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Texas | Big Bend
Rio Grande
Talley to Solis
Check current paddling conditions for this Rio Grande 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
Checking the next several hours.
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 Talley and finish at Solis for the remote Mariscal Canyon run. Use the Rio Grande Village USGS gauge with a conservative 200 cfs floor and NPS 300 cfs day-float cue, then make a same-day call on permits, River Road access, low-water dragging, Rock Pile, Tight Squeeze, heat, and storms.
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
Talley River AccessAmerican Whitewater coordinates are access anchors, not guaranteed wetted-edge launch points. Follow NPS signs, current road and bank conditions, and ranger guidance on arrival.
Take-out
Solis River AccessNPS says high-clearance vehicles are usually required for both Mariscal access locations and the river road is rarely passable to passenger cars. Loose sand near the Talley road end is specifically called out.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- American Whitewater coordinates are access anchors, not guaranteed wetted-edge launch points. Follow NPS signs, current road and bank conditions, and ranger guidance on arrival.
- NPS says high-clearance vehicles are usually required for both Mariscal access locations and the river road is rarely passable to passenger cars. Loose sand near the Talley road end is specifically called out.
- The route is currently below the 200 cfs conservative floor. Low water can mean dragging, longer exposure, harder lining choices, and more consequential boulder moves in the canyon.
- Solis is the common take-out, but NPS warns not to overshoot it because the next access is far downstream. Scout the take-out before launching.
- The route is border-adjacent and remote. Use only lawful U.S.-side access, respect international/private-land limits, and carry reliable emergency communication and enough treated water capacity.
Watch for
- Rock Pile rapid around mile 2.6 and Tight Squeeze around mile 3.3; scout, line, or portage when the line or group skill is not clearly appropriate.
- Flows below about 200 cfs, when American Whitewater's lowest recommended level is not met and shallow dragging can dominate the day.
- Open-boat caution above about 1000 cfs and NPS high-water equipment cautions around 2000 cfs, especially on a rising hydrograph or after upstream storms.
- Extreme heat, limited shade, dehydration, treated-water planning, summer thunderstorms, sudden rises, flash flooding, and camps placed too low or in arroyos.
- Long rough-road shuttle exposure, vehicle security at remote accesses, poor cell coverage, wind, water-quality changes, and the temptation to continue downstream after Solis without the separate Boquillas or Great Unknown route plan.
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 | Rio Grande at Rio Grande Village, Big Bnd NP, 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 1,000 cfs |
| Low threshold | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | 2,000 cfs |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official and local sources |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | NPS Mariscal Canyon and American Whitewater flow 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.
- Official route shapeTalley to Solis, about 10 mi
NPS identifies Mariscal Canyon as the shortest Big Bend canyon at 10 miles, with Talley as the put-in and Solis as the common take-out; American Whitewater lists the same reach at 10.2 miles.
- Public access coordinates28.98320, -103.18400 to 29.04430, -103.10600
American Whitewater publishes the put-in and take-out access anchors for Mariscal Canyon; NPS confirms Talley and Solis as the normal access locations and warns that high-clearance vehicles are usually required.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 08375300 at 30.4 cfs / 2.32 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day Rio Grande at Rio Grande Village discharge and gage height at 2026-08-10 11:00 CDT during this implementation run.
- Threshold posture200 cfs floor; 300-1000 cfs preferred open-boat window; 2000 cfs high-water caution
American Whitewater gives Mariscal a lowest recommended flow of 200 cfs; NPS says Mariscal can be floated in a day above 300 cfs and open boats should use caution above 1000 cfs. NPS river regulations add high-water equipment cautions at 2000 cfs for Mariscal and other canyon sections.
- Camping and permitsNPS backcountry permit required; overnight-capable with restricted zones
NPS requires a backcountry use permit before watercraft is placed on the Rio Grande in Big Bend and restricts camping near vehicle-accessible river-road sites unless separately permitted; overnight plans must use legal river camps above the high-water mark.
- SafetyRemote roads, Rock Pile, Tight Squeeze, heat, sudden rises
NPS warns about rough River Road access and remote logistics; American Whitewater identifies Rock Pile and Tight Squeeze as the main named Class II features, and NPS river regulations require self-sufficient safety gear and rapid scouting.
- Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected
Bounded NPS, American Whitewater, TRPA, Commons, USGS, and same-route review found route-context photos but no clearly rights-clean exact Talley-to-Solis 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
See recent photos and notes from people on the route.
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More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
Rio Grande paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling Rio Grande?
Paddle Today watches Rio Grande at Rio Grande Village, Big Bnd NP, TX and treats 300 cfs to 1,000 cfs as the target band for this route, with weather and recent trend included in the final score.
Where does this Rio Grande route start and end?
This route starts at Talley River Access and ends at Solis River Access, about About 10.2 mi on the water.
Is this Rio Grande 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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See something outdated?
Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.