[energetic music]
- It's a great place to paddle, it's absolutely beautiful.
[waves lap against kayak]
- It is a great surprise to me that you are able
to do this 10 minutes from where I live.
- RON SMITH: Kayaking in the state of Texas has exploded,
and so we've tagged on to that.
- All right!
- NARRATOR: Kayaking and canoeing are more popular
than ever.
And now here in Texas there's a push for
more and more paddling trails.
- We're trying to develop a large inventory of
paddling trails with lots of different venues.
So that we can reach a wide audience with a healthy
outdoor experience.
[water rushes by]
All right and this is just the Birch Creek?
- Birch Creek State Park boat ramp.
- Boat Ramp. - Yes sir!
- NARRATOR: Ron Smith from the paddling planning team...
- RON: And you've got wildlife viewing.
- NARRATOR: Is here as Lake Somerville State Park
looks to open up their own paddling trail.
- RON: Part of the process for today is that we're going to be
looking at the initial survey.
And so we're going to get our initial GPS and GIS information.
Bathrooms?
- KYLE: On site.
- RON: Evaluate the put-ins and the take-outs.
Look at the aids to navigation and the hazards to navigation.
- NARRATOR: One concern on the lake is an invasive
aquatic plant called Hydrilla that could make paddling
pretty tough.
- Well what we're going to mention about this spot
is that there is a fairly heavy Hydrilla population
here in this area, so we'll have to make sure
that people are aware.
It's part of what's here and part of the paddling trail
adventure.
- NARRATOR: Each paddling trail adventure starts
at a public put-in with easy access.
And signs provide trip details.
- BOB ARTHUR: Let's go easy, easy!
- NARRATOR: In Houston, the Buffalo Bayou paddling trail
meanders right through the heart of the city.
- BOB: We need to go left here a little bit.
- NARRATOR: Bob Arthur is a river rat from way back.
- I think I've missed everything!
- NARRATOR: He's been paddling this bayou for 30 years now.
- It's I think still the longest paddle trail in the state,
twenty-six miles and all of it within the city limits
of Houston, Texas.
- BETTY LEITE: Oh, there's a log here!
It's more natural than what I thought, let me say it that way.
It's more natural than what I expected.
You know, so you really feel like you are
in the middle of nowhere.
- BOB: It's close.
Just get in and go, and spend two or three hours in nature.
[babbling creek]
If you listen, it's just quiet.
You can't hear anything but what's supposed to be here.
[birds call]
Ah, ha!!!!
- NARRATOR: The first "official" Texas paddling trail
was Lighthouse Lakes, established in 1999
down along the coast at Aransas Pass.
- DEAN THOMAS: Well what we have is an endless maze
of creeks and lakes.
[gulls squawk]
- NARRATOR: Dean Thomas is a local guide who's been paddling
these coastal channels since the trails opened up.
- I bought me a kayak, started fishing about
the same time these trails were developed, started exploring
out here and then got the idea that I could guide people
into these areas.
[bird sings]
It's very secluded.
It's very peaceful.
Um, a lot of these lakes are kayak only.
It's just so shallow and so rocky in a lot of places,
the only way to get through is a kayak.
[water bubbles under kayak]
- NARRATOR: The trail is actually a series
of four loops.
They range from one to seven miles in length.
- DEAN: The Lighthouse Lakes trails are marked with
trail markers and with moderate paddling you
can do a very adventurous trip.
- NARRATOR: There's sightseeing at the historic lighthouse...
- DEAN: All the paddling trails that you could launch
from the road lead out here to the lighthouse.
- NARRATOR: Sight in some colorful coastal birds...
- DEAN: We have every species on the coast.
- NARRATOR: Or you can sight cast for some trophy redfish.
[bird calls]
- DEAN: The red fishing is world class in this area.
Um, we have anglers traveling from all over the country.
How do you like that!
It's about 23, 24 incher.
Nice little red from Lighthouse Lakes.
- NARRATOR: Fishing here might be world class,
but the silence and solitude is the true draw.
- DEAN: Once people come out and they spend a day in their kayak,
they realize there's a whole lot more to it than just fishing.
There's many days when I'm out here,
and I will sit back and put the rod in the holder
and just enjoy the beauty of the place.
[airboat revs]
- NARRATOR: Back on Lake Somerville, Ron and the sight
survey team have finally made their way to the
highlight of the trip.
The lake's main tributary, Yegua creek.
- RON: How long do you all propose this trail will be?
- KEVIN: From our put-in spot to where the creek flows
into the lake, it's about six miles.
- RON: That's a nice length for one of our trails.
- KYLE: It is!
What's really nice about the Yegua Creek this time of year
is with all the hardwoods we have on the banks,
it drops all the leaves in the fall.
And you can see they're just all floating right here,
all those autumn colors.
I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised at this
stretch of the Yegua Creek.
The habitat is pretty pristine.
We have a lot of bottomland hardwood forest that are just
really beautiful and people are going to like it.
[airboat hums]
- RON: It's a very unique venue for paddling,
and that's our goal is to create as many trails
with as much uniqueness as we can throughout the state.
[water bubbles]
[rushing water]
- NARRATOR: Truly unique and one of the jewels of the
paddling trail system is the Upper Guadalupe River
between San Antonio and Austin.
- MARGARET STAMBAUGH: This section of the Guadalupe River
is very peaceful.
You don't see a lot of development along here.
- CLIFF GOSSETT: I think we're the first ones
on the river today.
- MARGARET: You just hear birds and the sounds of your paddle
going through the water.
- NARRATOR: Margaret Stambaugh, her kids and friend
Cliff Gossett get their paddles wet here on the Guadalupe
every chance they get.
[water riffle]
- And this particular stretch of this river
is one of those stretches that you can use it as a starter
and when you get really good, you can still enjoy it.
And that's why I still enjoy it cause it's close,
it's clean, it's clear.
- CHILD: Bazooka!
- CLIFF: And the kids just love it.
- CHILD: Wahoo!
[water rapids]
- MARGARET: I personally like rivers with whitewater on them.
- CHILD: Agh, ooooh!
- MARGARET: It's just more fun for me, and so I do like
the Guadalupe cause it's close to Austin and yet it has some
fun stretches to challenge you a bit, but not too much.
Good job buddy!
- CHILD: Agh, hah!
- CLIFF: You gotta go through that hole!
It will test you...
To get through it clean!
- CHILD: Right down the shoot, right here!
- CLIFF: And that's something that the kids that
don't have this opportunity will never know.
- CHILD: Yep, we're good!
- NARRATOR: This new push for paddling trails gets folks out
on the water and respects the nearby landowners
at the same time.
- MARGARET: So much of the river along the banks
is private property and it can be very tricky finding places
to get in and out.
And so I think it's wonderful that there's some
established places.
- CLIFF: The rivers are owned by the people, and what the public
access does, it allows you to come down, it's public.
You can stay, you can come and go as you please,
and any time that you please.
And the river is yours.