See all 5 routes on South Llano River
Texas | Texas Hill Country
South Llano River
Cupgrass Access to Junction City Park
Check current paddling conditions for this South Llano 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 through Bailey Creek at TPWD Cupgrass Access and continue to Junction City Park for the longest current public South Llano day route. The spring-fed water stays gentle overall, but the long mileage and midpoint state-park portage make this a real planning route rather than a casual hour float.
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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
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Put-in
TPWD Cupgrass AccessTPWD says Cupgrass parking is by advance text reservation and that boats launch via Bailey Creek before entering the South Llano proper.
Take-out
Junction City ParkAt South Llano River State Park, paddlers must exit at the designated location before the damaged bridge, portage around it, and reenter downstream.
Plan this segment
Access caveats and watch for
Access caveats
- TPWD says Cupgrass parking is by advance text reservation and that boats launch via Bailey Creek before entering the South Llano proper.
- At South Llano River State Park, paddlers must exit at the designated location before the damaged bridge, portage around it, and reenter downstream.
- Use Junction City Park as the intended public finish and avoid treating nearby private or bridge-adjacent banks as alternate take-outs.
Watch for
- The required bridge portage at South Llano River State Park.
- Long low-water scrape stretches, fresh wood after storms, and quicker current during runoff pulses.
- Heat, fatigue, and fewer convenient public exits than the short official trail splits.
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 | S Llano Rv at Flat Rock Ln at Junction, 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 | 65 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 South Llano overview |
| 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.
- Published flow guidance65 cfs minimum; 100-500 cfs broader ideal
Texas Rivers Protection Association summarizes the South Llano with a 65 cfs minimum and 100-500 cfs ideal band at the Junction gauge.
- Official chained routeCupgrass to State Park about 9.3 mi plus State Park to Junction City Park 6.3 mi
TPWD publishes the Cupgrass-to-state-park segment on the lease-access page and the full state-park-to-Junction trail on the paddling-trail page, supporting an about 15.6-mile continuation through the same official access chain.
- Put-in accessTPWD Cupgrass Access, 30.393543, -99.886693
TPWD publishes Cupgrass coordinates and says paddlers launch through Bailey Creek after arranging parking by text.
- Take-out accessJunction City Park, 30.4879, -99.7617
TPWD identifies Junction City Park as the downstream public access point with published coordinates.
- Mandatory portageState-park bridge portage required
TPWD says all kayaks, canoes, and tubes must exit before the damaged bridge at South Llano River State Park and portage around it before reentering downstream.
- Live-gauge supportUSGS 08149900 at 75.8 cfs / 2.25 ft
USGS Water Services returned same-day values for S Llano River at Flat Rock Ln at Junction, TX at 2026-06-26 08:40 CDT during this run.
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
South Llano River paddling FAQ
What water level is good for paddling South Llano River?
Paddle Today watches S Llano Rv at Flat Rock Ln at Junction, TX and uses 65 cfs as the conservative low-water floor for this route. The ideal range still needs more paddler reports.
Where does this South Llano River route start and end?
This route starts at TPWD Cupgrass Access and ends at Junction City Park, about About 15.6 mi on the water.
Is this South Llano 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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