Texas | Texas Hill Country

South Llano River

South Llano River State Park 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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DistanceAbout 6.3 mi
DifficultyEasy
Typical timeAbout 2.5 hr to 4 hr at an easy recreational pace
ShuttleCar shuttle
A sandy, wooded southeast Texas river corridor.
River contextTexas river corridor context; not this route or current conditions; route imagery unavailable — not necessarily this exact reach.Photo by Jill Carlson via Wikimedia Commons

Need to know

Why this call
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Gauge history and hourly forecast

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Quick facts and what's next

Distance, difficulty, shuttle basics, and the near-term outlook before you commit to the drive.

DifficultyeasyThe river is gentle overall, but this remains moving water with a required manager-directed portage, low-water scraping, and post-rain current changes that deserve attention.
PermitsNone notedNo route-specific paddling permit is published. South Llano River State Park charges normal park entry and often recommends reservations for day use; follow current park, parking, and PFD rules.
CampingOptions nearbySouth Llano River State Park campsites sit directly at the put-in, so this route works well as a campground-based half-day float into town.
SeasonJan-DecThis official trail can work in most seasons when the Flat Rock gauge is not scraping at the floor or surging after rain. Warm-season day use is easiest because the route is long enough to feel real while still fitting a half-day shuttle from the park.

Upcoming outlook

These are early planning reads. Re-check live conditions before you commit to the drive.

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Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Access and shuttle

Put in at South Llano River State Park and continue all the way to Junction City Park for the full official TPWD paddling trail. This is a simple state-park-to-town float with a required bridge portage near the start and the same same-day flow check as the shorter splits.

Plan a shorter segmentOptional

Pick a shorter segment

This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.

On-water distanceAbout 6.3 miLake to creek
On-water timeAbout 5 to 7 hrFull route option
ShuttleSelf-shuttleChoose a shorter in/out pair for a shorter day.

Peltier Lake to Long Lake is the full route. Shorter access pairs are useful when wind, time, or group energy changes the plan.

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Download the canonical route, add a calendar hold, or send a simple float plan to your group.

Start

Put-in

South Llano River State Park paddling access
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TPWD says the damaged state-park bridge apron is closed and that paddlers must exit at the designated location, portage around the bridge, and reenter downstream.

Finish

Take-out

Junction City Park
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Use the marked state-park launch and the named Junction City Park finish rather than improvised bank stops.

Plan this segment

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Access caveats and watch for

Access caveats

  • TPWD says the damaged state-park bridge apron is closed and that paddlers must exit at the designated location, portage around the bridge, and reenter downstream.
  • Use the marked state-park launch and the named Junction City Park finish rather than improvised bank stops.
  • Private shoreline begins quickly outside the park corridor, so keep rests brief and at the named public access points.

Watch for

  • The required bridge portage at South Llano River State Park.
  • Low-water scraping and minor route reading through shallow riffles when the gauge is near the conservative floor.
  • Strainers, changing current after rain, and slippery rocks at either access.

Why this score

See the gauge, weather, and source notes behind today's call.

Read quality
Checking live inputs.

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Today'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.

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Gauge, thresholds, and timing

These are the live readings and threshold notes behind today's score.

Gauge siteS Llano Rv at Flat Rock Ln at Junction, TX
DischargeChecking
Gauge heightChecking
24h trendChecking
24h changeChecking
Current bandChecking
Rain last 24hChecking
Rain last 72hChecking
Air tempChecking
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GustsChecking
Rain timingChecking
Ideal rangeNeeds paddler reports
Known low-water floor65 cfs
High thresholdNot calibrated yet
Evidence strength behind the rangeLocal route guidance
Gauge observedChecking
Paddle Today updatedChecking
Main source behind this scoreTexas Rivers Protection Association South Llano overview
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What 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.

    Source

  • Official route segmentState Park to Junction City Park, 6.3 mi

    TPWD lists the South Llano River State Park to Junction City Park trail as 6.3 miles and names Flatrock Lane as the midpoint alternate access.

    Source

  • Put-in accessSouth Llano River State Park, 30.4498, -99.8128

    The TPWD paddling-trail page identifies the state-park access point, and the state-park page says there is one designated place for paddlers to park and put in.

    Source

  • Take-out accessJunction City Park, 30.4879, -99.7617

    TPWD identifies Junction City Park as the downstream public access point with published coordinates.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

  • 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.

    Source

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Paddler reports

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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 South Llano River State Park paddling access and ends at Junction City Park, about About 6.3 mi on the water.

Is this South Llano River route good for beginners?

This is listed as an easy route, but conditions still matter. Check today's score, water level, weather, and access notes before you go.

See something outdated?

Access, hazards, wood, and shuttle details change. Send a quick correction if something looks off.