The Lower San Bernard River
Saturday May 11th, 2024 the Trinity and Brazos rivers were both at flood stage. So we loaded up the van and headed for a new access on a different river. There was a river I wanted to connect with for some time. Our destination was the Hanson Riverside County Park on the lower San Bernard River.
This was my daughter Rose's turn to canoe. I was touched when she had an opportunity for an activity with a friend and she remarked that she had plans to canoe with me. On the way to the San Bernard we crossed the Brazos River. That river was up and in the trees! At Hanson Park the San Bernard and Brazos are only three miles apart. I wondered if I could trust the online gauges. If the Brazos was running at a minor flood stage, how could the San Bernard be relatively... normal?
When it comes to satellite images and river gauges I've learned to trust but verify! So before entering the park we crossed the San Bernard at the 35 Bridge. I saw with my own eyes that that river was happily content with herself and well within her banks.
Witnessing this cemented in my mind, the notion that the Brazos River is the western border of East Texas. All the East Texas rivers were dangerously high, but just a few miles west of the Brazos the rivers were calm. Obviously this is an oversimplification of things, but it seems to be in the vein of truth. It was so on this day at least.
Hanson Riverside County Park is a jewel of the San Bernard. At the park we found a neat and clean facility graced with majestic trees. The first thing I saw was a colossal cottonwood tree.
There were also a number of terrific oaks.
On the banks I found the San Bernard a calm and serene stream compared to her big bad mad sister, the Brazos. Except that it lies in a coastal wood the San Bernard reminds me of a Texas Hill Country stream. It prompts memories of reading J.R.R. Tolkien or fancying myself inside a southern rendition of a Thomas Kinkade work. Though this portion of the river is larger than parts I am familiar with, the spirit of that river is constant. Its a gentle, mild and wistful watercourse. The San Bernard calls on things buried and forgotten in me. I don't remember what they were, but I like the shadow of those things.
At the launch we met two kayaks returning from downstream. We went upstream. Two and a half miles upriver our destination awaited: the salt water barrier.
The river was up a little but the current was mild. The wind was on our backs. Concerned the friendly tailwind would hinder our return, I tested Rose's resolve. When we reached the 35 Bridge we turned downstream to paddle against the wind. We progressed easily. Our mettle tested, we turned back upriver and continued our jaunt.
Though Rose hadn't much time in the canoe with just me, she was familiar with canoeing. She really pulled the canoe along. After the trip she told me her arms hurt from paddling but that she pushed through it.
Before we got to the salt water barrier the overcast sky darkened and I felt a fine mist. The mist increased to a sprinkle. The birds were flying, which I took as a sign the rain would continue. We were near our destination, turning around now would not keep us dry. I told Rose we were going to push through even if the rain increased. She replied she hadn't worried about it! What a relief for me!
On we canoed. Before long we arrived at the salt water barrier, our turnaround point. The light rain diminished to a mist and then reduced to high humidity. We met two fishing boats on this short trip. We also saw white and blue cranes. One red tailed hawk flew across the river and near us. We saw its colors and patterns vividly.
This trip was a stair step up for my daughter. I wanted a positive experience for her, not an endurance testing run. So I was pleased and even amused to rediscover that no matter how slight the current seems, the down hill return is usually the easier and faster.
This part of the San Bernard met my criteria for a training water. It is an "A" flat water and the Hanson boat ramp is a class 1 access. This is a river I want to keep canoeing.
Thanks for reading!
MSM
For further reading click on the links below.
Spring Creek Access & Water Details
Below are some bonus pictures of our trip on the San Bernard.
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