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Texas | Prairies and Lakes
Colorado RiverRiverbend Park to Plum Park
Lower-Colorado day from Smithville's Vernon L. Richards Riverbend Park to LCRA's Plum Park. LCRA publishes the two public river accesses 17 river miles apart, and the La Grange USGS gauge gives a live check for the same Smithville-to-La Grange section.
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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 Vernon L. Richards Riverbend Park in Smithville and paddle the long lower-Colorado reach to LCRA's Plum Park. Use USGS 08160400 above La Grange with a conservative 200 cfs floor, then make a same-day call on shallow lines, wind, heat, releases, debris, and private-bank limits.
Access map
Put-in
Vernon L. Richards Riverbend ParkLCRA publishes rounded access coordinates for both Riverbend Park and Plum Park; treat them as access anchors, not survey-grade wetted-edge launch coordinates.
Take-out
Plum Park on the ColoradoVisit Smithville describes the Riverbend access as rough dirt/brush and walk-in for canoes and kayaks. Scout the actual water-entry point before leaving a loaded vehicle or committing a group.
Road shuttle
Stage Plum Park first, then drive upstream to Smithville's Riverbend Park. This is a long one-way day with limited public exits, so verify both access roads, park rules, daylight, weather, and vehicle logistics before launching.
Additional access notes
- This route uses the La Grange USGS gauge because it is product-live for the same Smithville-to-La Grange section. The discontinued Smithville gauge remains useful context only, not the selected product gauge.
- This route uses a conservative minimum-only threshold from lower-Colorado community guidance. If the La Grange gauge is below about 200 cfs, expect shallow route-finding, exposed bars, and a slower long day.
- Plum Park camping requires river arrival or prior arrangement. Do not infer legal camping from islands, gravel bars, or private banks between Smithville and Plum Park.
More route and safety guidance
- Low water can expose shallow sand, cobble, and slow lines, while storms or upstream release changes can quickly alter current, debris, water quality, and landings.
- Use Riverbend Park and Plum Park as the planned public access pair, and do not infer legal camping or casual stop rights from islands, gravel bars, or private banks.
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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 abv La Grange, 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
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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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 abv La Grange, TX |
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| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
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| Main source behind this score | Southwest Paddler Smithville-to-La Grange table |
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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 sequenceRiverbend Park to Plum Park, 17 mi
LCRA lists Vernon L. Richards Riverbend Park and Plum Park as consecutive lower-Colorado access points, with 17 miles from Riverbend to Plum Park by the river-mile spacing table.
- Public Smithville accessRiverbend Park and Highway 71 bridge canoe/kayak access
Visit Smithville describes public Colorado River access near Riverbend Park and under the double Highway 71 bridges, including light-watercraft access and a rough walk-in route at Riverbend Park.
- Endpoint campingPlum Park river-arrival or prior-arrangement camping
LCRA says Plum Park is day-use for ordinary access, but camping is permitted for parties arriving by river or by prior arrangement with LCRA parks.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-08-10USGS 08160400 at 95.9 cfs / 3.12 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 floor200 cfs minimum-only
Southwest Paddler publishes Smithville-to-La Grange guidance with 200 cfs as minimum, 500-3,000 cfs as optimum, and 5,000 cfs as maximum; Paddle Today uses only the conservative 200 cfs floor.
- Safety and route characterLong, wide, slow-moving river with wind and access-spacing caveats
Southwest Paddler describes the Colorado as wide and slow-moving with few whitewater hazards, but flags strong headwinds, summer heat, limited shade, and long distances between access points as practical hazards.
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
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