The Upper Guadalupe River originates from an aquifer underlying the eastern Edwards Plateau, cutting canyons for 187 miles through rolling limestone hills before eventually reaching the confines of Canyon Dam in central Comal County. It drains nearly 1,427 square miles of seven counties. For millennia, the river has provided dependable quantities of clean water for fish, game and humans.  

The Guadalupe River rises in two forks in western Kerr County. Its North Fork begins just south of State Highway 41, four miles from the Real-Kerr County line, and runs east for 22 miles to its confluence with the South Fork, near Hunt. The South Fork rises three miles southwest of the intersection of State Highway 39 and Farm Road 187 and runs northeast for 20 miles to meet the North Fork. After the two branches converge, the Guadalupe River proper flows southeast for 230 miles to the Gulf of Mexico (yes, it’s the Gulf of Mexico). The Upper Guadalupe flows across part of the Edwards Plateau. Near the river, high limestone bluffs support bald cypress, mesquite and grasses. Sections of the upper and middle reaches of the river are suitable for kayaking and canoeing.

The name Guadalupe, or Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, has been applied to the present river since 1689, when the stream was so named by Alonso De León. The history of the Upper Guadalupe River dates back thousands of years to its early inhabitants, the Tonkawa, Waco and Karankawa tribes. We have some Native American camps in the Hill Country along the Guadalupe River that date back 8,000 years, so the area has been inhabited a LONG time! The indigenous early inhabitants were gradually displaced by settlers from Mexico, Europe and the United States. European settlement along the Guadalupe began as early as the 1720’s. By the 19th century, German immigrants established towns like New Braunfels, and later, the river became a vital resource for development, recreation and was a central feature in the construction of Canyon Lake Dam in the 20th century.  

The construction of the Canyon Lake Dam was a major 20th-century project, initiated due to devastating floods in the 1930s. The dam’s construction was authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1945 and the Flood Control Act of 1954, with construction beginning in 1958.

20 years at Cordillera Ranch

During my time at Cordillera Ranch, I have seen this river in its glory, flowing at 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and crystal clear over an extended period of months and months, and also have witnessed some depressing times of drought. The ideal flow rate for recreation is 200-300 cfs. As I write this article in October of 2025, the flow rate is 43.2 cfs. Our average flow rate for the month of October over a 102-year period of data is 336 cfs. In my 20 years here at Cordillera Ranch, our best October averages have been 2007 (634 cfs), 2015 (482 cfs), 2018 (1,590 cfs) and 2021 (300 cfs). The lowest October averages have been 2024 (3.57 cfs), 2023 (0 cfs), 2022 (0.261 cfs) and 2011 (7.9 cfs). Three of the last four years have been the lowest October average in my 20 years. I guess the point of me giving you some numbers is to be optimistic that wetter times will come.  

Conserved Lands, Parks And Public Access 

One measure of public engagement with the river is the amount of publicly conserved land along the river and its tributaries. The public purposes of conserved land range from increased parkland, to research facilities, to the protection of water supplies. There are approximately 15,550 acres of conserved land in the Upper Guadalupe basin of which about 3,750 acres are public parks. 

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: 

Guadalupe River State Park is located along the boundary of Comal and Kendall counties. The Guadalupe River bisects the park. 

Nichol’s Landing Paddling Trail is a 9.9-mile reach of the Guadalupe River in Comal County, lined with an abundance of mature trees and a spectacular mix of limestone cliffs and shelves. Paddlers will enjoy a 3- to 6-hour ride on a variety of rapids between gentle stretches. 

The Heart of the Hills Fisheries Science Center is located on Highway 27 in Kerr County, approximately two miles south of the town of Mountain Home. The facility receives water from Stockman’s Springs (also called Ellebracht Springs). Water temperatures range from 60º to 75ºF year-round, which allows investigations of both cold-water and warm-water fishes. The property covers 55.8 acres and includes 25 research ponds, laboratories, offices and storage buildings. 

The Kerr Wildlife Management Area is owned and operated by the TPWD. This area was selected as a land base for the Edwards Plateau ecological area to develop and manage wildlife habitats and populations of indigenous wildlife species, provide a site where research of wildlife populations and habitat can be conducted under controlled conditions, and provide public hunting and appreciative use of wildlife in a manner compatible with the resource. The Area’s primary mission is to function as a wildlife management, research and demonstration site for trained personnel to conduct wildlife-related studies and provide resultant information to resource managers, landowners and other interested groups or individuals to acquaint them with proven practices in wildlife habitat management. 

The Kerr Wildlife Management Area is located at the headwaters of the North Fork of the Guadalupe River. The Area contains 6,493 acres that are representative of the Edwards Plateau habitat type of Texas. The Area was purchased by the State of Texas (Game, Fish and Oyster Commission) in 1950 from the Presbyterian MO Ranch Assembly. 

Kerr County: 

• Flat Rock Park: 3705 Highway 27, Kerrville, TX
• Hunt-Ingram area: There are numerous low-water crossings that provide river access and recreation opportunities along State Hwy 39 and County Road 1340 
• Schumacher Crossing: State Hwy 39, a little east of Hunt 
• Ingram Dam: Near the intersection of State Hwy 39 and Highway 27 
• Lions Park: State Hwy 39 at Point Theatre Rd S 

City of Kerrville: 

• Cypress Park: 1601 Junction Hwy, Kerrville, TX 
• Guadalupe Park: 700 Guadalupe St S, Kerrville, TX 
• Lowry Park: 209 Guadalupe St, Kerrville, TX 
• Tranquility Island: 202 Thompson Dr, Kerrville, TX 
• Louise Hays Park: 202 Thompson Dr, Kerrville, TX 
• Lehmann-Monroe Park: 200 Park Ln E, Kerrville, TX 
• Kerrville-Schreiner Park                  (nee Kerrville State Park): 517.2 acres, 2385 Bandera Hwy, Kerrville, TX 

Kendall County: 

• Kreutzberg Canyon Natural Area:
  117 acres and 1,700 feet of Guadalupe River frontage for access to river recreation – 143 Mark Twain Drive, Boerne, TX 
• James Kiehl River Bend Park: Serene 25-acre natural area with grassland, woodland and riparian habitats. 1,634 feet of Guadalupe River frontage provides access to the river for fishing, paddling, swimming and relaxing – 118 River Bend Road, Comfort, TX 
• Joshua Springs Park and Preserve: Ring Mountain rises above this 365-acre park and natural area on the banks of Little Joshua and Allen Creeks south of Comfort – 716 FM 289, Comfort, TX 

Comal County: 

• Nichol’s Crossing County Park: Spring Branch, TX – additionally, there are a number of low water crossings that act as river access points between Comfort and Canyon Lake.

I am looking forward to some wet weather at some point to recharge the Guadalupe River and the aquifers that feed the springs, and give us the ability to get back on this river to enjoy its beauty.