Tubing is finally open for the summer.

Each year, the rivers of Northeast Georgia are filled with tubers, kayakers, canoers, paddlers and every other kind of outdoor sporting equipment that can take them down river.

Most places usually open after Memorial Day and close after Labor Day.

“It all depends on the weather,” said Kay McCullough, manager of Up the River Outfitters.

This year, the Duluth business opened May 1.

It charges $10 for the two-hour trip and $14 for four hours down the Chattahoochee River. The price includes inner tubes,  life jackets and connectors to attach to tubes for a group.

Outfitters also offer a “four-man raft,” which seats four people and costs $64 for two hours and $84 for four hours.

“We just stay busy with the tubing,” McCullough said.

For more information, visit www.gorivertubing.com.

Further north, two businesses in Helen provide tubing opportunities: Helen Tubing, with the pink tubes, and Cool River Tubing with the green tubes.

Cool River Tubing is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily after Memorial Day.

“Sometimes we open a bit earlier, or just on weekends,” said Michaela Mosley of Cool River.

Cool River has three options: $8 for a one- or two-hour ride or $12 to stay in the water all day.

A waterslide option allows customers to get off their tube on the Chattahoochee River and hop on the waterslide for an additional $4.

“We try to keep our customers happy,” Mosley said. “We try to keep it all very clean.”

Visit www.coolriver
tubing.com for more information.

Helen Tubing offers a two- to three-hour ride for $5 and an all-day pass for $12, according to its website (www.helentubing.com.)

Dogs are allowed, but a towel must cover the tube to prevent the pet’s nails from puncturing the tube.

Helen Tubing is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week at 9917 Ga. 75 North in Helen.

Every day, the Rolling Thunder River Co. offers its services in Northeast Georgia as well as western North Carolina and southeast Tennessee. The Toccoa-based company’s options include tubing, whitewater rafting, kayaking and canoeing down the Ocoee and Nantahala rivers.

“We have been doing this since 1977,” Joretta Lynn said.

Times for each day vary. Check its website (www.rollingthunderriverco.com) for times.

Specifically for residents interested in tubing, Rolling Thunder River has two options: 1 ½-mile course for $7 or 3 miles for $14.

Further northwest, the Coosawattee River Tubing Co. in Elijay is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

“We have tubing every hour on the hour,” said Chastiti Toble, of Coosawattee.

It charges $20 per person, or $15 for more than 10 people in a group.

“Most people come back within two hours,” Toble said. “It just depends on the (Coosawattee) River.”

You have to be at least 48 inches tall to partake and sign a waiver.

“It’s a beginner’s river,” Toble said. “So it is a good river for people who are too young or too old for some of the other rivers. It’s really calm.”

For more information on Coosawattee, visit  www.coosawatteerivertubingco.com.