See all 5 routes on Medina River
Texas | Texas Hill Country
Medina River
Bandera City Park Dam to English Crossing
Check current paddling conditions for this Medina 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 below the Bandera City Park Dam access area and take out at English Crossing for a 12.5-mile downstream Medina River day. Use the direct Bandera gauge, expect shallow dragging near today's 55 cfs level, and keep the city-park dam and private banks out of the paddling 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
Bandera City Park DamTRPA's Bandera City Park Dam and English Crossing map links resolve to source-backed access anchors; they are not guessed mid-channel water-entry points.
Take-out
English CrossingBandera City Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 30 minutes before sundown, charges weekend and holiday entry fees, prohibits camping, prohibits swimming near or standing on the dam, and says water entry is from the river bank only.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- TRPA's Bandera City Park Dam and English Crossing map links resolve to source-backed access anchors; they are not guessed mid-channel water-entry points.
- Bandera City Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 30 minutes before sundown, charges weekend and holiday entry fees, prohibits camping, prohibits swimming near or standing on the dam, and says water entry is from the river bank only.
- TRPA marks the upstream access with a do-not-run dam warning. Start below the dam only where current city-park rules, signs, and safe bank conditions allow.
- The route was implemented with USGS 08178880 product-live at 54.8 cfs / 4.25 ft at 2026-08-12 11:45 CDT, above the 30 cfs lower-Medina floor but far below the 300 cfs ideal cue.
- TRPA says almost all adjacent Medina River property is private. Keep stops to lawful public access and do not treat private banks, cabins, ranch roads, or gravel bars as public bailout or camping options.
Watch for
- Flows below about 30 cfs at USGS 08178880, when the TRPA lower-Medina minimum is not met and dragging over rock or gravel bars is likely.
- High or rising water after storms, especially above about 300 cfs where TRPA says more navigation skill is needed and near 2,000 cfs where the route should not be attempted.
- The Bandera City Park dam, low-water crossings, low bridges, wood, strainers, blind bends, fences, and flood debris.
- Long-day pacing, heat, limited legal exits, private-property boundaries, road-crossing traffic, park hours, entry fees, and water-quality or closure notices.
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 | Medina Rv at Bandera, 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 | 300 cfs to 1,500 cfs |
| Low threshold | 30 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Texas Rivers Protection Association Medina River 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.
- Route shapeBandera City Park Dam to English Crossing, 12.5 mi
TRPA lists Bandera City Park Dam to English Crossing as a featured Main Medina run and gives the route mileage.
- Public access coordinates29.7222995, -99.0702231 to 29.6819834, -98.9758513
TRPA's Bandera City Park Dam and English Crossing map links resolve to these Google Maps access anchors; they are not guessed mid-channel water-entry points.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 08178880 at 54.8 cfs / 4.25 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day Medina River discharge and gage height at Bandera at 2026-08-12 11:45 CDT, directly at the route's upstream access area.
- Threshold posture30 cfs floor; 300-1,500 cfs ideal; 2,000 cfs ceiling
TRPA says the Medina needs about 30 cfs from town of Medina and below, is ideal around 300-1,500 cfs, and should not be attempted above about 2,000 cfs.
- CampingNearby basecamp only
Bandera City Park rules prohibit camping. TRPA says the only public camping along the Medina River is Pioneer River Resort in Bandera; no private-bank, gravel-bar, road-crossing, or park camping is inferred.
- SafetyDo-not-run dam, private banks, low water, floods and long-day exposure
TRPA flags the City Park dam with a do-not-run warning and warns that low water can require dragging while high flows require strong navigation skills; Bandera City Park rules also prohibit standing or swimming near the dam.
- Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected
Bounded TRPA, Bandera city, Commons, USGS, local tourism, trip-report, and same-route web review found route-context photos but no clearly rights-clean exact Bandera-to-English-Crossing 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
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Quick answers
Medina River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Medina River?
Paddle Today watches Medina Rv at Bandera, TX and treats 300 cfs to 1,500 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Medina River route start and end?
This route starts at Bandera City Park Dam and ends at English Crossing, about About 12.5 mi on the water.
Is this Medina 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.