See all 2 routes on North Prong Medina River
Texas | Texas Hill Country
North Prong Medina River
3rd Crossing to Freeman Crossing
Check current paddling conditions for this North Prong 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
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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 3rd Crossing of FR 2107 and take out at Freeman Crossing for a 6.6-mile North Prong Medina run. Use the Patterson Road gauge, treat 50 cfs as the North Prong floor, and skip the route if crossings, drops, wood, weather, or private-bank access make the plan ambiguous.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
3rd Crossing of FR 2107TRPA's Google map links resolve to exact access-anchor coordinates for 3rd Crossing and Freeman Crossing, but final water entry and exit should follow current signs, road-shoulder conditions, and safe banks rather than a projected mid-channel point.
Take-out
Freeman Crossing at SH 16TRPA 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
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- TRPA's Google map links resolve to exact access-anchor coordinates for 3rd Crossing and Freeman Crossing, 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 47.4 cfs, just below TRPA's 50 cfs North Prong floor and far below the 300 cfs ideal cue. At similar or lower levels, expect exposed limestone, dragging, and slower travel.
- TRPA says all low-water crossings are potential hazards. If a crossing is posted, blocked, pushy, fenced, or unsafe, skip the route rather than inventing a private alternate.
Watch for
- Flows below about 50 cfs on USGS 0817887350, when the TRPA North Prong 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 stronger navigation skill is needed and near 2,000 cfs where the route should not be attempted.
- Chamblee Falls and other North Prong drops, ledges, low-water crossings, 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.
- Class I-III rain-dependent whitewater character; casual flatwater groups should choose an easier Medina segment instead.
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 Patterson Rd at Medina, 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 | 50 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 shape3rd Crossing of FR 2107 to Freeman Crossing at SH 16, 6.6 mi
TRPA lists 3rd Crossing of FR 2107-to-Freeman Crossing at SH 16 as a North Prong Medina featured run and gives the route mileage.
- Public access coordinates29.8763326, -99.3483821 to 29.85418, -99.2796359
TRPA's 3rd Crossing and Freeman Crossing map links resolve to these Google Maps coordinates; they are stored as access anchors, with final water-entry adjusted to current signs, road-shoulder conditions, and safe banks.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 0817887350 at 47.4 cfs / 4.69 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day Medina River at Patterson Road discharge and gage height at 2026-08-12 00:55 CDT during this implementation run.
- Threshold posture50 cfs North Prong floor; 300-1,500 cfs ideal; 2,000 cfs ceiling
TRPA says the North Prong minimum is 50 cfs, the Medina is ideal around 300-1,500 cfs, and the river should not be attempted above about 2,000 cfs.
- 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 North Prong reach; no road-crossing, gravel-bar, or private-bank camping is inferred.
- SafetyClass I-III, North Prong drops, low-water crossings, private banks, drought, floods and wood
TRPA frames the Medina corridor as Class I-III, says the North Prong is known for whitewater after rain, calls out Chamblee Falls and a second drop, warns that high flows above about 300 cfs require stronger navigation skill, and says all low-water crossings are potential hazards.
- Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected
Bounded TRPA, Commons, USGS, Medina/Bandera local tourism, and same-route web review found route-context photos but no clearly rights-clean exact 3rd-Crossing-to-Freeman-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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More routes to check next
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Quick answers
North Prong Medina River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling North Prong 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 North Prong Medina River route start and end?
This route starts at 3rd Crossing of FR 2107 and ends at Freeman Crossing at SH 16, about About 6.6 mi on the water.
Is this North Prong Medina River route good for beginners?
This is listed as a hard route. Treat the live score as a planning aid, then confirm conditions, hazards, access, and group skill before launching.
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