Texas is a state mostly known for musical innovation. But many people are unaware of its natural beauty. It is blessed with more than 3,500 streams and 15 main rivers. Apart from these, there are extensive tidal shorelines. As you can assume, these provide unlimited possibilities for water Journeys.
No matter if you are a professional or a newbie, you can enjoy kayaking in the waterways. All you need is a suitable kayak, paddle, and other accessories. Also, choosing an ideal location is important. If you don’t know where to kayak in Texas, check out the following section. Here is the list of Texas’s most popular kayaking destinations:
Four Texas Kayaking Spots You Should not Miss
Brazos River
It is one of the longest rivers in the United States. Brazos river measures almost 2,060 km in length. With eye-catching bluffs and a narrow structure, it looks incredible. Many anglers come here to catch large mouth, striped, spotted bass.
They enjoy fishing and kayaking at the same time. The kayakers are allowed to spend time in several hours to multi-day traveling. They can stay in camp at night after finding a good sandbar in the bank. Such places are spacious enough to accommodate a large group of tourists.
After setting the camp, people usually build a fire and enjoy the night-view. You will see various colorful birds, mammals, and other wildlife along the riverbank while moving forward. There are also some private properties where the entry of random people is prohibited. The water level rises, and the weather becomes cooler in the spring. So, it is the most suitable season for paddling. Besides, fall provides some decent opportunities as well.
The only problem is you have to face more portaging issues due to the low water depth. Since the summer days are scorching, avoid running the river then. You must get permission to explore most of the river freely. Overall, paddling in the river will be a great holiday adventure with friends or family.
Guadalupe River
This 370 km long river near New Braunfels is a paradise for kayakers. It is full of calm water and rapids with irregular waves. Large waves are seen too in a few areas, but they are easy to dodge. You will have to deal with powerful current effects on large-volume portions. Such water is available above Canyon Lake.
Guadalupe river flows through Guadalupe River State Park, which is a fantastic park for hiking. Water gets deeper and broader below Canyon Lake. It passes through several recreational river areas. The required paddling skills vary from intermediate to expert level. If you are a beginner, you should not cross the flat-water zone. It covers numerous Texas carp fishing spots and even more river carp fishing kayaking spots.
Anyone who loves both activities, it is a must-visit place for his/her. Trout is the most common species there. Also, it yields heavy basses every year, which often puts up fights. That’s why it remains always crowded with anglers and paddlers. They usually come with their canoe and a wide variety of carp fishing gear.
Despite this fact, the water is always cool and crystal-clear. The droughts barely affect the water depth of the river. It is the reason why people have incredible kayaking experience, even in summer. There are plenty of outfitters as well as shuttle services. You will find some private campgrounds, tasty restaurants, big hotels, and local shops.
Neches River
It covers 25,930km2 area with a 669 km long waterway. The majority of the river water is pretty slow. Only a couple of places have the wild eaves to carry your canoe when you are not paddling. You will hardly notice a sign of human habitation. Instead, there are a wide range of wildlife, including different birds, deer, wild hogs, etc. The most common wildlife sighting is alligators hiding in the mud and turtles roaming in the water. Groups of hunters usually come here to capture these animals. There is a private hunt association for this purpose.
Outstanding fishing opportunities are presented in a lot of places. Now and then, the fish jump 2 to 3 meters above from the waterline. If you are lucky, they may directly fall into your boat. We recommend going there in a high water situation. Then, you will be able to head towards the lake on Pine Island. When the water-depth is low, finding moving channels from the lake to the river is almost impossible. Planning a kayaking trip from July to September may not be a wise decision.
The sun heats strongly, and the water goes down. You will not get much pleasure from extremely hot weather and slow-moving water. The visitors need to get permits for visiting the spots. Each group should not exceed eight people.
Colorado River
Colorado river is a major river-system of the United States and Mexico. Its 2,334 km stream connects a total of nine states. Thousands of people are fond of its kayaking waters and camping places alongside the banks. The landscapes include bright cliffs, curved canyons, trees and so on. They are so beautiful that you can not take the eyes off them. As you may not be able to view the entire river, it is better to fix the desired spots before the journey. You can consider it as the combination of two basins- upper and lower. The upper one consists of Class 2 rapids.
The speed of water is moderate with regular waves. The intermediate kayakers can easily handle them. The middle of the ledges and stones often form open passages. You can lead the boat in these ways. But the chances of hitting big rocks and cliffs are high.
Final Words
Hence, don’t forget to bring a durable kayak. The learners should go for the sit-on-top kayak because they deliver optimum convenience and stability. They can find calm locations where the river is super stationary. Moreover, the experts generally prefer the river stretches having violent rapids. The authorities launched permit systems to keep the water safe from excessive human impact. You can not kayak otherwise.