We were five teachers who came to western Mass hoping for one last summer adventure and we were not disappointed! After a lot of research, we settled on Great Outdoors and they exceeded our expectations: friendly upon arrival, informative, honest about river rules, accommodating, and affordable. It was $30 per person which included parking, a life jacket, a single tube your choice (pink or blue), and their shuttle service to the drop off spot. Because the shuttles run frequently, Great Outdoors even transported our picnic coolers back to their base for safe keeping before we put in. They also have a lockbox for car keys. Our whole experience on the river was approximately 3.5 hours but that's because we started tubing shortly after the water was released, therefore the beginning was a slow start of rock tetris maneuvering. If you want an "easier" start, I would recommend going in at the time Great Outdoors suggests. We just wanted to be on the water for longer and wanted to avoid the mass crowds of launching. Halfway through our ride, the crowds finally caught up and new tubing friendships formed because of bumper boating moments, all par for the course :) read more

See all

The local turnpike parking lot doesn't allow day parking anymore so we dropped by Great Outdoors to pay for park. When we asked the lady in charge working there what caused the turnpike policy change she said "Too many large families staying there all day, speaking other languages and being too loud." Clearly referring to the latino and black families I typically see out having a chill and relaxing weekend day on the river, like everyone else. That's messed up racist crap. They aren't the reason the parking got restricted, it's dumb litterbugs floating down the river leaving cans of white claw floating for the rest of us to pick up. I don't know if her views reflect the rest of the staff at Great Outdoors, but we won't be going there anymore. read more

Tubing down the Deerfield River is a great summer activity in New England. The staff at Great Outdoors are friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable about the river. That being said, TAKE CAUTION! My husband and I took our small dog to tubing last Saturday. We liked it so much that we came back this weekend. This time we decided to take out a double instead of two singles tied together. We were told that a double was more likely to pop, so became more cautious. Tubing was fun and peaceful for a little while, but literally right around the corner of what locals call Party Island, in a split second, our double got stuck in tree branches and threw us out to a really fast rapid in a narrow pitch. I panicked. The current was so strong that I could not stand without holding a brach near me. On the other side was my dog whose life jacket handle that I was gripping tightly. My husband was ten feet down the river right before a steep drop. He managed to stand his ground and secure our tube and dry bag against the really powerful rapid. Had it not been for my husband who employed his super strength and shrewd judgment, I don't even want to imagine what would have happened to me or our dog. He calmly guided me to get on the nearest ground, help him take out the tube from the water, and restart from there. I followed his instructions and we got out of the pitch in one piece, but it was the scariest moment in my life. While struggling in the water, I immediately regretted not wearing a life vest. By the same token, I was so glad that I bought my dog a life jacket. Even if I had slipped and let him go, he would have floated downstream. Me, on the other hand, would have been totally on my own against 850 cfs rapid and rocks. Anyways, my point is, use caution and be prepared. There are unknown dangers. That's the nature! If you are taking your pre-teen children, I would recommend wearing life vests and bringing a paddle. A double was much harder to navigate and more likely to pop or flip. read more

We had a fantastic day on the river! Easy to find, friendly staff. We were brand new to tubing- I called that morning to find out what time they were releasing the dam. It released at noon which meant it would be at the picnic area at 2. We brought food, ate at a picnic table before boarding the shuttle , arrived around 1:30 and waited for the water - like clockwork, by 2:15, the flow looked good enough to go. We had 6!people with us, its really hard to stay together - once you a hit a few rapids , you just go where the river takes you. A few tips- wear water shoes- i fell out once and the rocks are slippery and the current strong - 2 - my son is 11- I wanted him with me in case he had any trouble- it would have been helpful to have brought rope. When we would separate due to currents/rocks etc, it was difficult to catch up to him. 3- don't bring phone , keys or a bag- when I fell out of the tube , my bag got drenched and my tube started floating away and my bag suddenly weighed a ton! Made it difficult to get back in the tube. There is a place to leave your keys in the building - it was very easy as we floated along to find the place where we needed to hop out to get out of the river to get to the car and the current was slow enough there for an easy exit - read more

Great Outdoors - Great day on the river- highly recommend life vests for pre teens/ or anyone who isn't a strong swimmer- - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Charlemont, Massachusetts

We had a great day tubing! Staff was very friendly and efficient. Be sure to listen to their rules and suggestions and you should be all set. If you have water shoes bring them. The ride lasts about 2 hours - the kids in our group (ages 13-16) had a blast, we stopped somewhere at about 3/4 the way in to jump off rocks. read more

Very friendly shop with gear for the river and camping. We rented two inner tubes and took their shuttle up the river for $30 a person (you get $10 back when you return your tube). Highly recommend this place for tubing down the river. Great equipment and helpful staff. read more

Great Outdoors - Tubing down the river - Outdoor Gear Near Me - Charlemont, Massachusetts

If you leave from this place, stay to the left when the river forks. The right has a tree down across the whole river and you will hit it! It almost killed me and 2 others! We have rented and bought tubes from them at least 10 times in the past 2 years, every time was great until last Thursday's trip. Staff was previously always friendly and helpful. Thursday morning we arrive, I bought a brand new double tube for about $57 dollars and pay for our shuttle/parking fees. I had to ask what we should know on this trip (it was the first trip for us so far this year) All I was told was to get out when you see the Flag Pole. We get to the drop off location and my brand new tube is half deflated already. The guy blows it back up and tells us it should be okay. We had an extra tube with us so we figured we would try. We get on the river and everything is going alright - the tube is deflating but no so bad that we were concerned during the first part of the trip. We had asked if we could get a refund if it did start leaking before we left, as they even opened the package for us and inflated the tube. The driver said it would be fine. Halfway through our trip the river splits. Normally it takes us left, this time it was taking us right. No one had told us where to go (this time or any other previous time), so we went with the river. At the end of this stretch right around a bend, was a down tree completely across the river. We all hit the tree and flipped, I got stuck in the current and almost died. Luckily everyone else was okay, and after about 15 horrifying minutes my friends got me out and saved my life. Then comes a woman and her daughter that we had shuttled out with. My boyfriend jumps in to help them as they were in the same dangerous situation as I was. All in all we made it out okay, we all had our tubes and lives. Our double tube was not damaged more than what it had already been brand new and we finish our ride back to the shop. We go to talk to the company as 3 people almost lost their lives and I was seriously injured. We just wanted to advise them to tell people of this dangerous part of the river that can easily be avoided if known about, as little kids go tubing down here. The owner decides to be completely rude and tell us that we signed a waiver (we know that, thanks) and they told us to stay to the left and always do. (I have the 4 of us and the 3 other ladies in our shuttle group who were NEVER told that) Also, that they would not replace our brand new tube even though it had be deflating since they opened it and inflated it. "If you buy a tube a Walmart and it is broken you don't bring it back to Walmart" is the argument he used. Actually yes, I would bring it back to Walmart, and yes they would replace it as it was clearly defective. This place clearly does not value human life, much less their customers. All it would take to save your customers from injury or worse would be telling them of this hazard before letting them set out. We signed a waiver, we get that. We just hoped you valued lives more than you do. Then to tell us your not going to replace our brand new tube that was defective immediately upon opening from your store. I'll buy the same exact tube from Walmart for cheaper, and they will replace it if it's defected. The previous good experiences here do nothing to outweigh this last trip, we will start using the other tubing shuttle companies around. read more

Highly recommend Great Outdoors for an affordable and fun way to spend the afternoon on the water. Had a great time. The rental equipment was high quality and the staff was excellent. read more

My family and I were extremely nervous about tubing but we had an incredible time! The business is ran by extremely nice people. And the views are amazing as you are going down the river. Also the couple of times where you hit rapids makes it all the more fun. If you are nervous about this trip, rest assured it is very simple but also fun for people even if you aren't the greatest swimmer. I only gave it 4/5 because the bathroom was a little gross but everything else was great! read more

they should state on their website that alcohol is not allowed while tubing on the river. certainly not a deal breaker but would save people the trouble of bringing it in the first place. also, compared to places in NH and VT, the water level is low and the ride is rocky. expect some bruises. not many spots for swimming. nice staff, good tubes, easy day trip from Boston, fun rapids, and pretty location. read more