On Sunday 7/27/25 the weather finally cooperated, and we got to paddle the San Bernard River Mouth. This was a HASK event. Thank you Chuck for leading!
For those unfamiliar, the location is roughly 73 miles south of Houston where the river meets the gulf. The put-in is actually on the intercoastal Waterway. Ample parking lot and a good ramp. From there it’s only about a quarter mile over to the river and then a right turn on down to the beach. Total R/T only about 4 miles. No major hazards except the occasional barge or tugboat and possible strong south breeze.
Until about 6 months ago, the area was accessible only by boat. Since then, however, it is now legal to drive on the beach all the way from Sargent, TX…. Nearly 12 miles! Go figure. I confess some disappointment to see cars and ATV’s out there disturbing the natural solitude, beauty and peacefulness. Oh well. At least it was all quiet while we were there.
It’s a pretty paddle down to the beach with lots of shore birds along the way. Depending on flow rate, sometimes the river flows all the way out to the Gulf. Alternately, it stops short and the water is largely absorbed by the ICW. On this occasion, it stopped about 100 yards short, leaving a good sandy trek over to the waves!
On arrival we set up a nice shelter….the noonday sun was already plenty hot, but the breeze kept it comfortable. Our surroundings were really pretty, and the waves crashing on the endless beach were beautiful. We did some nice long walks, and I of course collected some interesting driftwood, including a dried-up, alien looking aquatic item still not identified!
Chuck cooked outstanding hamburgers as usual. We feasted well and lounged around for a good bit into the afternoon.
By around 2:00 we started seeing some nasty thunderheads coming our way. Time to go! So we packed things up and headed for home. Fun group! Good times!
Another great day on the water!