The Victoria Paddling Trail turns the Guadalupe into a 25-mile local route

Victoria has a 25-mile river trail divided into four named sections: Chisholm Trail, Riverside Park, Mission Espiritu Santo, and Fort Saint Louis. Here the Guadalupe moves through the coastal plain, with slower water and softer banks than the rocky reaches farther upstream.

The sections make very different outings. TPWD estimates four to six hours for the 13.1-mile Chisholm Trail section, one to three hours for the 4.25-mile Riverside Park section, 30 minutes to an hour for the 1.5-mile Mission Espiritu Santo section, and two to four hours for the 6.2-mile Fort Saint Louis section. Actual float time changes with river flow and weather.

Public access points include FM 447 near Nursery, the Riverside Park boat ramp, Riverside Park, and South Street. TPWD reserves the SH 77 bridge for emergency access. Along the way, paddlers may see cypress, oak, pecan, egrets, herons, osprey, and kingfishers. Catfish, Guadalupe bass, and sunfish live below the surface. The route lets one river be a short town float, a half-day paddle, or a longer look at Victoria's wooded edge.