Best Texas Lakes for Your Summer Kayaking Trip
Texas is packed full of exciting places to kayak and canoe that are sure to be fun for you and the whole family. Let’s take a look at some of the best destinations for kayaking in Texas this summer.
Lady Bird Lake – Kayaking in Austin
No motorboats are allowed here, and you’ll appreciate it as you paddle on the calm waters by the stunning Austin skyline. The lack of heavy traffic also makes Lady Bird Lake a great starting spot for first-timers looking to practice and seasoned paddlers alike.
Glide past turtles sunning themselves on logs, ducks weaving through the reeds, and herons stalking the banks for fish, and all this in the shadow of skyscrapers.
Start your paddle near Zilker Park and head east under the Congress Avenue Bridge. If you time it right in the evening, you might even catch Austin’s famous bat colony erupting into the sky.
Rentals are available all along the shore, and you’re never far from tacos or cold drinks once you dock.
Caddo Lake – East Texas Bayou
If you’re into something slower, stranger, and more enchanted, Caddo Lake is your place. Sitting along the Texas-Louisiana border, this 25,000-acre monster is a maze of cypress groves and Spanish moss, looking more like the Deep South than the Lone Star State.
Fog curls off the water in the mornings due to the high humidity, and as you paddle through winding sloughs and flooded forests across one of the most diverse landscapes in Texas. Be sure to keep your eye out for alligators (they’re shy), turtles, owls, and the occasional wild boar rooting along the banks.
Guadalupe River – Fast Currents Canoe Trip
The Guadalupe River is best known for tubing, but upstream sections, especially near Canyon Lake, have faster waters that are great for challenging kayaking or canoeing.
Expect a workout on this one. The river carves a winding path through rolling hills, and a mix of light rapids and calm waters gives you just enough thrill without tipping into whitewater territory.
More Good Places to Kayak
The best places to kayak and canoe are dotted all across the state. Here are a few more to check out:
- Buffalo Bayou is a great spot for canoeing in Houston, Texas. The current moves slowly, the scenery is dense and green, and you’ll spot everything from great blue herons to softshell turtles sunning on the banks
- Armand Bayou is one of the last undisturbed bayous in the Houston area and snakes through Armand Bayou Nature Center.
When you need somewhere secure and easily accessible to store your paddles, kayaks, canoes, and more, come to Freedom Storage to rent an affordable storage unit at a facility near you today.