Only about a 25-minute drive from downtown Dayton, Mad River Adventures in Springfield is the perfect place to get the whole family out on the water without breaking the bank. Mad River not only offers tubing, but also kayaking and canoeing with options for a 3-mile, 8-mile, 11-mile or 16-mile course. Tubing is only available on a 3-mile route.
I spent Tuesday afternoon floating in a single tube and I can report that the water couldn’t have been more ideal. The air might have been hot, but three hours went by in a flash as I enjoyed the cool splashes from mild currents and rapids.
Credit: Mad River Adventures
Credit: Mad River Adventures
In many shallower places along the route, the water was so clear that I could watch the river bottom pass underneath me and when I was lucky, leaves from the lower tree branches gave me a nice breeze from above.
Mad River’s prices:
-3MILE: $30/canoe; $20/kayak; $15/tube. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
-8MILE: $35/canoe; $25/kayak. 9 a.m.- 2 p.m.
-11MILE: $40/canoe; $30/kayak. 9 a.m. &10 a.m. only
-16MILE: $45/$35. 8 a.m. only
Trips depart from Mad River between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. — some depart sooner, depending on the length of the trip. You must call ahead to make reservations. After you’ve made your reservations, plan to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
WANT TO GO?
WHAT: Mad River Adventures
WHERE: 5605 Old Lower Valley Pike, Springfield
INFO: (937) 882-6925 | Facebook
About the Author