Texas | Texas Hill Country
Comal River
Hinman Island Park to Last Public Exit
Check current paddling conditions for this Comal 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
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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.
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Plan
Plan your trip
Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.
Route logistics
Access and shuttle
Launch at Hinman Island Park and finish at the Last Public Exit for the Comal River Water Trail through New Braunfels. Use USGS 08169000 with the City's 100-500 cfs open recreation band, then check posted river status, crowd rules, Tube Chute operations, and exit restrictions before committing.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Hinman Island ParkNational Recreation Trails names Hinman Island Park as the start and the Last Public Exit as the finish; Paddle Today stores both as public access anchors rather than guessed wetted-edge launch points.
Take-out
Last Public ExitNew Braunfels requires river users to exit at the Last Public Exit on this route; do not continue into the lower Guadalupe or toward downstream dam hazards without a separate route plan.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- National Recreation Trails names Hinman Island Park as the start and the Last Public Exit as the finish; Paddle Today stores both as public access anchors rather than guessed wetted-edge launch points.
- New Braunfels requires river users to exit at the Last Public Exit on this route; do not continue into the lower Guadalupe or toward downstream dam hazards without a separate route plan.
- Canoes and kayaks cannot exceed 18 feet and the City says they may not use Last Tubers Exit on weekends or holidays, so hard-boat users need a weekday or locally approved take-out plan.
- Parking, river access fees, wristbands, disposable-container bans, and outfitter rules can change seasonally. Posted City rules control on arrival.
Watch for
- Tube Chute and Clemens Dam handling; hard boats may need to portage when tubing or lifeguard operations are active.
- Two low-head dams and other short urban hydraulic features documented by American Whitewater; scout or portage rather than following tubes blindly.
- Flows at or above 500 cfs, when the City moves into extreme-caution conditions, and 600 cfs or above, when temporary closure applies.
- Crowded summer/weekend traffic, limited maneuvering room at chutes and exits, bridge-jumping violations, alcohol/container enforcement, and urban storm runoff.
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 | Comal Rv at New Braunfels, 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 | 100 cfs to 500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | 600 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | City of New Braunfels Comal River flow 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.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 08169000 at 198 cfs / 3.84 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day Comal River at New Braunfels discharge and gage height at 2026-08-10 11:45 CDT during this implementation run.
- Official flow bands100-500 cfs open; 500-600 cfs extreme caution; 600 cfs closure
The City of New Braunfels publishes Comal recreation status by flow band and says the river may close for high water or public-safety conditions.
- Route shapeHinman Island Park to Last Public Exit, about 1.5 mi
National Recreation Trails identifies the Comal River Water Trail as a 1.5-mile route beginning at Hinman Island Park and ending at the Last Public Exit.
- Endpoint coordinates29.7011, -98.1067 to 29.7046, -98.1161
Floating Texas publishes the Hinman Island Park access coordinate. Landa River Trips and Comal River Cam place the Last Public Exit at S Union Avenue / W Lincoln Street, which was resolved with the Census public address geocoder as a street-access anchor.
- Safety and accessTube Chute, dams, mandatory exit, boat restrictions
American Whitewater documents the Tube Chute and low-head-dam context, while New Braunfels river rules limit watercraft length and restrict canoe/kayak use of the Last Tubers Exit on weekends and holidays.
- CampingNo route camping
New Braunfels park rules prohibit camping and overnight lodging in all city parks; the route does not infer legal camping from riverfront proximity.
- Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected
Bounded New Braunfels, NRT, American Whitewater, Floating Texas, Commons, USGS, and same-route image review found route-context photos but no clearly rights-clean exact Hinman-Island-to-Last-Public-Exit 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
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
Comal River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Comal River?
Paddle Today watches Comal Rv at New Braunfels, TX and treats 100 cfs to 500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Comal River route start and end?
This route starts at Hinman Island Park and ends at Last Public Exit, about About 1.5 mi on the water.
Is this Comal 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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