San Marcos River
Campout and Paddle
San Marcos Retreat to Sculls Crossing
Watch Texas Water Safari
June 12 to June 14, 2025
Trip Report by Christy Long
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Put-in
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San Marcos River Retreat
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Take-out
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Sculls Crossing
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River Miles
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3.5 miles
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Fees or Permits
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Launch Fees $3 per person and Camp Fees $10 per person per night (launch fee included)
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Gage
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On Friday, June 13 it was 119 cfs on the
USGS 08171400 San Marcos Rv nr Martindale, Tx
Other gages used in this article:
USGS 08173900, Guadalupe RV at Gonzales, TX
USGS 08168913, Comal RV (oc) nr Landa Lk, New Braunfels, TX
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Temperature
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87 deg F
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Sky
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Cloudy, Sunny, Clear at Night
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Moon Phase
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New Moon
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Sunrise/sunset
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June 13 Sunrise 6:38 am, Sunset 8:30pm
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Precipitation
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None on the Tom’s to Sculls section.
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Wind
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Little wind
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Coordinator
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Christy Long
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Participants
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Christy Long, Susan Eda, John Ainsworth, Greg Seldon, Tom Loesch
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Shuttle
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Left vehicle at Sculls Crossing
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Craft
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3 kayaks, 1 canoe
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HCC Club Miles
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Not a club trip
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Road Miles
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340 round trip Pearland, Tx to San Marcos River Retreat
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Guide Book
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Rivers and Rapids, Canoeing, Rafting and Fishing Guide by Ben M. Molen and Bob Narramore. ISBN 0-9632403-8-2
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Photos
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Photo Album List - Houston Canoe Club
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TWS Website
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Home (texaswatersafari.org)
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Food
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Thursday night I ate a leftover meal; Friday breakfast in camp, lunch on river, dinner at Herberts Taco Hut; Saturday breakfast coffee in camp.
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Map showing San Marcos River Retreat to Scull Crossing paddling route
Race Overview
A quick overview of the race, it is a human powered race in canoe, kayak, or Stand-Up-Paddleboard (SUP). The race starts in the City of San Marcos at Spring Lake, which is the headwaters of the San Marcos River. The racers paddle the entire length of the San Marcos River (75 miles), where the San Marcos River dumps into the Guadalupe River at Gonzales. The paddlers then race 179 miles all the way to the San Jacinto Bay. They then paddle across the bay to Swan Point Park (7 miles) for an approximate total of 260 miles. The race is completed 100 continuous hours after the start.
There are eleven checkpoints with time limits that must be met. If a team is not signed in before the time limit, they are disqualified.
Map shows estimated 260 miles (red line) from San Marcos to Swan Point compared to the 3.5 miles (pink line) from San Marcos River Retreat to Sculls Crossing.
Each team must have at least one team captain. Only a team captain can provide water, ice, food, and medicine to the team. Any other items needed for the race, by the team, have to be in the boat at check-in.
Please see the link above for a complete list of rules for the race.
The 2025 Race
The 2025 race started on Friday rather than Saturday, to avoid the Saturday crowds. This was a smart move. The start was on Friday, June 13.
The days before the TWS, it was predicted to be a low water race. Boy, was that prediction blown out of the water. Two days before the race a thunderstorm came through and flooded the Comal River. The Gage on the Guadalupe River just above the Comal River rose to 1900 cfs Thursday morning. The gage for the Guadalupe at Gonzalez was 3570 cfs on Friday at 2pm. The San Marcos River was running at 780 cfs on Thursday, June 12. All that water was headed to the racecourse.
The race started out with river flows that give the racers a little push but nothing to worry about. By the time the bulk of the paddlers got to Gonzales the TWS Governing Board determined the Finish Line needed to be moved to the Swinging Bridge check point. Thanks for keeping our paddlers safe.
Texas Water Safari Route showing both finish lines.
The official list has not been released at the time of this submission but check the TWS website above for that list.
My Trip
Thursday, June 12, 2025
I arrived Thursday afternoon and set-up camp at campsite 9, by the big tree. I ate my leftovers and then John Ainsworth and I gathered some firewood and started a fire. The campground was closed so it was a quiet night with only a few campsites occupied.
Friday, June 13, 2025
Early Friday morning was cloudy and warm. After coffee, we headed to the riverbank to watch the paddlers.
Several spectators showed up to watch the racers come by and several had signs ready to show support for their team.
John Ainsworth and Duane Grotenhuis
Spectators and Team Captains waiting on the Racers.
Spectators showing support for their team
The race started at 9 am at Spring Lake in the City of San Marcos. San Marcos River Retreat is about six miles downstream from the start. The first boat (2424) a four-man team was there by 9:57am. We watched a few more before going back to the campsite to prepare for our own paddling adventure.
We ran shuttle and were on the river by 12pm. As we floated leisurely down the river, I thought of the racers still hard at it paddling towards the Staples check-in.
After we floated to Sculls Crossing several of us went to Herberts Taco Hut for Mexican food. We then went back to camp and sat around a campfire. The racers were on their way to the Luling Check-in.
Saturday, June 14, 2025
We slowly got up and made coffee. This was a great morning watching birds, drinking coffee, and packing up. The racers were still hard at it, paddling towards the Palmetto check-in.
It is easy to keep up with all the racers with the racing app. I added several of the contestants to my favorites.
I arrived home at 3:30 and thought about the racers that were headed for Gonzales check-in.
Fathers Day, Sunday, June 15, 2025
The last boat finished Monday morning before noon and I’m just as happy for them as I was for the winners because to finish this race is a big accomplishment.
I spent the day with my husband and my Dad.
Wonderful way to spend the weekend.
SYOTR!