Texas whitewater - Neches River, Anderson Cherokee County
Anderson Cherokee
county,
Lake Palestine to US 175 section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.
CLASS II+ 3 miles
Scouted at put in and half mile downstream. The stream has enough water to paddle and there is plentiful wildlife in the area. There is nothing more than a ripple down this stream though and there is garbage everywhere at the put in and the first half mile. The take out looks almost impassably overgrown. I did not even bother scouting it more closely as I have little interest in watching a great blue heron stand on a dirty, old, cardboard beer box. Says Jon
The put-in location is a reasonable drive from Tyler, there's a road map further down
the page with more info on that. The natural beauty of Anderson Cherokee County and the playfulness of the water beats anything. There's camping available near Neches River. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but
if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car. The Lake Palestine to US 175 section is the only paddling section along Neches River. The Lake Palestine to US 175 section of Neches River in Anderson Cherokee County is 3 miles long and is a class II+ section of whitewater according to American Whitewater. This stretch is short so no need to bring snacks. The average Texas whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit easier to master than those in other states, so keep in mind that a lot of the rivers here are suitable for
beginners. Great exercise and just being out on the river for a while will make you glad you came.
Briefly about the general area: What would a place like Neches River be without attention-grabbing close by highlights like Anderson Bluff, and why not have a look at Blackburn
Bay also if you're here. The warmest time of the year at Neches River comes with high temperatures in the 90's. Summer overnight lows sink down to the 70's. The wintertime comes with highs in the 50's; throughout the dark hours in the wintertime at Neches River temperatures plunge
to the 30's. From a rainfall point of view Neches River is a relatively common place; the month with most of the rain is May while July is the month with the least amount of precipitation.
Decided to float this yesterday with a friend. (July 11, 2009) This is a totally do-able float. There's not really any fast water to speak of, but you need to be prepared to make short portages and negotiate downed timber in the water. One area in particular you will need to tie some line off to your kayak and let it float under a downed tree, you crawl over the tree and then get back in. I'm sure the when and where the trees are down changes quite often.... And it looks like someone (probably the river authority) takes a saw down and cuts some of this out from time to time.
The put in location is correct. However, the take out is not. You need to float further down to the 175 bridge (less than 1/4th mile) and get out there.
I would suggest that experienced paddlers attempt this only when the water is high from heavy rains or when the dam is letting a lot of water out. There's vegetative litter stuck in the trees 10 foot above the water line.... So at some points of the year... This thing moves... And could represent dangers with the amount of timber.
You might consider taking a machete on this trip just in case. Don't forget the fishing pole, or if you are an archer, a bow for the huge gar and buffalo. There's plenty of fishin to do .
This trip with little effort takes approx 3 hours. If you live nearby, you need to make this float. Glad this short trip is nearby, I plan to float it often
- Jeremy
BIGGER SIZE PICTURE HERE
Current weather conditions at Neches River, Texas
Local climate location: ATHENS 5 miles away RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS
There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.
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All Texas Whitewater Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Texas.Books about whitewater paddling on Neches River, Texas List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Neches River, Texas.Find a whitewater outfitter in TexasWhitewater Basics If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.Outdoors Recreation Near Tyler, Texas Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Tyler, Texas, the metro area neareast to Neches River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
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