Canoeing The El Camino Real Paddling Trail

Launching from the Fisherman's Park boat ramp in Bastrop.

On the morning of September 14th 2024, Dave and I arrived at Fisherman's Park in Bastrop, Texas. Our goal; to canoe the El Camino Real Paddling Trail. Created in part by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, this paddle trail lies in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River. Beginning at the aforementioned Fisherman's Park, the official trail ends about six miles downriver, at the Bastrop County Nature Park.

The Lower Basin Region of the Colorado River as defined by the LCRA.

Though we launched behind a dozen paddle boats, this was a new water for us. All of us paddled a water known centuries before by settlers, Spaniards and various Indian tribes. For Dave and me, the swift, clear stream was a pleasant change from our coastal waterways. We soon passed the boats that had launched ahead of us.

On the water by 10:45 the river was staged at 2.94' and running at 435 ft3/s. A warm day, the high was 94 degrees. We found playful swifts and twist but no rapids.

Familiar flora guarded the banks and lined riverbed. The ratios and arrangements were different from those on the waters we were used to, those approaching the gulf.

The short thick body, dark color and triangle head suggest a water moccasin.

Though the river runs through the town of Bastrop, it remains in it's natural bed. From the canoe it still looks and feels wild. We saw cranes, some ducks and a snake. While taking an in-boat break near the end of the trip, we spotted two feral hogs cooling off at the river's edge.

For us it was a 6 plus mile trip. The Google Earth images are dated; some of the gravel and sandbars we encountered were overgrown. The adventure picnic I planned would have to wait for another trip.

We landed at the Bastrop County Nature Park about 1:00. Kayaks landed before and after us. The troop of canoeing Boy Scouts we passed earlier slid past us on their way to Smithville.

For this day tour we used my canoe. The Bastrop River Company shuttled us and our gear back to Fisherman's Park. Make arrangements in advance if you intend to rent a boat or hire the shuttle.

Below are some links that may prove helpful.

Thanks for reading!

https://tpwd.texas.gov/boating/paddling-trails/prairies-and-lakes/bastrop-el-camino-real/

https://hydromet.lcra.org/

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/08159200/#dataTypeId=continuous-00060-0&startDT=2024-09-14&endDT=2024-09-15

https://bastropriverco.com/