Guadalupe, Texas, US

4. Canyon Dam to First Crossing (16 miles)

Righthand route thru Hueco Springs Rapid

Righthand route thru Hueco Springs Rapid
Photo of Greg Youens by Skip Morris taken 01/15/05 @ 1260 cfs

Gauge Information

River Description

The flow on the Lower Guadalupe River is controlled by the releases from Canyon Dam. This stretch of the river does not have much to offer whitewater enthusiasts until the release level exceeds 4000 CFS. At that level world-class surfing holes appear a couple hundred yards downstream of the 4th Crossing Bridge, known to locals as el Quatro.

The put-in for this stretch is right at the Canyon Dam spillway, parking is free and generally safe. A ¼ mile trail on river right makes for an easy entry into the river. At high releases the upper part of the run consists of wave trains and small surfing waves. There are several low head dams that may require scouting, all can be safely run once time is taken to determine the best line (for the most part there is a sneak on river left on all the dams as well as surfing oppurtunities along each drop.

Parking is not available right at el Quatro so it is important to find a place in which you will not be towed. A local BBQ stand just up River Road seems to be accommodate a few extra cars without too much grief but it is always a good idea to ask permission (or to pay) when selecting a parking space.

Once you are on the water just paddle downstream, the hole on the right side of the river is tricky to catch, so it is common for boaters to try and go river-right before moving to the hole on river left. Eddy service is better for the river-left rodeo hole which is more retentive but like the hole on the right both flush anything that goes through them after a couple seconds.

The class IV reference for this section of the run refers to the remnants of a low-water dam known as Horseshoe Falls. Several fatalities have occurred here and the drop has traditionally been avoided. However the dam has been mostly destroyed and is typically safe to run. There is an easy sneak on the far left and a tongue of green water on river-right

Here is a video of some local kayakers playing on the 4th Crossing Hole.

Another video:

Put-in is approximately 920' elevation.

Take-out is approximately 640' elevation.