See all 3 routes on San Marcos River
Texas | Hill Country
San Marcos RiverSan Marcos River Retreat to Scull Road
Short TPWD-supported San Marcos run from the San Marcos River Retreat lease access to the Scull Road lease access. The route is useful for paddlers who want the Cottonseed Rapids reach without continuing into the flatwater and Martindale Dam section downstream.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch at San Marcos River Retreat and take out at Scull Road for TPWD's 3-mile San Marcos float through Cottonseed Rapids. Use USGS 08172000 with a conservative 100 cfs floor, expect below-200 cfs readings to be scrapey, and make Scull Road the firm exit before the Martindale Dam reach.
Access map
Put-in
San Marcos River RetreatSan Marcos River Retreat is private property participating as a TPWD lease access. Confirm reservation, launch fee, daylight hours, and no-alcohol rules before relying on it.
Take-out
Scull Road BridgeTPWD says the Scull Road parking area is 0.16 miles southwest of the bridge, while the immediate bridge area is only for loading and unloading. The route records American Whitewater's bridge/access-point coordinate as the water-entry anchor and TPWD's coordinate as the parking/access anchor.
Road shuttle
Stage Scull Road first: TPWD says the bridge area is for loading and unloading only, no parking is allowed there, and paddlers should text the lease contact before arrival for the gate code and parking availability. Then confirm San Marcos River Retreat reservation, fee, no-alcohol rule, and daylight access before launching.
Additional access notes
- American Whitewater describes past private-bank conflict around the Scull Road take-out. Use the public road/right-of-way context, do not linger, and avoid private-bank stops except for immediate safety.
- Scull Road is the intended finish. Continuing downstream adds flatwater above Martindale Dam and a required dam portage that is outside this route package.
More route and safety guidance
- Scull Road is the planned take-out. Missing it commits paddlers to flatwater above Martindale Dam and a required downstream dam portage.
- The low Scull Road bridge can become a hazard at higher flows, and both TPWD and American Whitewater describe parking/loading limits and private-bank pressure at the crossing.
Plan this paddle
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Conditions
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Recent trend
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Weather
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
San Marcos Rv at Luling, TX. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | San Marcos Rv at Luling, 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 |
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| Wind | Checking |
| Gusts | Checking |
| Rain timing | Checking |
| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 100 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | American Whitewater San Marcos Westerfield-to-FM 1979 flow guidance |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official route shapeSan Marcos River Retreat to Scull Road, 3 mi
TPWD says the Scull Road lease access serves as the take-out for a 3-mile float from San Marcos River Retreat and flags Cottonseed Rapids on this exact section.
- Access leasesSMRR and Scull Road leases active through August 31, 2027
TPWD publishes current lease periods, daylight public-use windows, fee/reservation or gate-code requirements, and boat-launch/take-out permissions for both endpoints.
- Water-entry coordinates29.85840, -97.88760 to 29.84960, -97.85690
American Whitewater publishes access-point coordinates for San Marcos River Retreat and CR 246 / Scull Road Bridge. TPWD's Scull Road coordinate is treated as the lease parking/access anchor because TPWD says parking is 0.16 miles southwest of the bridge.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-08-10USGS 08172000 at 110 cfs / 3.87 ft
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
- Threshold and route useMinimum-only 100 cfs; below 200 cfs is scrapey
American Whitewater says this San Marcos reach can be run below 200 cfs but tends to be scrapey, so the route ships with a conservative minimum-only floor rather than a claimed ideal range.
- Cottonseed safetyClass II rapid with a river-left sieve
American Whitewater warns that Cottonseed's old dam remnants include a potentially deadly sieve at river left, advises paddlers to stay right, and notes that the rapid can be portaged river right. TPWD also says to portage unless confident.
- CampingNo route camping inferred
The TPWD lease pages describe daylight public-use access, fees, reservations, gate code, and parking rules, but do not publish route camping rights for the public lease use. San Marcos River Retreat is a separate private campground, so overnight use requires separate campground arrangements.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
More on San Marcos River
All 3Nearby routes within 75 miles
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