Cherokee Neches
Near Jacksonville
Quiet pools and small riffles on the free-flowing Neches River. Plan on 3–5 hours. Bald eagles, herons, otters and beavers are common.
- Put-in
- Neches River Run Park (FM 747)
Paddling Paths
74 official Texas Paddling Trails. Tap a pin for the put-in and directions, or scroll for a summary of every trail.
Pins mark each trail’s main put-in, from Texas Parks and Wildlife. “Directions” opens Google Maps.
Pineywoods
Chandler Upper Neches
Chandler (Tyler / Athens)
Paddle upstream and back from one spot — no shuttle needed. Great for the spring white bass run, with rentals next door.
- Put-in
- Chandler River Park
Neches–Davy Crockett
Near Lufkin
A leisurely half-day on the Neches through the Davy Crockett National Forest.
- Put-in
- Anderson Crossing
Bevilport
Near Jasper
Old-growth forest along the Angelina and Neches rivers, ending at Martin Dies, Jr. State Park.
- Put-in
- Bevilport Boat Ramp
Martin Dies, Jr. State Park
Near Jasper
Three trails — Neches, Walnut Slough and Sandy Creek — from still backwater sloughs to moving river.
- Put-in
- Neches / Walnut Slough access
Village Creek
Lumberton / Silsbee / Kountze
White sand beaches and tall pines with several access points — paddle a few hours or camp on a sandbar overnight.
- Put-in
- FM 418
Cooks Lake to Scatterman
Near Beaumont
A moss-draped cypress and tupelo swamp along the Neches River — excellent for birding.
- Put-in
- LNVA Saltwater Barrier Boat Ramp
Collier’s Ferry to Lake Bayou
Beaumont
Remote backwater channels in the Big Thicket National Preserve.
- Put-in
- Collier’s Ferry Park
Sabine Sandbar
Near Carthage
Quiet pools, small riffles and good fishing on the Sabine River, with three trip lengths.
- Put-in
- FM 2517 Public Boat Ramp
Toledo Bend – Lost Frontier
Near Milam / Hemphill
Quiet water and pretty shoreline — a favorite for kayak fishing.
- Put-in
- Frontier RV Park
Toledo Bend – Patroon Bayou
Near Milam / Hemphill
A no-shuttle loop on the Patroon Bayou arm of the reservoir.
- Put-in
- Holly Park Marina
Toledo Bend – Six Mile
Near Milam / Hemphill
Calm, family-friendly water — a good first trail.
- Put-in
- Six Mile North Public Boat Launch
Toledo Bend – Palo Gaucho & Mid Lake
Near Milam / Hemphill
Palo Gaucho Bayou backwaters and coves leading out to the main lake.
- Put-in
- Sandals & Spurs Lakefront Resort
Caddo Lake – Carter’s Chute
Karnack / Uncertain
Bald cypress swamp on one of ten Caddo-area trails totaling 50+ miles.
- Put-in
- Caddo Lake WMA launch (FM 805)
Caddo Lake – Cathedral
Uncertain
A short Caddo Lake route through towering cypress.
- Put-in
- Shady Glade Resort launch
Caddo Lake – Hell’s Half Acre
Karnack
A longer Caddo Lake loop starting from the state park.
- Put-in
- Mill Pond Launch, Caddo Lake State Park
Caddo Lake – Old Folks Playground
Uncertain
A Caddo Lake loop through cypress and open water.
- Put-in
- Crip’s Camp (launch fee)
Caddo Lake – Turtle Shell
Uncertain
A Caddo Lake route among the cypress sloughs.
- Put-in
- Johnson’s Ranch launch
Big Cypress Bayou – Benton Lake
Near Jefferson / Karnack
A short bayou paddle — one of five trails from the same launch.
- Put-in
- Backwater Jack’s RV Park
Big Cypress Bayou – Clear Lake
Near Jefferson / Karnack
A short bayou trip into a backwater lake.
- Put-in
- Backwater Jack’s RV Park
Big Cypress Bayou – Haggerty Creek
Near Jefferson / Karnack
Up Big Cypress Bayou into quiet Haggerty Creek.
- Put-in
- Backwater Jack’s RV Park
Big Cypress Bayou – Mill Pond
Near Jefferson / Karnack
The longest of the Big Cypress Bayou loops.
- Put-in
- Backwater Jack’s RV Park
Big Cypress Bayou – Old River II
Near Jefferson / Karnack
A short paddle along an old river channel.
- Put-in
- Backwater Jack’s RV Park
Gulf Coast
Armand Bayou
Pasadena / Clear Lake
Follows the bayou upstream past the Armand Bayou Nature Center to Horsepen Bayou.
- Put-in
- Bay Area Park
Buffalo Bayou
Houston
Houston’s first paddling trail, winding right through downtown.
- Put-in
- Highway 6
Greens Bayou
Houston
A secluded urban route with three launches at city parks.
- Put-in
- Brock Adventure Park
Christmas Bay
Freeport / Surfside
Coastal loops known for saltwater fishing and birding.
- Put-in
- Amigo Lane
Galveston Island State Park
Galveston
Three trails across salt marsh and seagrass beds.
- Put-in
- Dana Cove access
Stephen F. Austin – Columbia Bottomland
Near Angleton
A wooded Brazos River run through the Columbia Bottomland forest.
- Put-in
- Brazos River County Park
Stephen F. Austin – Old Settlement Passage
Brazoria County
A longer Brazos River route past historic bridges.
- Put-in
- Bells Landing
Stephen F. Austin – Sugar Mill Stretch
Brazoria County
The shortest and easiest of the Brazoria County Brazos trails.
⚠ Put-in ramp currently closed due to flood damage — check before going.
- Put-in
- CR 849
Stephen F. Austin – Gulf Prairie Run
Freeport
Open, coastal-feeling river paddling down into Freeport.
- Put-in
- FM 2004 boat ramp
Riverside Rally Loop
Bay City
A slow, scenic Colorado River loop with cliffs, sandy shores, eagles and turtles.
- Put-in
- Riverside Park Boat Ramp
Palacios
Palacios
Four sections of river, wetland and bay water for birding and fishing.
- Put-in
- Carl Park Boat Ramp
Powderhorn
Port O’Connor
Shoreline and marsh routes around the Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area.
- Put-in
- Boggy Bayou Nature Park
Port O’Connor
Port O’Connor
Interconnected saltwater marsh routes for a few hours or several days.
- Put-in
- Little Jetties
Seadrift
Seadrift
Easy river paddling to expert bay routes, with four access points.
- Put-in
- Calhoun’s Riverside RV Retreat
Victoria
Victoria
Four Guadalupe River sections from Chisholm Trail to Fort Saint Louis.
- Put-in
- FM 447 / Nursery
Lighthouse Lakes
Aransas Pass
The state’s first paddling trail — black mangroves near the 1857 Lydia Ann Lighthouse.
- Put-in
- Crabman Marina
Mustang Island
Port Aransas
Three trails on the island’s bay side, famous for shallow-water fishing.
- Put-in
- Island Moorings Marina
Ron R. Smith Memorial – Oso Bay
Corpus Christi
Short loops beside the Texas A&M–Corpus Christi campus.
- Put-in
- Turtle Cove, TAMU-CC
South Bay
South Padre Island
A shallow, subtropical bay loop near the mouth of the Rio Grande.
- Put-in
- Isla Blanca Park
Hill Country
Guadalupe River State Park
Spring Branch
A scenic, natural Hill Country float less than an hour from San Antonio.
- Put-in
- Guadalupe River State Park
Upper Guadalupe – Nichol’s Landing
Comal County
Limestone cliffs and big trees above Canyon Lake, with rapids and calm stretches. 3–6 hours.
- Put-in
- Nichol’s Landing
Inks Lake
Burnet
Three short routes: Devil’s Waterhole, Stumpy Hollow and Waterfowl Run.
- Put-in
- Inks Lake State Park
Lady Bird Lake
Austin
Loop options right through downtown Austin.
- Put-in
- Redbud Trail
Pecan Bayou
Brownwood
A calm, slow-moving loop you can paddle in either direction.
- Put-in
- Fabis Primitive Park
South Llano
Junction
Spring-fed and crystal clear, with calm pools and gentle riffles.
- Put-in
- South Llano River State Park
Prairies & Lakes
El Camino Real (Bastrop)
Bastrop
A wide, slow stretch of the Colorado River with good picnic stops.
- Put-in
- Fisherman’s Park
Wilbarger (Bastrop)
Bastrop
A longer Colorado River day with scenic stops along the way.
- Put-in
- Utley (FM 969) Bridge
Columbus
Columbus
A peaceful Colorado River route with wildflowers, birds and turtles.
- Put-in
- 71 Business Crossing
Luling Zedler Mill
Luling
Texas’ first inland paddling trail — a gentle, family-friendly San Marcos River float.
- Put-in
- SH 90 River Crossing
Come and Take It
Gonzales
A longer, slow Guadalupe River trip for experienced paddlers.
- Put-in
- Lake Wood Park
Independence
Gonzales
A beginner- and family-friendly loop with no shuttle.
- Put-in
- US 183 Bridge
Guadalupe Valley
Cuero
Do the whole stretch or shorter sections from three access sites.
- Put-in
- FM 766 (Hell’s Gate)
Limestone Bluffs
Groesbeck / Mexia
Quiet Navasota River water to Fort Parker State Park.
- Put-in
- Confederate Reunion Grounds
Bosque Bluffs & Brazos Bridges
Waco
Two easy downtown Waco loops on the Bosque and Brazos rivers.
- Put-in
- McLennan Community College ramp
Belton Lake – Morgan’s Point Resort
Belton / Temple
Three lake trails: Camp Kachina, Tanyard Springs and Mother Neff.
- Put-in
- Morgan’s Point Marina
Dallas Trinity
Dallas
From a channelized upper section into a natural, tree-lined river.
⚠ Check launch status before going.
- Put-in
- Trammel Crow Boat Ramp
Paddle Point Creek
Rowlett
Open water or shady shoreline on Lake Ray Hubbard.
- Put-in
- Paddle Point Park
Beaver Pond
Lewisville
A quiet loop of water lilies, willows and wildlife.
- Put-in
- Beaver Pond Parking Area
Lewisville Lake – Highland Village
Highland Village
Five combinable routes on the Hickory Creek arm.
- Put-in
- Marauder Park
Grapevine Lake
Grapevine
Paddle as far as you like, with fishing and on-site rentals.
- Put-in
- Meadowmere Park
River Legacy Parks
Arlington
An easy Trinity loop, or a longer trip with portages around riffles.
- Put-in
- River Legacy Park Access
Lake Arlington
Arlington
Urban lake shoreline — the first lake paddling trail in DFW.
- Put-in
- Richard Simpson Park
Joe Pool Lake & Walnut Creek
Grand Prairie
A nature trail in Loyd Park inside the Metroplex.
- Put-in
- Loyd Park Canoe Launch
Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge
Fort Worth
A quiet West Fork Trinity loop minutes from downtown Fort Worth.
- Put-in
- Big River Paddle Launch
Bridgeport Falls
Bridgeport
Quiet pools and small riffles on the West Fork of the Trinity.
- Put-in
- Bridgeport Falls
South Texas
Mission Reach
San Antonio
Float the San Antonio River past the historic missions to Mission Espada.
- Put-in
- Roosevelt Park
Saspamco
Near San Antonio
A shady trail with quiet pools, small riffles and good birdwatching.
- Put-in
- Loop 1604 River Access
Seguin – Lake Seguin
Seguin
A beginner-friendly Guadalupe River loop with no shuttle.
- Put-in
- Max Starcke Park dock
Seguin – Lake Nolte / Meadow Lake
Seguin
Two access points let you pick your trip length.
⚠ Closed until further notice due to a spillgate drawdown.
- Put-in
- Max Starcke Park Natural Fishing Area
Goliad
Goliad
Calm pools and small riffles on the San Antonio River, ending at Goliad State Park.
- Put-in
- Highway 59
Nueces River – George West
George West
A relaxed paddle with birds, turtles and fish.
- Put-in
- Live Oak County Park
Know a public put-in we’re missing? We’re always adding Texas paddling spots — including lakes and creeks that aren’t official trails yet. TPWD also has a statewide Texas Paddling Trails page.