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Texas | North Texas
Clear Fork Trinity River
Art Cowsen Trailhead to Bryant Irvin Road
Check current paddling conditions for this Clear Fork Trinity River route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
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Need to know
Why this call
Conditions
Gauge history and hourly forecast
The top card is the quick read. This lower section keeps the longer gauge trend, gauge context, and hourly forecast together.
Gauge detail
Gauge history & hourly forecastDetailed view
Gauge
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampMN DNR provides the current paddling level here, but not chart-ready recent samples.
Weather
Hourly forecast
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Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
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Route overview
Quick facts and what's next
Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.
Quick facts
Plan ahead
Upcoming outlook
These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Art Cowsen Trailhead and finish at Bryant Irvin Road for TRPA's 4.8-mile Clear Fork Trinity run below Benbrook Dam. Use USGS 08047000 with TRPA's 100 cfs floor, 150-250 cfs ideal band, and 2,000 cfs high-water caution, and skip the trip when wood, runoff, or low-water dragging makes the line uncertain.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.
Put-in
Art Cowsen TrailheadTRPA Google map coordinates are public access anchors; follow current signs, paths, and landing conditions rather than projecting a mid-channel water-entry point.
Take-out
Bryant Irvin Road accessUSGS 08047000 is upstream near Benbrook Dam and product-live for this Clear Fork reach, but same-day visual scouting still matters for wood, banks, and usable water at the launch.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- TRPA Google map coordinates are public access anchors; follow current signs, paths, and landing conditions rather than projecting a mid-channel water-entry point.
- USGS 08047000 is upstream near Benbrook Dam and product-live for this Clear Fork reach, but same-day visual scouting still matters for wood, banks, and usable water at the launch.
- USGS 08047000 returned 16.6 cfs during implementation, well below TRPA's 100 cfs Clear Fork floor; expect shallow, slow, or scrape-prone conditions at similar readings.
- Use named public access only. Do not substitute private banks, golf-course edges, road shoulders, or unmanaged crossings for the planned take-out.
Watch for
- Flows below about 100 cfs on USGS 08047000, when TRPA's Clear Fork minimum is not met and dragging or exposed obstructions become more likely.
- High or rising water after storms or release changes, especially near TRPA's 2,000 cfs maximum caution.
- Log jams, fallen trees, strainers, overhanging limbs, and fresh wood in the wooded Benbrook-to-Loop-820 corridor.
- Urban runoff and water quality after medium or heavy rains; clean cuts promptly and avoid contact when water is suspect.
- Fort Worth park hours, heat, vehicle security, private-bank boundaries, and a missed Bryant Irvin take-out that commits the group to a separate downstream leg.
Route gallery
See this route on the water
Photos help show what the access looks like and what the route actually feels like on the water.
Score & sources
Why this score
See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.
Why this scoreToday's evidence strength is checking
Evidence strength mostly comes down to three things: how direct the active gauge is, how clear the range is, and how fresh the data is.
- Checking evidence-strength notes.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing
These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.
| Gauge site | Clear Fk Trinity Rv nr Benbrook, 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 |
| Target band | 150 cfs to 250 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Texas Rivers Protection Association Clear Fork Trinity River guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesWhat to know before you go
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route shapeArt Cowsen Trailhead to Bryant Irvin Rd, about 4.8 mi
TRPA lists Art Cowsen Trailhead to Bryant Irvin Road as the first Clear Fork featured run and publishes the route family distance and access map links.
- Public access coordinates32.6643568, -97.4476423 to 32.7045112, -97.4115092
TRPA's Art Cowsen and Bryant Irvin Google map links resolve to these public access-anchor coordinates; they are recorded as arrival-point anchors, not surveyed mid-channel water-entry points.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 08047000 at 16.6 cfs / 3.37 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day Clear Fork Trinity River near Benbrook discharge and gage height at 2026-08-11 03:00 CDT during this implementation run.
- Threshold posture100 cfs minimum; 150-250 cfs ideal; 2,000 cfs maximum caution
TRPA's Clear Fork Trinity page lists the route family, Class I-I+ character, year-round season, 100 cfs minimum, 150-250 cfs ideal range, 2,000 cfs maximum, and USGS near Benbrook as the current-condition source.
- Safety contextWooded below-dam reach with log-jam and urban-water caveats
TRPA says the below-Benbrook Clear Fork can be lovely on this run when low water, log jams, and fallen trees are not a problem, and warns that Fort Worth rivers are most suspect after medium to heavy rains.
- CampingNo route camping
Fort Worth publishes city park hours of 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless posted otherwise, and no reviewed Trinity Coalition, TRPA, Trinity Trails, or Fort Worth source supports overnight route camping on this urban leg.
- Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected
Bounded Trinity Coalition, TRPA, Trinity Trails, Fort Worth, Commons, USGS, and same-route image review found route-context maps and photos but no clearly rights-clean exact Art-Cowsen-to-Bryant-Irvin paddling asset selected for local reuse.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Reports
Paddler reports
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Clear Fork Trinity River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Clear Fork Trinity River?
Paddle Today watches Clear Fk Trinity Rv nr Benbrook, TX and treats 150 cfs to 250 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Clear Fork Trinity River route start and end?
This route starts at Art Cowsen Trailhead and ends at Bryant Irvin Road access, about About 4.8 mi on the water.
Is this Clear Fork Trinity River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a moderate route. Expect more planning than an easy float, and use the live score, route notes, and source links before committing.
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Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.