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Texas | Prairies and Lakes
Colorado RiverFisherman's Park to Lost Pines Recreational Trails
Official six-mile Bastrop El Camino Real trail from Fisherman's Park to the Lost Pines / Colorado River Refuge take-out. TPWD publishes the public endpoints, route distance, and regulated lower-Colorado safety context, while the Bastrop USGS gauge gives a direct same-reach condition check.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Fisherman's Park and take out at Lost Pines / Colorado River Refuge for the official Bastrop El Camino Real Paddling Trail. Use USGS 08159200 at Bastrop with a conservative 800 cfs practical floor, then make a same-day call on shallow water, wood, regulated releases, weather, and take-out access.
Access map
Put-in
Fisherman's ParkTPWD publishes both endpoint coordinates, but the downstream Lost Pines take-out can be affected by floods and should be checked after recent rain.
Take-out
Lost Pines Recreational Trails / Colorado River RefugeThe local take-out is also described as Colorado River Refuge, a public nature park, but route users should still follow current park hours, parking rules, and any posted access signs.
Road shuttle
Stage the Lost Pines / Colorado River Refuge take-out first, then drive back to Fisherman's Park in downtown Bastrop. TPWD flags flood impacts at the take-out, so verify current access after recent rain before leaving vehicles.
Additional access notes
- This route uses a conservative minimum-only threshold from local route notes. If the Bastrop gauge is below about 800 cfs, expect shallow dragging and more route-finding around sandbars.
- TPWD says rainfall runoff and regulated flows from upstream Highland Lakes infrastructure can change current and water quality on this lower Colorado reach.
- Do not infer legal camping from visible sandbars or islands. Use nearby established campgrounds or a separately verified river-camping plan instead.
More route and safety guidance
- Local route notes warn that low water can mean dragging through shallow areas and that high water can create logjam problems in tighter side channels.
- Use Fisherman's Park and the Lost Pines / Colorado River Refuge take-out as the planned public access pair, and do not treat private banks as casual stops outside direct hazard portages.
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Conditions
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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
Colorado Rv at Bastrop, TX. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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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.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Colorado Rv at Bastrop, TX |
| Discharge | Checking |
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| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
| Air temp | Checking |
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| Wind | Checking |
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| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 800 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 | Bastrop River Co. El Camino Real route notes |
| 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 route shapeFisherman's Park to Lost Pines Recreational Trails, 6.0 mi
TPWD identifies the Bastrop El Camino Real Paddling Trail as a six-mile lower Colorado route usually floated in 1.5 to 4 hours.
- Public endpoint coordinates30.1119, -97.3250 to 30.0735, -97.3106
TPWD publishes Fisherman's Park as the put-in and Lost Pines Recreational Trails as the take-out, with GPS coordinates for both access anchors.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-08-09USGS 08159200 at 587 cfs / 2.92 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.
- Conservative low-water floor800 cfs minimum-only
Bastrop River Co. route notes say water levels need to be at least 800 cfs or paddlers should expect dragging through shallow areas; Paddle Today uses this as the conservative minimum-only route floor.
- Safety and access contextRegulated lower Colorado, flood-sensitive access, wood, private banks
TPWD says Highland Lakes releases and rainfall runoff influence this lower Colorado reach, warns that floods can impact take-out access, and points paddlers to current flow data; TPWD private-property rules and local route notes support the wood, shallow-water, and high-water caveats.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
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