Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

On November 3rd, the city of Bastrop launched a new paddling trail with the help of Texas Parks and Wildlife.

I think that this trail is just a great half day trip for families and friends and people who just want to get out on the water.

Shelly Plante is the coordinator for Nature Tourism at Parks and Wildlife

This paddling trail, El Camino Real, starts off in downtown but goes through the piney woods as you head to the take out point. So you’re going to see something very different for Central Texas. This is just not the type of trees that you typically see in Central Texas.

The El Camino Real Paddling Trail is a 6 mile paddle.

This trail is actually fairly slow moving, fairly calm. There are a few minor rapids. There are a lot of great sandbars where you can take out and picnic, you can go swim and rest for a while. It’s a fairly leisurely run actually.

Although the trail starts in downtown Bastrop, paddlers will see a variety of wildlife.

There’s a lot of diversity. You’ll see a lot of different kinds of trees and there’s a lot of different birds. You’ll see everything from raptors like hawks, to king fishers, little bitty birds, to some of our large birds such as great blue herons.

More information about the El Camino Real Paddling Trail and the other 10 paddling trails in Texas is available at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Kate Lipinski… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

El Camino Real Paddling Trail Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

Kayaking and canoeing allows us to see nature from a new perspective. And some of these waterways are official state paddling trails.

The reason a Parks and Wildlife paddling trail is so special is because, we’re very interested in conservation issues, water issues, the importance of water for the state of Texas, and educating the public on all of these issues.

Shelly Plante is nature tourism coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife. If your community has a stretch of river or coastline you think is trail-worthy, submit a nomination.

On our website, we have application forms that any community partner can fill out if they think they have a trail that has potential to be in our paddling trails program. The main requirement is that it’s a four to twelve mile river segment. We really want this to be a morning or afternoon river run that people can do with their family and friends, and not multi-day. If they have any questions, they can call the number on the website, or email, and we’ll review their application.

Applicants will receive a response in about a month – and if accepted — that’s when the work really starts.

The process for us to be able to get a river survey done, work with the community to develop text for the website and the kiosks, get kiosks installed, create panels for the kiosks….the entire process to become a paddling trail could take between six to twelve months.

Visit passporttotexas.org for a link to the application.

That’s our show for today…supported by the Sport Fish Restoration program… providing funding for wetland conservation through the Private Lands Enhancement Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Paddling Trails, 3 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

What could be more relaxing than kayaking along an inland or coastal paddling trail, taking in the beauty of nature?

Water trails are one of the last public resources in the state.

Shelly Plante is nature tourism coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife.

In a state that’s about ninety-six percent privately owned, waterways are public passage. So the public has access to these waterways, and we just want to let people where they can go, and easily access the sites with community help, and paddle and see nature from a different perspective – down low on the water.

A community must nominate a stretch of river, or coastline, and then a thorough evaluation must take place before acceptance into the paddling trail program.

Currently most of our trails are from Central Texas down to the coast. And so, we are lacking paddling trails that have been nominated for east Texas, the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the panhandle, west Texas…if we get too many for us to be able to do in a year, geographic diversity is going to play a role in which ones get accepted annually.

Tomorrow, we tell you how to nominate your stretch of river or coastline for the paddling trails program.

That’s our show for today…supported by the Sport Fish Restoration program… providing funding for wetland conservation through the Private Lands Enhancement Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Paddling Trails, 2 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish Restoration Program

There’s something special about experiencing Texas from a kayak or canoe. And lucky for us, we have coastal and inland paddling trails to accommodate all levels of watery wanderlust.

The Texas paddling trails program began informally about a decade ago when Texas Parks and Wildlife set up some coastal paddling trails.

Shelly Plante is nature tourism coordinator for Texas Parks and Wildlife. That first trail was just the beginning.

From that project, we now have seven coastal paddling trails in our paddling trail program. And, in March of 2006, we launched our first inland paddling trail in Luling.

Other inland paddling trails are set to open throughout the year. Active community partners, and a thorough evaluation, are required of all would be trails – inland or coastal.

There are a few steps that need to happen for a paddling trail to become one of ours. And that includes a river survey to look at the water quality. Look at the wildlife, ecology, fishing opportunities that can happen along that river or bay. And then, again, meeting with the community, having a community partner that’s actively involved and interested in having paddlers come to their site. And then, developing kiosk materials, because we will have educational kiosks at every access point.

More on paddling trails tomorrow.

That’s our show for today…supported by the Sport Fish Restoration program… providing funding for wetland conservation through the Private Lands Enhancement Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

Paddling Trails, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Whether you plan to hit the road or stay home this summer, now is the perfect time to make your plans. And to help you with a few ideas is Associate Publisher of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, Charles Lohrmann.

June is the perfect time to plan a fishing trip to the Texas coast, because you’re still a few weeks ahead of the extreme heat of July and August, and when you get down there to the coast, kayaking is the perfect way to get to the fish. Our saltwater fishing writer, Larry Bozka has written an article about kayak fishing and some things to keep in mind as you plan a fishing trip like that.

So, whether you’re staying home or traveling to the coast, or even going out to Southwest Texas to devil’s river, we have something that will make the summer a little more interesting.

Thank you, Charles.

That’s our show…visit us online at www.passporttotexas.org… to listen to shows and to share your favorite outdoor story.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

June Magazine Preview Play Now | Play in Popup | Download