See all 7 routes on Guadalupe River
Texas | South Texas
Guadalupe River
FM 766 (Hell's Gate) to FM 236
Check current paddling conditions for this Guadalupe 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 Hell's Gate and take out at FM 236 for the full official Guadalupe Valley trail. Use USGS 08175800 at Cuero with a conservative 200 cfs floor, then make a same-day call on weather, current, wood, and the remnant-dam portage before committing to the full distance.
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
FM 766 (Hell's Gate)TPWD identifies FM 766, SH 72, and FM 236 as public access points with posted GPS coordinates, but all are still bridge-side highway accesses rather than improved park ramps.
Take-out
FM 236TPWD identifies Hwy 183 as an emergency take-out between SH 72 and FM 236 if the planned finish becomes impractical or the group needs to shorten the day.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- TPWD identifies FM 766, SH 72, and FM 236 as public access points with posted GPS coordinates, but all are still bridge-side highway accesses rather than improved park ramps.
- TPWD identifies Hwy 183 as an emergency take-out between SH 72 and FM 236 if the planned finish becomes impractical or the group needs to shorten the day.
- The Cuero Guadalupe can see rainfall-driven high flows and undesirable water-quality conditions. Bring your own drinking water and treat storm runoff conservatively.
- This route uses a conservative minimum-only threshold, not a full ideal-range recommendation. Even at moderate readings, the remnant-dam portage and long shuttle still require attention.
Watch for
- Mandatory portage around the remnants of a dam about 2.5 miles below FM 766; scout early, land with margin, and do not run it blindly.
- Flows near or below about 200 cfs, when TPWD warns snags can be more prominent and the run can get scrape-prone.
- High or rising water after rainfall, when current speeds up, water quality can degrade, and the portage line becomes less forgiving.
- Faster riffles, floating wood, sweepers, strainers, and changing lines around bridge approaches and bends.
- Private banks outside the public launches and a long downstream finish that can punish a late start in heat or headwind.
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 | Guadalupe Rv at Cuero, 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 | 200 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 | Texas River Flows five-level Guadalupe / Cuero gauge table |
| 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 08175800 at 408 cfs / 7.33 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day July 3, 2026 discharge and stage values for Guadalupe River at Cuero, confirming the direct live gauge path used for this route.
- Conservative low-water floor200 cfs minimum-only
The Texas River Flows five-level table lists Guadalupe Gonzales to Victoria on the Cuero gauge with a first-tier 200 cfs minimum, defined as the minimum water available for floating. Paddle Today uses only that conservative floor and does not infer an ideal or upper scoring band.
- Official route shapeFM 766 to FM 236, 13.8 mi
Current TPWD trail material identifies the full Guadalupe Valley Paddling Trail at about 13.8 miles and says paddlers can do the entire stretch or one of the shorter official segments.
- Exact public launch coordinates29.1472, -97.3177 to 29.0514, -97.2647
TPWD publishes FM 766 (Hell's Gate), SH 72, and FM 236 as current public access points with GPS coordinates and bridge-side driving directions.
- Dam and bailout contextRemnant-dam portage plus Hwy 183 emergency take-out
TPWD warns that the remnants of a dam about 2.5 miles below FM 766 must be paddled around and identifies Hwy 183 as an emergency take-out between SH 72 and FM 236.
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
Guadalupe River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Guadalupe River?
Paddle Today watches Guadalupe Rv at Cuero, TX and uses 200 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this Guadalupe River route start and end?
This route starts at FM 766 (Hell's Gate) and ends at FM 236, about About 13.8 mi on the water.
Is this Guadalupe 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.