See all 7 routes on Guadalupe River
Texas | Texas Hill Country
Guadalupe RiverNichol's Landing to Rebecca Creek Crossing
Official 9.9-mile Upper Guadalupe trail from Nichol's Landing to Rebecca Creek Crossing. TPWD publishes the public access chain, route distance, rapid/portage notes, and private-bank rules, while the Spring Branch USGS gauge sits inside the reach for a direct whitewater condition check.
Checking current river conditions…
Route location
Loading the route snapshot. This usually takes a few seconds.
Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at Nichol's Landing and take out at Rebecca Creek Crossing for the official Upper Guadalupe whitewater trail. Use USGS 08167500 near Spring Branch with TRPA's conservative 100 cfs floor and 300-1,200 cfs ideal window, then make a same-day call on rapids, wood, weather, and group skill.
Access map
Put-in
Nichol's Landing (Specht's Crossing)TPWD publishes all three access coordinates, but the parking areas are simple river-access and shuttle sites rather than staffed take-outs.
Take-out
Rebecca Creek CrossingNichol's Landing can charge seasonal or weekend access/parking fees, while FM 311 and Rebecca Creek parking sit uphill from the water.
Road shuttle
Stage the Rebecca Creek Crossing take-out first, then drive back to Nichol's Landing. FM 311 is an official alternate access 5.4 miles below the put-in and can be used as a shorter take-out or bailout when the full reach is too much.
Choose a shorter tripOptional
Access planner
Choose your launch and take-out
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Nichol's Landing (Specht's Crossing) to Rebecca Creek Crossing is about 9.9 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Private shoreline is a major constraint on this navigable reach. Use public accesses and direct hazard portages only; do not treat banks as casual rest, scouting, or camping areas.
- This route uses TRPA's broad Upper Guadalupe guidance as a conservative two-sided model, not a manager-published rapid-by-rapid band. Scout visually and downgrade if the gauge trend or weather is moving the wrong way.
More route and safety guidance
- TPWD calls out Mueller Falls and Rust Falls chutes below FM 311 and says hazardous areas can be portaged within the navigable corridor.
- Use Rebecca Creek Crossing as the planned take-out and keep private-bank stops limited to direct hazard portages.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
Times use the selected time zone. Check it against the river’s location before saving or sharing.
Browser plans stay on this device. Sharing opens your device’s share tools or gives you text to copy.
Download GPX Route geometry only; no schedule required.
Conditions
Check how the river is changing and what weather to expect.
Recent trend
Checking preferred range.
Checking trend.
Gauge source
--Checking timestampDetailed weather
Weather
Hourly forecast
Checking weather.
Loading today's forecast.
Next 8 hours
Short-route forecast
Checking the next several hours.
Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.
Waiting on forecast.
Waiting on forecast.
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
Guadalupe Rv nr Spring Branch, TX. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
Share a recent access update, hazard observation or photo.
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.
- Checking data sources and update times.
- Checking evidence cautions.
Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Guadalupe Rv nr Spring Branch, 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 |
| Preferred range | 300 cfs to 1,200 cfs |
| Low threshold | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | 5,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Texas Rivers Protection Association Upper Guadalupe flow guidance |
| 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.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-08-09USGS 08167500 at 347 cfs / 3.28 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.
- Official route shapeNichol's Landing to Rebecca Creek Crossing, 9.9 mi
TPWD identifies the Upper Guadalupe Nichol's Landing trail as a 9.9-mile reach with a 3-6 hour float time and an alternate FM 311 access at mile 5.4.
- Endpoint coordinates29.8794, -98.4483 to 29.8881, -98.3685
TPWD publishes GPS coordinates for Nichol's Landing, FM 311, and Rebecca Creek Crossing, along with parking/access notes for the shuttle sites.
- Threshold posture100 cfs minimum; 300-1,200 cfs ideal; 5,000 cfs maximum
TRPA publishes Upper Guadalupe flow guidance and points users to the Spring Branch USGS gauge family; Paddle Today uses the full range as a conservative two-sided whitewater model.
- Safety and accessRapids, portages, private-bank limits
TPWD says multiple rapids demand careful inspection, calls out Mueller Falls and Rust Falls, permits portage of hazards within the navigable corridor, and warns that other private-bank use can be trespassing.
- CampingNearby basecamp only
TPWD lists local outfitters and campgrounds around the trail, but the route package does not infer legal on-route camping from proximity to the river or private banks.
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
More on Guadalupe River
All 7Nearby routes within 75 miles
Flag a change
See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.