fri. Can we purchase good floats somewhere nearby or should we bring our own? Any other suggestions?
Hi Mary. I hope you enjoy your stay in Redmond. We originally got our inner tubes from Fred Meyer in Redmond, but have also seen good options online (some Amazon ones are mentioned above in the post) if you don’t already have some. They also come up for sale on craigslist from time to time.
Hi Michelle,
We’re planning a trip back to Bend and been wanting to do this float. I had a question on how you got dropped off at the State Park? Is there a shuttle available to drop you at the State Park when you park your car at Tumalo Rd? Or is it best to drive two cars one parked at Tumalo another parked at the State Park? I’m just trying to figure out where to park cars and not do so much walking with the kiddos.
There is not a float shuttle I’m aware of, outside of Bend. Yes, you could park cars at each end. If starting at the State Park, you’ll need to pay the day use fee. Another option is to start in town, which also tends to have fewer bumps/shallow sections along the way. We’ve been fortunate to have a relative help with drop off. So we parked our car at the end and then our relative brought us from there to the State Park and just left us with the inner tube; then we could drive ourselves home.
Hi Michelle,
Do you think the float from Tumalo bridge to Twin falls is a good float for 10-15 yr olds? Thinking of taking them out for a float today. We’ve done tumalo state park to tumalo bridge, but def some shallow parts and rocky. Wanted to try the other section.
I would say Tumalo to Twin Falls is generally easier to navigate than the shallow sections coming out of the State Park. Since it’s not as shallow, it’s important they are good swimmers of course.
Hi there, on 8/29/21 we did this float with 4 adults & 3 kids in tubes. I would recommend bringing paddles, it took us 4.5 hours from the bridge at Tumalo state park to Twin Bridges. Fun float, just be prepared and leave a little earlier. (We left at 2pm, got out at 6:30pm.
Thanks for the update!
Has anyone done the Tumalo to Twin Bridges float this year yet? Curious on the debris and water level.
Hi Brigette. Thanks for visiting our blog. It’s a good question, though we have not floated in Tumalo this year ourselves.
Can we bring paddle boards on this section of the river, Tumalo to Twin Bridges, or is it best suited or tubes? Wondering if it’s too shallow and crowded to navigate with the longer boards. When we’ve stayed in sunriver we’ve rented larger 8 person rafts, but we’ll be in Eagle Crest and don’t want to find a rental spot if we can just use our paddle boards and kayak.
Sara, it depends a little on the water level but there are sometimes sections where you might need to walk with the paddle boards where it gets shallow. I don’t think being too crowded would be an issue, just a few shallow rocky sections (and not many, compared to the section from the State Park to Tumalo). So it’s kind of up to you. If you want a clear, deep river all the way, then paddle boards are great in Bend.
We just completed the Tumalo to Twin Bridges float. It was an awesome day of fun on the river. We used multiple individual tubes and two rubber rafts with paddles. ( helpful for getting through the rocks.) the water level seemed a bit low, especially through the rocky parts. At one point we needed to walk on slippery stones and swift water to get through this part. A little challenging for some in our party. A definite must when visiting central Oregon!
Teri, thank you for sharing this update! Glad you enjoyed your float in Tumalo.
Thanks for the heads up! I reside in Bend as well and have been eyeing a float in Tumalo for quite some time. With friends visiting in a few days, this is definitely on our agenda! Bend has been bustling with activity lately, hasn’t it?
It’s pretty cold right now – let us know how that goes for you.
If we put in at Tumalo (near the coffee shop) can we float all the way to Eagle Crest? Also, recommendations on brand of tubes..
Thanks for visiting our blog. We have not tried floating all the way to Eagle Crest, only to the bridge as mentioned in the post. My understanding is there may be significant rapids or stretches that would be difficult, if not dangerous.
I believe we purchased our tubes at Fred Meyer. For other gear recommendations, please see this post: https://roamredmondoregon.com/float-trip-packing-list-essentials-tubing/
That was the best Lazy river, non stressful float we have ever done. Thanks for a description, saw 3 other groups was all.
Glad you enjoyed it! Let us know if you learned any tips along the way.