Tubing was fun — but make sure you come with great insurance, time to argue, and the energy to chase down basic accountability.
River tubing was fun. Unfortunately, everything after that completely ruined the experience.
On Saturday, while we were in the dressing room, a tree fell on two cars in the parking lot. One vehicle appears to be completely totaled, and my friend’s car was severely damaged — possibly totaled, though that hasn’t been confirmed by an adjuster yet.
We asked to speak with the owner and were told they were “on the way.” That wasn’t true — the manager showed up and wasn’t updated on the situation.
We had already talked with the assistant manager but had to explain things again when the manager arrived. I had already asked the assistant manager how my friend would get home to Virginia, and we were told that they would give my two friends a ride back to VA in their van. Later, when I asked the manager about the ride, she wasn’t sure how my friends would get back home. I told her the assistant manager had already assured us transportation would be provided. She later confirmed that they would provide transportation — but this was only after back-and-forth conversation between her and me.
Then came the tow issue.
With no phone signal (thankfully for the Wi-Fi), my friend called her insurance and found out towing wasn’t covered. I told the manager they needed to arrange the tow to Virginia. She initially declined. I repeated that it needed to be handled — and after a phone call (presumably to the owner), she agreed.
When I asked for the owner’s contact info, we were told they couldn't provide “personal information.” Eventually, after back and forth, we were given the business number — something we could’ve looked up ourselves. My friend left her information and was told the owner would contact her that day.
That didn’t happen. The owner never reached out voluntarily, and my friend has had to chase him down repeatedly just to get vague, limited responses.
Now, let’s talk about the tree:
The manager implied it was a spontaneous event — likely to avoid liability. But we have photos showing the tree is hollow, and even without that, the missing bark and dead limbs speak for themselves. Now I’m no tree expert but I’m pretty sure this isn’t what a healthy tree looks like!
For a business that invites people to park on their property, basic safety and maintenance should be a given. Clearly, making that assumption was wrong!!
So would I return?
Let’s just say: if you want to pay $40+ to float on a river and end up with a bigger problem and thousands in damages, bring insurance, patience, and time to argue.
My friend originally asked us not to leave a negative review, hoping they’d do the right thing. But that hasn’t been the case — so we’re sharing our experience.
