Texas | Gulf Coast
Greens Bayou
Brock Adventure Park to Thomas Bell Foster Park
Check current paddling conditions for this Greens Bayou route, including water level, recent gauge trend, weather, and route details.
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
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
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
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 Brock Adventure Park and take out at Thomas Bell Foster Park for the full official Greens Bayou Paddling Trail through northeast Houston. Use USGS 08076000 only as a conservative minimum-flow check, then make a separate same-day call on tide, wind, storm runoff, water quality, wood, and park access.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
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
Brock Adventure ParkTPWD publishes Brock Adventure Park, Strickland Park, and Thomas Bell Foster Park as manicured launch sites with GPS coordinates; the stored points are public access anchors, not projected mid-channel water-entry points.
Take-out
Thomas Bell Foster ParkTPWD says steep banks and heavy undergrowth make take-outs along the bayou difficult, so plan to use the public launches and do not treat private banks as casual stops.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- TPWD publishes Brock Adventure Park, Strickland Park, and Thomas Bell Foster Park as manicured launch sites with GPS coordinates; the stored points are public access anchors, not projected mid-channel water-entry points.
- TPWD says steep banks and heavy undergrowth make take-outs along the bayou difficult, so plan to use the public launches and do not treat private banks as casual stops.
- Brock Adventure Park has seasonal posted hours, while Strickland and Thomas Bell Foster parks are listed sunrise to sunset; verify current gates, parking, construction, and post-storm closures before staging vehicles.
- The downstream part of the trail is tidal, and the Thomas Bell Foster landing can be more awkward at low tide or low flow; inspect the actual water-entry and arrival point on site.
- The 25 cfs floor is a community minimum-only cue from a Houston Canoe Club trip report on the Greens Bayou near Houston gauge, not an agency ideal range or high-water cutoff.
Watch for
- Readings near or below about 25 cfs on USGS 08076000, when Houston Canoe Club described the bayou as about as low as they would want to paddle and noted occasional light dragging.
- Tide and wind on the lower bayou, especially near Thomas Bell Foster Park, where timing can affect landing height, current feel, and trip duration.
- Storm runoff, fast rises, floating trash, strainers, downed trees, and undercut or steep banks that limit improvised exits.
- Urban water quality and the TPWD fish-consumption advisory; avoid unnecessary body contact and skip the route after sewage, bacteria, or heavy-rain alerts.
- Alligators, fishing lines, heat, insects, variable cell coverage, park-hour gates, and the need to stay within public launches or direct hazard portages.
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 | Greens Bayou nr Houston, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 25 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Houston Canoe Club Greens Bayou trip report |
| 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 shapeBrock Adventure Park to Thomas Bell Foster Park, 7.7 mi
TPWD publishes Greens Bayou as a 7.7-mile official paddling trail through urban Houston and lists Brock Adventure Park, Strickland Park, and Thomas Bell Foster Park as the launch chain.
- Public access coordinates29.8423, -95.2317 to 29.7743, -95.2020
TPWD publishes GPS coordinates for Brock Adventure Park, Strickland Park, and Thomas Bell Foster Park on the Greens Bayou trail page.
- Current TPWD designationSurveyed and approved by TPWD in 2024; opened with the 2025 regatta
Greens Bayou Coalition says the trail from Brock Park to Thomas Bell Foster Park was surveyed and approved by TPWD in 2024 and that its opening coincided with the 2025 Greens Bayou Regatta.
- Live gauge supportUSGS 08076000 at 36.3 cfs / 39.08 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day Greens Bayou near Houston discharge and gage height at 2026-08-14 00:30 CDT during this implementation run.
- Threshold posture25 cfs minimum-only low-water cue
Houston Canoe Club reported about 25 cfs on Greens Bayou near Houston and described that as about as low as they would want to paddle, with occasional light dragging and tidal effects near the finish.
- Safety and accessTide, wind, steep banks, private property, wildlife, and advisory
TPWD says lower Greens Bayou includes tidal stretches, take-outs along steep undergrown banks are difficult, private property should be respected, wildlife includes alligators, and a fish-consumption advisory applies.
- CampingNo route camping
TPWD publishes park-hour access windows for the Greens Bayou launches, and Houston Parks says camping in the city park system is permitted only at Lake Houston Wilderness Park, so the Greens Bayou launch parks are treated as day-use paddling anchors.
- Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected
Bounded TPWD, Greens Bayou Coalition, Houston Canoe Club, Commons, USGS, and same-route image review found route-context pages and photos, but no clearly rights-clean exact Brock-to-Thomas-Bell-Foster 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.
Share your trip
Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Greens Bayou paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Greens Bayou?
Paddle Today watches Greens Bayou nr Houston, TX and uses 25 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Greens Bayou route start and end?
This route starts at Brock Adventure Park and ends at Thomas Bell Foster Park, about About 7.7 mi on the water.
Is this Greens Bayou route good for beginners?
This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.