Wilbarger

A great stretch of river for kayak fishing or just a casual float.

Total float time (less time spent fishing or stopping) is approx. 8 hours. We shuttle you up river and you spend the day kayaking or canoeing back to us! 14 River Miles Approx. 5 - 8 hours

A FULL DAY kayak and canoe trip! NOT FOR BEGINNERS

Most of the trip is calm and easy to navigate. Depending on river conditions hazards may vary. In low water conditions hazards may be more difficult to avoid. Talk to one of our outfitters if uncertain about your skill level.

A great full day of kayaking or canoeing! We shuttle you up to the starting point and you float back to us. Must have a reservation for this trip (no walk ins) and please arrive early for brief orientation. Trip starts daily at 9AM.

• 14 river miles
• Duration: Approx. 5-8 hours on the water
• Put-in: Utley Bridge on FM 969
• Take-out: Bastrop River Company
• Shuttle service included
• Numerous places to stop along the way to swim, picnic, or just chill

Long Paddle Trail

River Camping - El Camino

The perfect river camping trip for a quick and easy escape into nature!

Check in time is flexible (anytime between 9am and 2pm). You have until 5pm the following day to reach the takeout. There are numerous places to camp along the way.

• Duration: 2 Days

River Camping - Garfield

Take your next camping trip to the next level!

Not for beginners. Total River Miles 30 (Day 1 = 10, Day 2 = 14, Day 3 = 6). Total float time: Plan to cover 2-3 miles/hour plus time spent fishing and stopping.

• Duration: 3 Days
• Starting point: Big Webberville Park
• Ending point: Bastrop River Co / Fisherman’s Park
• Shuttle happens at the beginning of the trip - DO NOT BE LATE!

River Camping - Smithville

Take the adventure of a lifetime on our River Camping Trip. Book now!

Not for beginners. Can be a one or two night trip. There are numerous camping spots.

• Duration: 2-3 Days
• Starting point: Bastrop River Co / Fisherman's Park
• Ending point: Hwy 95 bridge Smithville

River Camping - Webberville

This trip is for the experienced river camper.

This trip is for the experienced river camper. Camp sites can be tricky to find but there are no doubt some great spots.

• Duration: 4 Days
• Total River Miles: 35

Bastrop River Co Headquarters

1200 Willow St
512-321-4661

Base of operations for all Bastrop River Co activities. Conveniently located inside Fisherman's Park. The El Camino Real` and Smithville trips launch from this site (Trips include a shuttle ride back). The Wilbarger, Garfield and Webberville trips end at this site. (Trips include shuttle ride up river to launch point).

Big Sandy Creek Campsite

The Big Sandy Creek Campsite is a very large sandbar river right just opposite of where Big Sandy Creek enters the river. This is an ideal campsite for large groups who need a lot of space to spread out. The river tapers off to the left at the head of the sandbar leaving a large cove on the right. An easy spot for a large number of boats to pull over.

Bob Bryan Park

600 Charles Blvd

Bob Bryant Park is a city park in Bastrop Tx. The river access is a long narrow concrete path with a small ramp at the end for non motorized boats (kayaks & canoes etc.) and inner tubes. There is also a small fishing pier. Though this is not a primary river access point it is a great alternative for accessing the river when the Fisherman's park boat ramp is not available. It is also the starting point for the local tubing float. It is approximately 1.5 miles from here to Fisherman's Park. Which is typically a 1.5 hour tube float.

Emily's Rapid

The Lower Colorado is not known for rapids and the few that exist are very small and barely qualify as a rapid at all. Emily is a mild rapid just over a mile past Scouts Island. Upon approach you'll notice a bundle of large boulders river right and small boulders spaced out across the stream. The channel is center left. If caught just right Emily will give you a nice little shove into the next straight away. But if caught wrong, hidden boulders just under water level can send you for an unexpected swim.

Hangman's Island

Hangman's Island is approximately 1.5 miles down river from the Utley Bridge. On the left side of the island the river sweeps hard left and in low water conditions offers a narrow channel along the tree line. Low hanging branches create strainers that have been know to cause problems for novice paddlers. The right side of the island is obstacle free but can be pretty shallow in low water conditions resulting in a little bit of walking.

Lil's Rapid

Like Emily, Lil is a sneaky little rapid. Large boulders river left and small ones spaced out across the stream. The gap is river right and there will often be a pronounced "V" between some of the larger boulders. But watch out for smaller rocks just beneath the surface.

Scouts Island

Scouts Island is a very large island approximately 8 miles down river from the Utley Bridge. This is the premiere campsite up river from Bastrop. It can get pretty crowded on weekends during the Spring and Fall as this is a popular spot for scout troops and youth groups. The head of the island is wide open offering space for larger groups to spread out. Along the sides and interior of the island there are several little nooks in the trees that smaller groups of 10 or fewer will find to be very comfortable. There are also some good camping options just past the island along either bank.

Utley Bridge Boat Ramp

1124 FM 969

The Utley Bridge on FM 969 is the launch point for the Wilbarger Paddling Trail. This trail can be paddled as either our Full Day "Long" Daytrip or the Wilbarger 1 Night Camping trip. It is also an emergency access point for the Garfield and Webberville multi day camping trips. The boat ramp is located river left (north side of the bridge).

Wilbarger Cliffs

The Wilbarger Cliffs is a big rock cliff where the river makes a sharp right bend (over 90 degrees). This is the halfway mark of the Wilbarger Paddling Trail. The cliff is approximately 7 miles down river from the Utley Bridge and 7 miles up river from Fisherman's Park in Bastrop.

Wilbarger Creek

Wilbarger Creek enters the river from river left at approximately 3 miles down river from the Utley Bridge. In normal to low water conditions the confluence of the creek and river is marked by a large boulder. The river bends to the right creating a large sandbar on the right bank. This is a great place for larger groups to pull over and take a lunch break etc. as there is plenty of room for a lot of boats along the rocky beach of the sand bar.