Paddling Texas

by Shane Townsend

Overview

From the canyons of Big Bend to the cypress swamps of Pine Island Bayou, the waters of Texas have something for most every type of paddler and every paddling mood.  One might float the diminutive Comal River, argued to be the shortest river in the world. Another might dig deep and follow the four-day, 260-mile route of the Texas Water Safari, which Canoe & Kayak Magazine referred to as “The World’s Toughest Canoe Race.” Whitewater is here too. Lakes are as well. And, the Texas Gulf Coast is home to sandy beaches, knobby mangroves, and sea grass flats. Meanwhile, Texas is home to some of the fastest growing cities in America. And, paddling is the fastest growing outdoor sport in the country. “Paddling Texas” is a guide for those who are new to either and all those who love both. Featured trips offer easy access, secure environments, good facilities, great fishing, superb wildlife viewing, and beautiful scenery. “Paddling Texas” gives recreational paddlers and anglers all the information they’ll need to paddle many of the best trips in Texas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762791262
Publisher:	Globe Pequot
Publication date:	11/04/2014
Series:	Paddling Series
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Shane Townsend was raised in the family boarding house at the edge of the Pascagoula River Swamp. He has hiked the Andes, fished with machetes in the Amazon basin, and paddled dugout canoes deep within Southeast Asia's Ring of Fire. He’s a lifelong outdoorsman and a former Peace Corps volunteer. Now, Shane is a contributing editor for Gaff Life Magazine, a marketing and strategic communications advisor, and an award-winning freelance writer focusing on the outdoor lifestyle.

Table of Contents

Foreword viii

Acknowledgments x

Introduction 1

Safety and Laws for Paddling Texas 1

STILL: Five Tips for Getting the Most from Your Time in Nature 2

GPS Coordinates: An Overview 4

How to Choose a Kayak 6

How to Choose a Paddle 7

A Taste of Kayak Fishing 8

Packing for a Paddle Trip 10

Packing for a Fishing Trip 101 12

Tips for a Successful Paddle 14

How to-Use This Guide 15

Trip Finder 18

Map-Legend 20

Big Bend 21

1 Boquillas Canyon Backcountry (Rio Grande) 22

South Texas Plains 29

2 Bergheim Campground-to Guadalupe River State Park (Guadalupe River) 30

3 Lake Seguin Loop (Guadalupe River) 35

4 Lake Nolte Loop (Guadalupe River) 40

5 Eagle Loop (Victor Braunig Lake) 44

Hill Country 49

6 Red Bud Isle-Barton Creek Loop (Lower Colorado River) 50

7 MOC LoCo Float (Lower Colorado River below Longhorn Dam) 56

8 Devil's Waterhole Loop (Inks Lake) 62

9 Schumacher's Crossing (Guadalupe River) 67

10 South Llano River State Park "700 Springs" Run (South Llano River) 72

11 Limestone Loop (Lake Georgetown) 77

12 Sandy Creek's Paddle Hard Loop (Lake Travis) 82

Prairies & Lakes 87

13 Luling-Zedler Mill Paddling Trail (San Marcos River) 88

14 Chupacabra Point Loop (Trinity River at Lake Bridgeport) 93

15 LBJ Grasslands Loop (Black Creek Reservoir) 98

16 Bosque Bluffs Loop (Bosque River) 102

17 Brazos Bridges Loop (Brazos River) 106

18 Limestone Bluffs Trail (Navasota River) 111

19 New Life Loop (Bastrop State Park Lake) 116

20 BassHdg Loop (Buescher Lake) 121

21 El Camino Real Paddling Trail (Lower Colorado River) 126

22 Columbus Trail (Lower Colorado River) 131

23 Oak Park Loop (Navarro Mills Lake) 136

24 ShareLunker Loop (Purtis Creek Lake) 141

25 Calamity Jane Loop (Belton Lake on the Leon River) 145

26 Comanche Gap Loop (Lampasas River at Stillhouse Hollow Lake) 150

Piney Woods 155

27 Walnut Slough Loop (Neches River on B A Steinhagen Lake) 156

28 Neches River Loop (Neches River on B A Sceinhagen Lake) 160

29 Bevilport to Martin Dies Jr. State Park (Angelina and Neches Rivers) 165

30 B A Steinhagen Lake-Birds to Butch Loop (Neches River) 170

31 Davy Crockett National Forest Paddling Trail (Neches River) 175

Gulf Coast 180

32 Oak Bayou Loop (Galveston Bay) 181

33 Jenkins Bayou Loop (Galveston Bay) 186

34 Dana Cove Loop (Galveston Bay) 191

35 Wilson's Cut Loop (Corpus Christi Bay) 196

36 Redfish Loop (Redfish Bay) 201

37 Electric Loop (Corpus Christi Bay) 207

38 Island Moo lings-Little flats Loop (Corpus Christi Bay) 212

39 Hampton s Landing-Ransom Island Loop (Corpus Christi Bay) 217

40 JB Hunting Ranch to Car] Park (Tres Palacios River) 222

Paddle Index 228

About the Author 229