See all 4 routes on San Antonio River
Texas | South Texas Plains
San Antonio River
Roosevelt Park to Camino Coahuilteca
Check current paddling conditions for this San Antonio 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
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 Roosevelt Park and finish at Camino Coahuilteca for the full official Mission Reach route through San Antonio's restored river corridor. Use USGS 08178000 with a conservative 200 cfs San Antonio River floor, then check SARA current conditions, recent rain, bacteria context, and the Espada Dam portage before committing.
Plan a shorter segmentOptional
Access planner
Pick a shorter segment
This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.
Prepare this trip
Take the plan with you
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Put-in
Roosevelt ParkTPWD publishes Roosevelt Park, Concepcion Park, VFW Boulevard, Padre Park, Espada Park, Mission Parkway, and Camino Coahuilteca as access points with GPS coordinates; SARA says access points are marked by blue poles and may be steps or natural paths.
Take-out
Camino CoahuiltecaThe City defines the Mission Reach boundary from Lone Star Boulevard by Roosevelt Park to Camino Coahuilteca by Mission Espada and says boundaries may change, so posted local signs control on arrival.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- TPWD publishes Roosevelt Park, Concepcion Park, VFW Boulevard, Padre Park, Espada Park, Mission Parkway, and Camino Coahuilteca as access points with GPS coordinates; SARA says access points are marked by blue poles and may be steps or natural paths.
- The City defines the Mission Reach boundary from Lone Star Boulevard by Roosevelt Park to Camino Coahuilteca by Mission Espada and says boundaries may change, so posted local signs control on arrival.
- SARA and the City both require a portage around Espada Dam about 1,200 feet south of SE Military Drive, with reentry below Mission Parkway.
- The Mission Reach is urban and largely exposed. SARA explicitly says there is no shade, cell access is available, and paddlers should bring ample drinking water.
- This route uses conservative corridor-level TRPA flow guidance, not a manager-authored exact Mission Reach gauge table. When USGS 08178000 is below about 200 cfs, expect a below-floor score and verify chute/portage conditions visually.
Watch for
- The mandatory Espada Dam portage around mile 5; land early, carry around the dam, and reenter below Mission Parkway.
- Flows near or below about 200 cfs, when the current implementation reading was below the conservative floor and chutes or riffles may be shallow or awkward.
- Rain in the previous 72 hours, rising water, or SARA current-condition warnings because TPWD links the Mission Reach to urban runoff, high flows, and undesirable water quality after storms.
- Canoe chutes, riffles, low bridges, crowded access points, no shade, heat, alcohol/body-contact restrictions, and the need to stay within the posted city paddling boundary.
- Daily-use limits: remove boats at the end of the day and do not treat parks, trails, missions, or visible banks as camping permission.
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 | San Antonio Rv at San Antonio, 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 |
| Ideal range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 200 cfs |
| High threshold | Not calibrated yet |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Texas Rivers Protection Association San Antonio 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.
- Official route shapeRoosevelt Park to Camino Coahuilteca, 8 mi
TPWD identifies the Mission Reach as an eight-mile trail from Roosevelt Park downstream to the Camino Coahuilteca take-out by Mission Espada, with a 3-5 hour full-route float time.
- Public access and portage20+ access points plus Espada Dam portage
SARA says the first launch is at Roosevelt Park, the last take-out is Camino Coahuilteca, access points are marked by blue poles, and paddlers must portage at Espada Dam around mile 5.
- Legal city boundary and rulesSunrise to sunset; no permit; vessels removed daily
The City of San Antonio publishes the Mission Reach water-recreation boundary, says no permit is required, requires sunrise-to-sunset use, prohibits body contact and alcohol during water recreation, and requires users to stay within posted boundaries.
- Direct live gaugeUSGS 08178000 at 22.3 cfs / 3.93 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day San Antonio River at San Antonio discharge and gage height at 2026-08-10 00:00 CDT during this implementation run.
- Threshold posture200 cfs minimum-only; 300 cfs ideal cue; 2,000 cfs maximum caution
TRPA lists San Antonio River flow guidance as rarely below 200 cfs, ideal at 300 cfs, and maximum at 2,000 cfs, with the San Antonio gauge included in the current-conditions gauge set.
- Safety and water quality72-hour rain/runoff caution
TPWD says the Mission Reach is readily influenced by urban rainfall runoff and that paddlers should expect high flows and undesirable water quality for 72 hours following rain events.
- CampingNo route camping
City rules require non-motorized vessels to be removed at the end of each day and limit Mission Reach use to sunrise-to-sunset water recreation; no legal route camping is inferred from nearby parks or the river corridor.
- Image decisionNo route-gallery image selected
Bounded SARA, TPWD, City, Commons, San Antonio Report, USGS, and same-route image review found route-context images and one rights-clean general Mission Reach trail photo, but no clearly rights-clean exact 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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Keep exploring
More routes to check next
Compare another stretch on this river, or jump to nearby options before you pick a plan.
Quick answers
San Antonio River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling San Antonio River?
Paddle Today watches San Antonio Rv at San Antonio, TX and uses 200 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this San Antonio River route start and end?
This route starts at Roosevelt Park and ends at Camino Coahuilteca, about About 8.0 mi on the water.
Is this San Antonio 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.