About 4-1/2 miles west of downtown Navasota the highway 105 bridge crosses the Brazos River.
The Brazos is a big river and the 105 Bridge is a big bridge. There is plenty of room to stage vehicles, canoes and gear at this is a class 3 access. There are no public bathrooms, picnic tables or grills. As in all class 3 river accesses, best practice is to scout these areas before a trip. Sometimes pre scouting is not feasible, but all class 3 accesses are subject to the effects of the weather, erosion, becoming overgrown, illegal dumping and so forth. For explanation of river accesses ratings please read the articles Classification of Water Accesses and Scouting River Bridges & Accesses.
This bridge is newly made. When satellite images are updated I will post pictures of the bridge in its current state.
Access is on the east bank. At the time of my scouting the easement road was long and unimproved. Drive this as conditions permit, at your own risk.
I left the van on solid ground this day. A front wheel drive Impala made it to the end of the easement. This is likely an example of someone familiar with this passage. Either that or driving a stolen vehicle! Our Canadian neighbors probably wouldn't mind such an open and level portage!
I believe the bridge opened in 2022. Even so there were some pitfalls to avoid when we made our surveillance. It's not hard to walk around them, just be aware of your surroundings.
As usual for the Brazos the banks are steep and high. Under the bridge rip rap stabilizes the ground and slows erosion but makes for treacherous footing.
The above image is of the most obvious path, but there is a better path a little upstream of the bridge. It is still steep and challenging.
The next downstream access is the Chappell Hill 290 Bridge. This is 35+ river miles away. The treasures of the Brazos awaits you.
For details on other river accesses please see the bottom of the article Classifications of Water Accesses.
Thanks for reading!
MSM
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