Conoeing on Lake Amistad - How Far in 1 Day?

M

MirrOlure

500+ Posts
On our way to Big Bend, we are going to stop of at Lake Amistad, rent a canoe, and do a quick overnight trip up into one of the side canyons.

Looking at the NPS website, there are a few recommended treks, the most intersting one looks to be about 8 miles each way.

I've got tons of time in a fishing kayak, but virtually none in a canoe in open water.

Assume that I'll get no help (or less than no help, if that is possible) from my boys.

Also assume no current and calm winds........how difficult is 8 miles?
 
Thanks........2mph is about what I was bouncing around in my head.

The 8 mile trek is supposed to take us by some rock drawings. But if it looks like wind is a problem, I'll have to reprogram to the 2.5 mile trip that may not have primative art, but maybe some decent fishing.
 
btw, if its winter/spring you can canoe the Devil's River and just drive to the pictographs near Judge Roy Bean's casa. I'm a paddling lover, but rivers are always > than lakes. I did 500+ miles on the Yukon a couple years ago. It had a 30 mile long lake with 4 foot rollers that would break into white caps. We were basically stuck for a day until the wind changed direction. Not fun.
 
I've never canoed Amistad. I hear that Devil's trip is awesome, but can kill you...literally. I don't want to discourage the canoe, because if the weather is perfect, I think it would be awesome. BUT, we rented a houseboat about 6 years ago during spring break and the wind was hell on the houseboat. It was almost unnavigalble on certain stretches. Where is this section you're talking about? Where do you start from? Ther are certain stretches up towards cow creek if you can get up there that might be ideal canoeing areas.
 
I wasn't going to bring it up, because you are not sailing, but me and the wife rented a sunfish on the same trip we saw the pitographs. Almost ruined the whole trip.

The wind came up really fast, tumped us, and it was blowing too hard for us to get the sail back up. Just awful. Scared the **** out of us. Finally a fisherman gave us a tow back in. Also humiliating.
 
I'll be keeping close watch on the weather, and the canoeing is more of a "side-trip" idea, not the main feature of the trip.

We'll either start at Rough Canyon and go up toward Indian Springs, or, if a shorter trip is in order, we'll go down to Box Canyon area.
 
Thanks, LE....and the wind factor is what is steering me away (pun intended) from the Indian Springs paddle, which is 8 miles each way.

The Box Canyon / Cow Creek paddle looks like at most 2.5 miles over "open water", then as far as we please into any number of coves/canyons once off the main body of water.
 
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