Whether you’re deep in Texas Hill Country, deep in the bustling city of Dallas, or elsewhere in the Lonestar State, you’re never that far from a great spot to take out your canoe.
There is definitely no shortage of Texas spots for your weekend canoeing trip!
We managed to narrow it down to our 15 favorite places across the state.
If you need a new place to go this weekend, check out our list below and see if you can’t find a good spot near you.
Lake Miller
This is a great canoeing trip that is a manageable 6.7 miles.
You begin by starting on the west side of the Trinity River and then you will paddle against currents that can be quite strong before turning right and going through Lake Pass.
From there, you will turn right again and end your journey in Lake Miller.
This trip gives you a variety of currents and some of the most breathtaking scenery around.
Lady Bird Lake
Located in downtown Austin, this paddling trail allows quite a variety of different paddling opportunities.
There are loops that are anywhere from three to 11 miles in length.
Pecan Bayou
This loop trail is three to four miles long and it is a peaceful part of Pecan Bayou.
The water here is slow moving and you can paddle it in any direction that suits your fancy.
South Llano
In this trip you will get to experience gentle riffles and quiet pools.
It runs for six miles of the river and is out in what is known as Texas Hill country.
This river is fed in the spring so it will be a bit higher then than at other times of the year.
Upper Guadalupe – Nichol’s Landing
Located in Comel County, this stretch of the Guadalupe River is 9.9 miles in length.
The scenery here includes an abundance of older trees combined with an eclectic mix of limestone shelves and cliffs.
This trip should take anywhere from three to six hours and will include a few rapids between the gentler stretches.
Caddo Lake and Big Cyprus Bayou
There are really 10 paddling trails in this area.
This means that for fans of canoeing, there are more than 50 miles of canoe trails for you to paddle.
There will be trail markers posted on each one of the trails that will take you through bayous, swamps and sloughs.
This is truly a gorgeous region for canoers.
This area includes such canoeing trails as:
- Turtle Shell
- Old Folks Playground
- Hell’s Half Acre
- Cathedral
- Carter’s Chute – all in Caddo Lake
And in Big Cyprus Bayou there are:
- Old River II
- Mill Pond
- Haggerty Creek
- Clear Lake
- Benton Lake
Cherokee Neches
This one is close to Jacksonville and gives you 6.6 miles of glorious canoeing experience.
The water types vary from several smallish riffles to quiet pools.
This waterway winds its way through the area known as east Texas Piney Woods.
Cooks Lake to Scatterman
This is a 4.8 mile loop type trail that has an amazing diversity of plants, wildlife and birds.
You will paddle through cyprus and tupelo trees as you follow the river corridor and swamp of the Neches River.
Martin Dies Jr. State Park
The paddling trails on this state park include Sandy Creek, Walnut Slough and Neches.
These trails run in and through the state park.
There are three to 16 miles of trails here that will give the intrepid canoer a wide variety of paddling experiences.
Go from a fast moving river to a wide open lake to a backwater slough.
Bevilport
This trail begins at the Bevilport boat ramp, which is a historic landing site for riverboats and is also known to be the location for the first Texas cattle drives.
It will give the canoer more than nine miles of river trails as you go down the Neches and Angelina Rivers.
Mineola Bigfoot
This trail takes you along the Sabine River where you can paddle for 11.9 miles.
During this trip, you will get spectacular views of East Texas.
Neches – Davy Crockett
This canoeing trail is located near Lufkin. It is 9.2 miles and gives you a more leisurely paddle while on the Neches River.
You will have a front row seat to see the fantastic biodiversity that is found in East Texas.
Village Creek
This canoeing trail is to be found near Kountze, Silsbee and Lumberton.
You will see sandy, white beaches along with a wide variety of wildlife and towering pine trees.
This is one of the longer trails in the state at 21 miles and it has multiple points for access.
Take a single hour trip, a half day or all day trip or even camp overnight right on the banks of the river.
El Camino Real
This trail is slow moving and wide and located in Bastrop.
On the six-mile stretch, you can spend from 1-½ to 4 hours paddling depending on how many times you want to stop to take pictures, have a picnic along the bank or just lazily float down the waterway.
Wilbarger
Also located in Bastrop, and also a wide and slow moving stretch of water, this trail is 14.3 miles long and can take you anywhere from four to eight hours to get from one end to the other.
Did we manage to get your favorite canoeing location in Texas? If not, share it with us in the comments!
