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See all 5 routes on Medina River

Texas | Texas Hill Country

Medina River

Moffett Park to Bandina Camp Road

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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DistanceAbout 6.7 mi
DifficultyModerate
Typical timeHalf-day Hill Country run when the Medina has enough water
ShuttleCar shuttle
A sandy, wooded southeast Texas river corridor.
River contextTexas river corridor context; not this route or current conditions; route imagery unavailable — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Jill Carlson via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
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Conditions

Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

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Gauge

Recent trend

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Weather

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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

On-water distanceAbout 6.7 miMoffett Park to Bandina Camp Road
DifficultymoderateThe selected reach is Class I-II water in normal conditions, but it stays moderate because the route relies on public road-crossing access, mostly private banks, low-water dragging risk, wood, and fast Hill Country rises.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage Bandina Camp Road first, then return to Moffett Park in Medina. Use only the TRPA-named public access anchors and current public road-crossing conditions; do not rely on private banks for shuttle, bailout, or casual stops.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is published. Follow Texas boating and PFD rules, use only public road crossings or named access points, check USGS 0817887350, weather, and recent rain before launching, and obey any posted access restrictions.
CampingOptions nearbyTreat this as a day-use route with no public on-route camping selected. TRPA says the only public camping along the Medina River is Pioneer River Resort in Bandera, downstream from this reach, so do not infer legal camps from gravel bars, private banks, Moffett Park, or the Bandina Camp Road crossing.
SeasonJan-DecTRPA frames the Medina as runnable when water is present but cautions that drought can make levels too low and floods can make the river hazardous. Use the Patterson Road gauge for this upper Medina segment and recheck storms, wood, and access before leaving a shuttle.

Plan ahead

Upcoming outlook

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

Launch at Moffett Park in Medina and take out at Bandina Camp Road for a 6.7-mile upper Medina River day trip. Use the Patterson Road gauge, expect shallow dragging near the 30 cfs floor, and keep stops to lawful public access because most adjacent land is private.

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Prepare this trip

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Start

Put-in

Moffett Park, Medina
Open map

TRPA's Google map links resolve to exact access-anchor coordinates for Moffett Park and Bandina Camp Road, but final water entry and exit should follow current signs, road-shoulder conditions, and safe banks rather than a projected mid-channel point.

Finish

Take-out

Bandina Camp Road crossing
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TRPA says almost all property adjacent to the Medina River is private. Use public road crossings for access and do not treat private banks, cabins, camps, or ranch roads as public stops.

Plan this segment

Skip map

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • TRPA's Google map links resolve to exact access-anchor coordinates for Moffett Park and Bandina Camp Road, but final water entry and exit should follow current signs, road-shoulder conditions, and safe banks rather than a projected mid-channel point.
  • TRPA says almost all property adjacent to the Medina River is private. Use public road crossings for access and do not treat private banks, cabins, camps, or ranch roads as public stops.
  • The route was implemented with USGS 0817887350 product-live at 49.6 cfs, above the 30 cfs lower-Medina floor but far below the 300 cfs ideal cue. At similar or lower levels, expect exposed gravel, dragging, and slower travel.
  • Downstream Bandera-area water-quality cautions on the TRPA page are not used as route evidence for this upper reach, but paddlers should still avoid paddling after local runoff or visible contamination.

Watch for

  • Flows below about 30 cfs on USGS 0817887350, 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.
  • Wood, strainers, narrow channels, blind bends, fences or debris after floods, and limited exits between public crossings.
  • Private-property boundaries, road-crossing traffic, roadside parking limits, heat, sun exposure, and lack of public riverbank camping.
  • Changing access conditions at small public crossings; if a crossing is posted, unsafe, or blocked, skip the trip rather than inventing a private alternate.

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.

A sandy, wooded southeast Texas river corridor.
Texas river corridor context; not this route or current conditions; route imagery unavailable — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Jill Carlson via Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons: CC BY 2.0; regional context only

Score & sources

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
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Gauge inputChecking

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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.

Why
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Data behind the scoreGauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteMedina Rv at Patterson Rd at Medina, TX
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
Water tempChecking
WindChecking
GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Target band300 cfs to 1,500 cfs
Low threshold30 cfs
High threshold2,000 cfs
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreTexas Rivers Protection Association Medina River guidance
Gauge sourceChecking
Weather sourceChecking
Rainfall sourceChecking
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 shapeMoffett Park, Medina to Bandina Camp Road, 6.7 mi

    TRPA lists Moffett Park to Bandina Camp Road as one of its Medina River featured runs and gives the route mileage.

    Source

  • Public access coordinates29.7945195, -99.2490676 to 29.7677822, -99.1882724

    TRPA's Moffett Park and Bandina Camp Road map links resolve to these Google Maps coordinates; they are stored as access anchors, with final water-entry adjusted to current signs and bank conditions on arrival.

    Source

  • Direct live gaugeUSGS 0817887350 at 49.6 cfs / 4.71 ft

    USGS Water Services returned same-day Medina River at Patterson Road discharge and gage height at 2026-08-10 19:10 CDT during this implementation run.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • CampingNo public on-route camping selected

    TRPA says the only public camping along the Medina River is Pioneer River Resort in Bandera, downstream from this selected reach; do not infer legal camping from private banks or road crossings.

    Source

  • SafetyPrivate banks, low water, floods, wood and road-crossing access

    TRPA warns that almost all adjacent property is private, public road crossings should be used for access, low flows can mean dragging, and high flows over about 300 cfs require stronger navigation skills.

    Source

  • Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected

    Bounded TRPA, Commons, USGS, local tourism, and same-route web review found route-context photos but no clearly rights-clean exact Moffett-Park-to-Bandina-Camp-Road paddling asset selected for local reuse.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

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Keep exploring

More routes to check next

Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.

More in Texas

All 84 routes
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More on Medina River

All 5
Bandera City Park Dam to English CrossingTexas Hill CountryModerate · About 12.5 miBandina Camp Road to Peaceful Valley RoadTexas Hill CountryModerate · About 3.5 miPeaceful Valley Road to Ranger CrossingTexas Hill CountryModerate · About 3.8 miRanger Crossing to Bandera City ParkTexas Hill CountryModerate · About 5.9 mi

Nearby routes by distance

North Prong Medina RiverFreeman Crossing to Moffett Park · about 5 mi awayHard · About 6.3 miNorth Prong Medina River3rd Crossing to Freeman Crossing · about 8 mi awayHard · About 6.6 miGuadalupe RiverKreutzberg Canyon Natural Area to Bergheim Campground · about 37 mi awayHard · About 12.2 miGuadalupe RiverFM 3351 Crossing to Guadalupe River State Park · about 42 mi awayModerate · About 7.8 mi

Quick answers

Medina River paddling FAQ

What water level is good for paddling Medina River?

Paddle Today watches Medina Rv at Patterson Rd at Medina, 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 Moffett Park, Medina and ends at Bandina Camp Road crossing, about About 6.7 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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