Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Regional => Gulf States => Topic started by: ford on May 29, 2016, 09:14:04 AM
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I know there isn't much traffic in these regional threads, but figured it wouldn't hurt to start one for Houston. I've seen a few people post here.
Feel free to post information on where you paddle, places to put in, etc.
Obviously in Houston there is Buffalo Bayou. Here is some basic information for it.
http://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails/coastal/buffalo_bayou/index.phtml
In the Clear Lake area a great place to put in is Clear Lake Park. Here is the address.
5001 E NASA Pkwy, Seabrook, TX 77586
They have low floating docks that are easy to put in at. Look for the Bay Area Rowers Club building. The docks are just behind it. This lake area will take you into Armond Bayou. YOu can see alligators, turtles, birds and lots of other animals there.
You can also put in on the other side of the street though this is the bay side and will be choppier. There are three boat ramps there. Again, there is usually some chop on that side.
Here is information on the Galveston Island State Park paddling trail.
http://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails/coastal/galveston/
I haven't done this, but I want to this summer.
If you have information on Katy, Sugar Land, the Woodlands, Kingwood, Atascocita, Lake Jackson or any other area near Houston, feel free to post it.
If you know of regular sup meet ups that would be great also!
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I lived in League City for years. Seemed like I was about the only guy around that paddled, never saw boards on cars. Hopefully things are picking up for you down there.
Walter Hall park is a decent short trip, probably 3-4 miles to the lake from there. They have a paddle trail mapped out, as well.
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I lived in League City for years. Seemed like I was about the only guy around that paddled, never saw boards on cars. Hopefully things are picking up for you down there.
Walter Hall park is a decent short trip, probably 3-4 miles to the lake from there. They have a paddle trail mapped out, as well.
I've been there several times for my son's Cross Country meets... I forgot there was access to the water there... I will certainly hit that up. Thanks!
There are lots of kayakers in the area but still not a lot of SUP going on as far as I can see.
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Lake Woodlands, just north of Houston (Tx), is another nice paddling venue for both kayakers and SUPers. The launch site is at Lake Woodlands Park where there is a boat ramp and three floating docks. I've paddled this lake many times when I had my SPTW kayak. I know there is at least one person who has a sup because I've seen that person, from a distance, paddling on the lake. The link to Lake Woodlands is below and there is at least three pages of photos on the site. Once on the site, scroll on down and click on each thumbnail photo to enlarge the photo.
http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/photos/tags.php?tag=lake+woodlands
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I lived in League City for years. Seemed like I was about the only guy around that paddled, never saw boards on cars. Hopefully things are picking up for you down there.
Walter Hall park is a decent short trip, probably 3-4 miles to the lake from there. They have a paddle trail mapped out, as well.
I've been there several times for my son's Cross Country meets... I forgot there was access to the water there... I will certainly hit that up. Thanks!
There are lots of kayakers in the area but still not a lot of SUP going on as far as I can see.
The whole northern boundary of League City is either creek or lake. Walter Hall is off of Hwy 3 and has great facilities to launch from. Egret Bay Blvd from Webster has a good ramp, too, and some easy paddling. The further east you get the more you take your life in your hands with the boat and jet ski crowd. I didn't spend much time on the north side of Houston so I don't have much to offer experience wise there. I hope paddling picks up for everybody down there, way too much water to not have it blow up.
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Lake Woodlands, just north of Houston (Tx), is another nice paddling venue for both kayakers and SUPers. The launch site is at Lake Woodlands Park where there is a boat ramp and three floating docks. I've paddled this lake many times when I had my SPTW kayak. I know there is at least one person who has a sup because I've seen that person, from a distance, paddling on the lake. The link to Lake Woodlands is below and there is at least three pages of photos on the site. Once on the site, scroll on down and click on each thumbnail photo to enlarge the photo.
http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/photos/tags.php?tag=lake+woodlands
Thanks. I'll take this information and make it up there at some point this summer to try out!
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I lived in League City for years. Seemed like I was about the only guy around that paddled, never saw boards on cars. Hopefully things are picking up for you down there.
Walter Hall park is a decent short trip, probably 3-4 miles to the lake from there. They have a paddle trail mapped out, as well.
I've been there several times for my son's Cross Country meets... I forgot there was access to the water there... I will certainly hit that up. Thanks!
There are lots of kayakers in the area but still not a lot of SUP going on as far as I can see.
The whole northern boundary of League City is either creek or lake. Walter Hall is off of Hwy 3 and has great facilities to launch from. Egret Bay Blvd from Webster has a good ramp, too, and some easy paddling. The further east you get the more you take your life in your hands with the boat and jet ski crowd. I didn't spend much time on the north side of Houston so I don't have much to offer experience wise there. I hope paddling picks up for everybody down there, way too much water to not have it blow up.
I put in there today. Paddled over to Heritage Park, then over to the boat ramp where lots of jet ski's were putting in... and then back to Hall Park.
Next time I'll start at the beginning at Countryside Park off of west Bay Area Blvd... then past Challenger, then past Hall and to Heritage.. it says that is over six miles for the complete paddle trail there.
Right when I was getting in the water a lady said, "I wouldn't go in, there is an alligator over there!" I thanked her but then said, we would never be able to paddle here if we couldn't paddle around alligators. I saw him over by the bank. He paid less attention to me than most of the cows I paddled by.
I will say, I'm ready for my new touring board to get here this week... paddling an all around board for distance is slow work. Still fun and a great workout, but I'm ready for better tracking and easier speed.
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There are several nice spots along the Galveston Bay shore from north of Seabrook to the Texas City breakwater. Most are sandy. I would avoid Armand Bayou up stream from Bay Area Blvd. I kayaked there for many years and running into the 300 lb. (plus) gator in there would not be fun on an SUP as well as the occasional water moccasin.
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Yeah, all the way up to Armond Bayou isn't something I would do.. though I know lots of kayakers that go through there.
I'd just stick with the area of Mud Lake where it puts in at Clear Lake Park. That is where the Bay Area Rower's Club has their floating dock and I see them on the lake all the time.
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About 30 miles north of downtown Houston is Lake Conroe in Montgomery County. Finding a free launch site on Lake Conroe is difficult, but not impossible. Just off of Hwy 105, is a place called 3rd Coast Paddle Boards. This business rents paddle boards. I went up there one Sunday afternoon and talked to the owner. Since I own my own paddle board, I asked him how much would it cost me to launch my paddle board at the dock he uses. He told me there was no charge.
Lake Conroe has lots of boat traffic on the weekends, but hardly any boat traffic during the work week (Monday-Friday). The owner told me instead of paddling on Lake Conroe, to launch my paddle board at his dock and then paddle to the small bridge which goes under Hwy 105. Once on the other side, one can paddle on Rush Creek.
The link to the location, with a map, of 3rd Coast Paddle Boards is below. Just zoom in on the map. BTW, 3rd Coast is located right next to Starbucks Coffee.
http://lakeconroepaddleboards.com/find-us-hours/
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I've been skiing many times on Lake Conroe. Yes, a weekend SUP trip on the lake would be quite treacherous. Lots of boats going fast out there.. weekend warriors!
But I didn't know about 3rd Coast Paddle Boards and then going under 105. We used to live up in the area for a couple of years.
Thanks for adding this to the thread! More and more options for people in the area!
I'm sure there are places in Sugar Land/Fort Bend County and something in the Katy area also.
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Not too far from Lake Conroe in Montgomery County is Lake Raven at Huntsville State Park in Walker County. Lake Raven is a 203 surface acre lake and there is hardly any boat traffic at all during the work week. On weekends, there are a few boats, but Lake Raven has a "no wake" rule for this lake so one doesn't have to worry about being run over by weekend warriors. There is small fee to enter the park, but if one wants to see beautiful scenery and wildlife, Lake Raven is a nice quiet lake to for that. I've paddled Lake Raven many times when I owned my SPTW kayak. Lake Raven is mostly for kayakers, canoers, and small 2 person paddle boats. Huntsville State Park is managed by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department of Texas. A link to it is below.
http://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/raven/access.phtml
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I put in at Lynn Gripon Park (100 Alderwood, League City, TX 77573) yesterday. Paddled past Challenger Park and over to Walter Hall Park.
Challenger Park isn't part of the paddle trail as far as having an official place to put your SUP in, but they do have full sized boat ramps so you can put in there.
Link to the Clear Creek Paddle Trail
http://leaguecity.com/index.aspx?NID=2062 (http://leaguecity.com/index.aspx?NID=2062)
The address for Gripon park isn't right, use the one I listed above.
I didn't like the put in location at Gripon as much as Walter Hall Park. I haven't put in at Heritage but I liked the dock there the best of the three.
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@ford
Thanks for the link. I appreciate it.
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Just a heads up....I was a police officer in League City before I retired and bounced to NC. Car burglars LOVE those parks to do their shopping so don't leave anything in your ride that you want to keep. They are generally safe in other respects but protect your valuables there. Be safe
Jake
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@ford
I've been looking at some YouTube videos and I found a short 2:12 video for Clear Lake Park taken from a drone's point of view. On one side of Nasa Parkway I can paddle on Mud Lake and on the other side of Nasa Parkway is Clear Lake.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgyCOG4pd8I
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Nice!
Everything on that video is the bay side/Clear Lake. It will be choppier and can get busy with boats on the weekends.
I actually just got home around 8:45 from paddling in Mud Lake. I like putting in on that side, then you can paddle under the bridge to get to Clear Lake if you like. It is usually more calm in Mud Lake, but today there was a pretty good wind going. I paddled to the bridge slowly.. and then it was a downwind run back to the docks.
There are floating docks you can put in on the Mud Lake side. Very easy to get in and out of... its a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the docks but nothing major. Well, it felt a bit more major when I got out and the wind was trying to blow me over while carrying my board.
Thanks for sharing the video.
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Just a heads up....I was a police officer in League City before I retired and bounced to NC. Car burglars LOVE those parks to do their shopping so don't leave anything in your ride that you want to keep. They are generally safe in other respects but protect your valuables there. Be safe
Jake
Thanks! I had heard that before from a friend who is a current League City police officer. (His name is Adam Heausler) Yeah, my phone and wallet come with me in a water proof pouch.
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@ford
I know about boat traffic on the weekends because of Lake Conroe if you get my drift. Because of boat traffic, I'll be paddling on Mud Lake (and maybe Clear Lake) on the week days.
As for the long walk from the parking lot to the floating docks on Mud Lake, that shouldn't be a problem for me since my new custom all carbon 8'11" Hammer should be around 17 pounds in weight.
But just in case, I'll take along my sup Schlepper shoulder strap carrier (and case which goes around my waist when not in use). Which amounts to the old adage of, "Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it". ;)
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I say long walk... it probably isn't more than 50-100 yards depending on where you park.
That board should be pretty manageable!
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Strange question, but I spend some time back there visiting family and know the area a bit. Why don't any of y'all paddle in the bay or on open water? When I was last in Galveston the onshores were so strong it seemed you could do a pretty solid downwinder across the bay.
Am I missing something about the Gulf that makes it undesirable?
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@surfcowboy
I prefer to paddle where there isn't much boat traffic. When I get my new Hammer, I prefer to paddle in the salt marshes because it is too shallow for boats to bother me. Below is a link to some web cams where you can see some of the places I go to on the Bolivar Peninsula. By clicking on the various web cams, you can see the salt flat marshes behind the cleaning table on the west side of Stingaree Marina. On the northern side of the marina, you can see East Bay. The beach cam is down right now, but is isn't a place with many good waves. Some days, the waves never break until they are three feet from the beach sand.
http://www.cbwebcam.com/
If I'm going to take my Hammer down to the Gulf, I'd rather not paddle out in the open Gulf. Instead I'd rather surf the Hammer since it is designed for both surfing and flat water. The best place to surf my Hammer and the closest place with good surf for me is usually at Surfside, Texas. It usually takes me, when I leave my home for Surfside, about 2 1/2 hours for the drive. So I leave my home at 4am and get to Surfside Jetty County Park at around 6:30am.
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Since the beach web cam at Crystal Beach is down at the moment, I found another Crystal Beach web cam and you can actually see the Gulf waves on the Bolivar Peninsula are not the best for surfing since this web cam is a streaming one. Once on the page, scroll on down till you see the streaming web cam.
https://www.bolivarpeninsulatexas.com/Webcams/Bluewater-Beach
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Thanks! I had heard that before from a friend who is a current League City police officer. (His name is Adam Heausler) Yeah, my phone and wallet come with me in a water proof pouch.
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I know Adam, he is a great guy. His wife was my oldest daughter's math teacher a few years back. Good people. Be safe out there.
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I'm still in the process of finding some good surfing waves when my Hammer arrives. Today I found a nice streaming web cam at Matagorda, Tx which is not too long of a drive from Surfside, Tx and the cam is showing some very good waves. The web cam refreshes every 8 seconds.
http://www.gomatagorda.com/matagorda-beach-webcam/
After looking at these waves, I'm really going to have to get the "rust off" since the last time I surfed was 50 years ago when I was 16 years old. For the waves at Matagorda, I'm going to have to learn how to surf some large waves pretty quick.
I did manage to find some great YouTube videos of people surfing at Matagorda and these two links are below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg8R8dDwVmk
In the second video below, start looking at the 17 second mark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aMI9nvPqmM
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Cool, and I hadn't thought about the boat traffic. We don't get much of that out here. And I've seen the Gulf waves. Makes me want to go to Austin ;) my hat is off to y'all who can surf those short period waves.
I would love to do a river cruise over some distance myself. Car shuttling across a big river bend could be cool.
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Thanks! I had heard that before from a friend who is a current League City police officer. (His name is Adam Heausler) Yeah, my phone and wallet come with me in a water proof pouch.
I know Adam, he is a great guy. His wife was my oldest daughter's math teacher a few years back. Good people. Be safe out there.
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Ha... small world. We are good friends with the family. My wife teaches in the district at Space Center Intermediate.
Cheers!
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Strange question, but I spend some time back there visiting family and know the area a bit. Why don't any of y'all paddle in the bay or on open water? When I was last in Galveston the onshores were so strong it seemed you could do a pretty solid downwinder across the bay.
Am I missing something about the Gulf that makes it undesirable?
Honestly, I'm just pretty new to the sport and don't know the best places to put in around Galveston. I'm going to check out the Galveston State park paddle trail sometime soon.
I'd love to try a downwinder across Galveston Bay.. but the first couple of times I'd want to be with a group who have done it before. I honestly don't know if there is anyone here doing something like that.
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@ford
Once you get off the ferry on the Bolivar Peninsula, travel about 1 mile until you come to 16th Street. Turn right and go all the way down to the beach and you can park on the beach. There will be a small boat ramp there (next to the North Jetty on 17th Street) and you can sup in the Galveston Ship Channel. I never used the free boat ramp. I used to launch my kayak from the beach next to the free boat ramp. Just stay about 125 yards away from the North Jetty (which people will be fishing on) and you'll be fine.
If you feel adventurous enough, you can paddle on down to the Boat Cut on the North Jetty. There you will see how fast the current can move through the boat cut and you can decide if you want to go through the Boat Cut to the Gulf side of the North Jetty. Just remember, you have to paddle back through the Boat Cut to get back to launching point where you vehicle is parked.
One last place on Bolivar is just a little ways past 16th Street. When you come up Rettilon Rd, turn right, head on down to the beach, turn right on the beach and travel all the way to the edge of the Bird Sanctuary and park there. You'll have the entire Gulf of Mexico in front of you to paddle at your heart's desire.
You can see these places on Google Maps.
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@ford
Once you get off the ferry on the Bolivar Peninsula, travel about 1 mile until you come to 16th Street. Turn right and go all the way down to the beach and you can park on the beach. There will be a small boat ramp there (next to the North Jetty on 17th Street) and you can sup in the Galveston Ship Channel. I never used the free boat ramp. I used to launch my kayak from the beach next to the free boat ramp. Just stay about 125 yards away from the North Jetty (which people will be fishing on) and you'll be fine.
If you feel adventurous enough, you can paddle on down to the Boat Cut on the North Jetty. There you will see how fast the current can move through the boat cut and you can decide if you want to go through the Boat Cut to the Gulf side of the North Jetty. Just remember, you have to paddle back through the Boat Cut to get back to launching point where you vehicle is parked.
One last place on Bolivar is just a little ways past 16th Street. When you come up Rettilon Rd, turn right, head on down to the beach, turn right on the beach and travel all the way to the edge of the Bird Sanctuary and park there. You'll have the entire Gulf of Mexico in front of you to paddle at your heart's desire.
You can see these places on Google Maps.
Gracias!
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@ford
Since my Hammer 8'11" should be arriving in the middle of July, I've been trying to find some places to take my Hammer on Galveston Island. I've found two decent live streaming video cams along the Galveston seawall. They are the Surf Cam and the Sand Cam. In the bottom left corner of the cam, you can control these cameras too, but the drawback is if someone is ahead of you, you'll have to wait your turn to control the camera to see what you want to see. You have to watch through a 15 second ad "first", but after that, the ads don't appear anymore as long as you're on the cam site. I like to watch these live streaming cams in full screen mode since I've got a 24" monitor.
http://www.galveston.com/sandvideocam/
http://www.galveston.com/surfvideocam/
BTW, on the Surf Cam, when the camera is turned towards Pleasure Pier, I've seen a few sup boarders and also some surfers on their boards.
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Nice. I just spent twenty minutes playing around with the various cameras.
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Anyone know of any decent spots to paddle around Katy?
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@Paddleboard
There isn't much close to Katy for sup paddling. For flat water paddling closest to Katy, Lake Woodlands just north of Houston is a good lake to sup paddle. I flat water paddled there during the Fall of 2016.
For sup surfing; Surfside, Texas (at the base of the Surfside Jetty) is your best bet to travel to. The waves are bigger there than they are at Galveston, Texas.
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@Night Wing: Thanks! Going to try to head up to Lake Woodlands...
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@Paddleboard
You can launch at North Shore park where there are two boat ramps and three floating docks. Watch your step on the docks. The ducks and geese hang out on there to roost if you get my drift.
The address of the park is 2505 Lake Woodlands Drive.