See all 4 routes on Buffalo Bayou
Texas | Gulf Coast
Buffalo BayouHighway 6 to West Sam Houston Parkway
West Houston Buffalo Bayou day trip through Terry Hershey Park from the official Highway 6 access to West Sam Houston Parkway. TPWD publishes the access sequence and segment float times, Save Buffalo Bayou documents public parking at Highway 6, Dairy Ashford, and Beltway 8, and the Addicks USGS gauge sits inside the selected reach.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Highway 6 and finish at West Sam Houston Parkway for the Terry Hershey Park section of the Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail. Use USGS 08073500 near Addicks with a conservative 150 cfs base-flow floor, then make a same-day call on reservoir releases, urban runoff, water quality, strainers, and rough access.
Access map
Put-in
Highway 6TPWD publishes Highway 6, Terry Hershy Park, Dairy Ashford Road, and West Sam Houston Parkway as official access anchors, but the actual water-entry paths can be muddy, steep, or shifted by erosion.
Take-out
West Sam Houston ParkwaySave Buffalo Bayou confirms public parking at Highway 6, Dairy Ashford, and Beltway 8, but also warns that some access points require dragging or clambering.
Road shuttle
Stage the West Sam Houston Parkway / Beltway 8 take-out first, then drive back to the Highway 6 access in Terry Hershey Park. Dairy Ashford is an official coordinate-backed midpoint access and a practical shorter take-out when water or daylight is marginal.
Choose a shorter tripOptional
Access planner
Choose your launch and take-out
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Highway 6 to West Sam Houston Parkway is about 6.0 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- The stored coordinates are public access anchors, not projected mid-channel launch points. Follow the signed path, visible bank condition, and current park rules on arrival.
- The bayou is navigable, but TPWD says private-bank use outside direct hazard portages can be trespassing. Do not turn visible lawns, wooded banks, or trail edges into casual stops.
- This route uses a local minimum-only threshold source. Around 150 cfs is treated as the floor, while storm or release-driven flows above about 2,000 cfs require experienced paddlers and a separate high-water judgment.
More route and safety guidance
- TPWD identifies log jams and strainers as very hazardous and tells paddlers to portage around them.
- Save Buffalo Bayou warns that reservoir releases after storms can make the current fast and dangerous, with base flow around 150-200 cfs and flows over about 2,000 cfs for experienced paddlers only.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampDetailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Buffalo Bayou nr Addicks, TX. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Buffalo Bayou nr Addicks, TX |
| Discharge | Checking |
| Gauge height | Checking |
| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
| Current band | Checking |
| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
| Water temp | Checking |
| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 150 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Save Buffalo Bayou upper access and flow guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official access chainHighway 6 to West Sam Houston Parkway
TPWD lists Highway 6, Terry Hershy Park, Dairy Ashford Road, and West Sam Houston Parkway as official Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail access points with GPS coordinates and estimated segment float times.
- Practical route shapeHighway 6 through Terry Hershey Park to Beltway 8
Save Buffalo Bayou identifies public parking at Highway 6, Dairy Ashford, and Beltway 8; Harris County says Terry Hershey Park runs along roughly six miles of Buffalo Bayou.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-08-10USGS 08073500 at 106 cfs / 46.21 ft
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Threshold posture150 cfs minimum-only; 2,000 cfs experienced-only caution
Save Buffalo Bayou describes base flow as a very low, slow current around 150-200 cfs and says storm or reservoir-release pulses over about 2,000 cfs are for experienced paddlers only.
- Safety and water qualityUrban runoff, releases, strainers, and no swimming
TPWD says the bayou's water quality is generally unsuitable for swimming, is influenced by storm runoff and reservoir releases, and that trips should not be attempted in high and turbulent water; log jams and strainers are specifically flagged as hazardous.
- CampingNo route camping
Houston Parks says camping in the city park system is permitted only at Lake Houston Wilderness Park, and Harris County publishes Terry Hershey Park as a day-use park with daily hours rather than overnight river-camping support.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on Buffalo Bayou
All 4Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.