Leaving behind the limestone outcroppings found on sections of the river above Waco, the 38.7 mile reach between Cameron Park and SH 7 is a remote paddle trip on slow-moving water flowing through rolling hills with occasional high bluffs on its way to the coastal plains near the Gulf of Mexico. This section of the river has only a few access points, and only one of them is below the SH 6 bridge southeast of IH 35 in Waco - the take-out at SH 7 just west of Marlin. While nearly always having adequate water for paddling, it will be murky and somewhat stagnant much of the time, though safe for recreational boating and human contact. In Waco, Fort Fisher Park and the Homer Garrison Memorial Museum, once the headquarters of the famous Texas Rangers (the REAL Texas Rangers, not that minor league baseball team in Arlington!), offer interesting off-river activities including camping alongside the river.
Immediately below the Waco Drive put-in at Cameron Park is a suspension bridge that, at one time, was the only such bridge structure west of the Mississippi River, and which served as the model for the Brooklyn Bridge in the Rotten Apple, er, I mean the BIG Apple! This reach of the river is very scenic, with densely vegetated banks that would be a hindrance to access if there were any access points along the way. Some spots will become low, and may even require carrying or dragging boats and gear during the hot, summer months or periods of prolonged drought. Seeing other paddlers will almost never occur, as this is not a favorite paddling destination for most boaters. There are no outfitters or other river-related services to be found along this reach of the Brazos River. Paddlers will need to be aware of the small dam in Waco that forms Lake Brazos (where the Brazos Queen paddle wheel boat plays), and which requires a portage just east of IH 35. Other than that there are no natural hazards such as rapids or waterfalls. Snakes are there, but they will not bother you unless provoked, so do not attempt to handle them, and do NOT step on them! They don't like that very much.
McLennan and Falls Counties in central Texas, between Waco and Marlin. Dallas and Austin are each less than 2 hours away to the north and south respectively.
Dallas 90 miles; Austin 90 miles; San Antonio 170 miles; Houston 190 miles; Oklahoma City 285 miles; Little Rock 415 miles; Kansas City 595 miles; Albuquerque 993 miles; Phoenix 1,165 miles; Denver 1,419 miles; Salt Lake City 1,597 miles (all distances are approximate and depend upon starting point, destination point on the river and route taken._
Water quality in this section of the Brazos River is generally poor to good, though safe for human contact, but not drinkable without purification. Flow is almost always adequate for recreational paddling, though some spots may be too shallow to float a boat with gear and paddlers during drought periods or in summer months without significant rainfall.
This reach of the Brazos River has a generally perpetual flow that can be paddled anytime of the year, weather permitting. June through September, or possibly well into October, will bring hot, sunny days with high humidity and a lot of mosquitos. A lack of access points between Waco and Marlin necessitate having adequate drinking water during warm or hot periods, and proper clothing for cold weather paddling during late-fall through mid-spring months, but only on the ten or so days of cold weather that Texas seems to get every year (that's a joke - we sometimes have as many as 20 days of cold weather with temperatures below 45 degrees during a winter season!)
The primary hazards on the Brazos are heat, humidity, distance between access points, headwinds and low water. Usually, you get a combination of them on every trip. There are no rapids, waterfalls or other obstacles that pose danger to people, boats or gear. Snakes are almost always present, but pose no problems for boaters unless handled or stepped on. While not a major hazard, the small Lake Brazos Dam, about 2.2 miles below the Cameron Park put-in, requires a portage.
US 184 crossing (Waco Drive) at 0.0 miles; Suspension Bridge about 200 yards below Waco Drive Bridge at about 0.1 miles; IH 35 crossing at about 0.6 miles; Fort Fisher Park, adjacent to the IH 35 crossing, at about 0.7 miles; SH 6 / US Highway 77 / US Highway 81 crossing at about 1.7 miles; TPWD boat ramp adjacent to the SH 7 crossing about 5 miles west of Marlin at about 38.7 miles. There are no other access points for this reach of the Brazos River.
Fort Fisher Park (City of Waco) offers riverside campsites with water, electricity, restrooms and other amenities. There are no other campgrounds available along this reach of the Brazos River. However, abundant natural campsites can be found between Waco and Marlin, but campers should be aware of the presence of snakes, and should be especially careful at night whenever walking in high grass or vegetated areas.
There are no known liveries or outfitters located on or near this reach of the Brazos River. Bring everything you need and run your own shuttles.
This section of the Brazos River is seldom paddled, though it is almost always navigable. Water quality and the long distance between access points (about 37 miles) discourages high volumes of paddlers, though the river is quite scenic and very natural. Development along its banks is virtually non-existent, and signs of encroaching civilization are not to be found. This area is great for birding and observing small to medium sized wildlife of all sorts (including Texas Aggies.) For the record, alligators have been found as high up the river as Waco, but usually only after a strong storm surge from a gulf coast hurricane sent them scrambling to safer inland waters. Summers will be very hot, humid and teeming with mosquitos, so wearing cotton clothing and using DEET is strongly recommended from May through October. There are no natural hazards such as waterfalls or rapids on this flatwater reach, and the current will usually be very slow. The water is usually murky, but is safe for human contact in spite of its appearance. Catfishing is very good along this reach of the river. Just be sure to allow adequate time for completing the long, 38.7 mile run, and hope like hell the southwest or southeast winds are not blowing!
