Angelina, Rayburn, 539 Tram Boat Launch
This kayak paddle map route launches at what Google maps calls ‘Tram Boat Ramp Angelina River Bottom’, at the end of County Rd 539. It’s about five miles south of Nacogdoches Texas but it takes a while to get there, it’s down a long dirt road. The launch is in an area where the Angelina is a loose, meandering, braided set of channels coming from Hwy 59 and ending up in Sam Rayburn Reservoir. There was some current on the main channel but it was still ok to paddle upstream. The area is a sprawl and the route picks its way west until hits a long straight canal, and turns around at an upstream put-in site off of County Rd 529. An interesting area to paddle. I surprised an enormous alligator on the return leg. It was resting in the sun just around a turn in the stream. It was one of those like you see on the internet with the huge saggy throat area hanging down where your arm would fit.
Above: The launch at the end of 539.
Above: Leaving early, in the rain, just outside Dallas.
Above: Find the pig.
Above: Some current, a few logs, but ok.
Above: A long channel canal near the 529 turnaround.
Above: Resting for moment at the turnaround.