Had the opportunity to go canoeing down the Colorado River a couple weeks ago. Russell and I had planned on camping at Pedernales State Park for a quick, outside the city limit excursion. Luckily we settled for a twenty mile float on the Colorado River, between Little Webberville Park and the 969 bridge. Special thanks to Allen Pannell for the route suggestions.
I highly recommend water-proofing all of your gear. I was able to pick up these handy Leaktite Lids that can be screwed onto any 5 gallon bucket, perfect for keeping any food, clothing, or cameras dry.
Yes, it flows downstream
We were forecasted for torrential rains both days…..come on this is Texas
However, the wind did make it difficult paddling
1st Campsite was a large sandbar. This was a great place to stop because we had an abundance of driftwood for the fire. Ended up catching a couple fish from the bank, and I also found and ate some wild blackberries here.
Open water
After a couple hours of paddling we had to pull over for lunch
High banks and threatening rain
Pulled over for another photo op
Serenity
Golden Hour
Fishing at our last campsite
Don’t be fooled, I’m awkwardly posing for a photo
2nd Campsite. We didn't find quite as much wood as the first site, but made do with a few larger logs. The fishing was great here. We later determined that this campsite was only a mile from the bridge.
Golden Sunset #1
Golden Sunset #2
We spent two nights and three days on the river and covered roughly twenty miles. I highly suggest this route because it’s not overly taxing and can be easily finished in three days maybe even two if you’re booking it. The canoe was rented from Austin Kayak here in San Antonio, for $30 a day (new $650). We were blessed with perfect weather in that no sun screen was applied however; the head wind was a killer due to the threatening storms. Cook’s Canoes at Little Webberville is a great reference site for GPS coordinates of sandbars and put-ins, they will even transport you too and from your vehicle for a nominal fee however, there canoe rental fees are more expensive though. I might try kayaking next time but it was nice to be able to carry a 70qt ice chest along with fishing tackle and other gear.