I found the perfect spot for tubing just 30 minutes from my home in Denver. Between the cold water and rushing rapids, it's a thrill you won't forget.

24.10.2023 - 16:31 / insider.com

When summertime temperatures start creeping up to triple digits in Denver, I know I'm bound to get a text from a friend.

"Tubing this Saturday?" 

My answer is always yes. 

Inevitably, we end up at Clear Creek in Golden, Colorado — one of my favorite places to go tubing and just a 30-minute drive from my Denver home. 

As the sun glares down on my sunscreen-coated skin, there's no respite from the heat quite like the icy cold water from Clear Creek.

Thousands of people flock to the area each summer. Along the banks, you'll find picnics, barbecues, and volleyball games. And in the creek, people hold on tight to vibrant tubes as they head down the rapids, which offer a thrill. 

Clear Creek runs right down the heart of Golden, just over 15 miles west of Denver.

Today, the small city is home to the Colorado School of Mines, hiking and mountain-biking trails, a bustling Saturday farmers market, and the Coors Brewing Company. 

As for Clear Creek, the water starts high in the Rocky Mountains at the Continental Divide near Loveland Pass, a mountain pass in north-central Colorado. The creek is about 66 miles long. Due to its high elevation, the water is freezing; by the time it gets to Golden, the water's icy temperature hasn't warmed up much. 

Long before the creek became a popular tubing spot, it was home to the Ute and Arapaho tribes. The Native American tribes used the land for hunting and the creek as a source of fresh water and food, according to the US Forest Service. 

In the 1800s, Westerners forced the Native American tribes out. And after gold was discovered in the region in 1859, Westerners settled near parts of Clear Creek in hopes of striking it rich, according to the US Forest Service.

Popular mining towns like Silver Plume and Georgetown formed in the mountains around this time. Meanwhile, the town of Golden was established in the flatlands to sell supplies to the incoming miners, according to Golden Today. 

The influx of people caused challenges along Clear Creek. For example, irrigation canals were built for farms, which caused the creek to dry out in 1979, according to the Golden History Museum. Ecosystems were destroyed as a result of mining during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Since then, conservation efforts have been made to restore the water quality and surrounding land. In Golden, for example, Clear Creek and surrounding land are protected by Jefferson County Open Space.

Today, the water is clear again, attracting tourists and Coloradans alike to the region. 

People raft down Clear Creek on everything from air mattresses to inflatable flamingos.

Previously, I've naively attempted to ride the creek on both a pool noodle and a flimsy, cheap inflatable. The result: bruises, scrapes, and