Paddling and nature enthusiasts, government officials and interested Houstonians will celebrate the official opening of the Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail at Briar Bend Park on Thursday, April 16 when the Bayou Preservation Association teams up with TPWD for a festive dedication ceremony.

– Lake Havasu

At 26 miles long, Buffalo Bayou will be the longest paddle trail in the state of Texas, beginning at Highway 6 and flowing downstream to the takeout at Allen’s Landing downtown. Coming next month are the May 2 opening of Limestone Bluffs Paddling Trail near Groesbeck southeast of Dallas and the May 6 opening of Lady Bird Lake Paddling Trail in Austin. Other paddling trails are currently being explored and may open later this spring or summer at Martin Dies, Jr. State Park in East Texas, on the Brazos River in Brazoria County, on Village Creek in the Lumberton area, on the Brazos River in the Glen Rose area, on the Guadalupe River in Gonzales, and on the Colorado River in Webberville. For more information, the media contact for this story is TPWD Nature Tourism Coordinator Shelly Plante, (512) 389-4500, shelly.plante@tpwd.state.tx.us. Complete information about existing paddling trails, including maps, detailed descriptions and referrals to local canoe rentals, is online (www.tpwd.state.tx.us/paddlingtrails).

– Lake Havasu