Canoeing Village Creek

Experience Texas' #1 Canoe Trail

Village Creek has something for everyone who enjoys the Great Outdoors. Outstanding Natural Beauty, Quiet, Calm Waters, Sugar-white Sandbars, a picnic lunch and your fishing tackle are all you will need to enjoy this day with Mother Nature. Perfect for Families, Groups and Experienced Paddlers as well.

Eastex Canoe Trails Offers A Variety of Trips... Village Creek has several public access points suitable for launching and taking out canoes and kayaks. The relative distance between the various access points create paddling trails of varying lengths from 3 to 30 miles. These sections provide for several single day floats and primitive canoe-camping adventures on Village Creek. Distances & Average Trip times listed below (*) for each canoe trail are dependent on seasonal conditions. These conditions vary a great deal and include water level, current, daytime temperatures and how much time you spend not paddling; (swimming, lunch, etc.) Each Village Creek Canoe Trail from FM 418 to Lakeview (30 miles) is described in detail below:

CANOE TRIP #1 - The "Sandylands" Canoe Trail Put In #1: FM 418 bridge crossing Village Creek Take Out #1: Hwy 327 bridge crossing Village Creek Distance: Approx 9 Miles Average Time: 5 - 7 Hours First Shuttle Up: 8 AM Daily Last Shuttle Up: 11 AM Depending on seasonal conditions Last Take Out: 6pm (final day of trip)

The Sandyland Sanctuary is located in the Heart of the Big Thicket, 3 miles West of Silsbee, Texas. This Nature Conservancy of Texas is an ancient deposit of arid sandy soils and hosts a unique mixture of plant and animal species from all over North America, including Southwest desert cactus, yucca and roadrunner. The 9-mile canoe trail here slowly winds through thousands of acres of undeveloped Big Thicket floodplain. This is a very remote & secluded section of Village Creek and paddlers should plan accordingly for current water conditions, daytime temperatures and possible weather changes. The Sandyland Sanctuary is an extremely popular canoe trail (#1 in Texas) for families and groups because it is safe and exciting for any age or experience level as long as you are prepared and get an early start! Wildlife is enjoyable and photographers will love Mother Nature at her finest! This section is also the most popular for several of our canoe-camping adventures on Village Creek. Most canoe-camping adventures on Village Creek begin at FM 418 (Put In #1) and continue downstream to one of several Take Outs. Putting In at FM 418 for a single overnight or 3-day adventure offers canoe-campers trips of 9, 13, 20 or 30-miles. All sections of Village Creek offer suitable sandbars for primitive camping on Village Creek at normal water levels. Camping within the boundaries of Big Thicket NP requires a (free) backcountry camping permit. Call the BTNP at 409-951-6700 to secure your permit before checking in at Headquarters for your trip.

CANOE TRAIL #2 - The Short "Sandbar" Trail Put In #2: Hwy 327 bridge crossing Village Creek Take Out: Baby Galvez Landing in Silsbee Distance: Approx 4 miles Avg Time: 3 - 5 hours First Shuttle Up: 8 AM Daily Last Shuttle Up: 3 PM Depending on seasonal conditions Last Take Out: 6pm

At lower water levels, this section of Village Creek has numerous large points (Sandbars) that are popular with day trippers & canoe-campers alike. This Trip allows plenty of time to fish, swim, picnic or just relax and let the kids play. Due to the relative short distance to paddle, this is a popular afternoon trip.

Put In: Baby Galvez Landing in Silsbee Take Out: U. S. Hwy 96 Public Boat Ramp Distance: Approx 7 miles Avg Time: 4 - 6 hours First Shuttle Up: 8 AM Last Shuttle Up: 12 Noon Depending on seasonal conditions Last Take Out: 6 PM

This is the least scenic section of Village Creek. Although it contains several excellent sandbars for day use and camping, there is access from private property and roads on both sides of this section of the creek. On summer weekends, the last 2 miles of this section (The "Zoo") can become heavily populated with loud and sometimes aggressive people, late in the afternoons. If you choose a weekend trip through this section, be sure you pass through the "Zoo" early (no later than 3pm).

Lower Village Creek to the State Park, the Neches River and Lakeview Sandbar The lower 2 sections of Village Creek are usually only offered to paddlers as part of an extended overnight canoe-camping adventure on Village Creek. Paddlers continuing downstream through these two sections can add another 10 miles and another night of primitive camping to their trip. Distance:  1 0 miles Avg. Trip Time: 5 – 8 hrs* CANOE TRAIL #4 The 3 miles downstream from the boat ramp at U.S. Hwy 96 down to Village Creek State Park (located on River Right) is developed on both sides of the creek.  Village Creek State Park (River Right) offers good access to the creek and serves well as an alternate take out as long as you understand how to locate it and understand that all persons over 13 yrs of age must pay a fee to enter a state park in Texas .  CANOE TRAIL #5 Approximately 5 miles downstream of the state park is the confluence of Village Creek with the Neches River .  This section offers more scenic and secluded Village Creek climaxed by the intimate stream’s confluence with the alluvial Neches River . Another two miles downstream on River Left is the Lakeview Sandbar (NPS) offering a good take-out for canoes and kayaks.

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