Christmas Bay, Galveston Kayak Paddle

Christmas Bay is a large open bay south of Houston and southwest of the Galveston Island area. There is a Texas Parks and Wildlife Division paddling trail here (available on the TPWD website), but the route above is a bit different. The launch here is at a ‘Kayak Launch’ off the 257 Bluewater Highway. The route goes northeast, through Churchill Bayou, tracks west, and finally follows the shore back down towards the launch. I took a short detour to watch a boat or two grinding along the Intracoastal Waterway as well. In some spots the bay is actually quite shallow, contrary to my expectation, and people may be standing and fishing way out in what looks like deep water. The general experience of bay kayaking like this is, for me, a bit different, and it took a bit getting used to how the wind and waves and water feel here. After the trip I still had a pretty strong ‘on the water’ motion feeling. At some spots there were shallow shell reefs that can scratch a boat pretty good. When I stopped for a shore break coming back down the west side of the bay on the return leg the mosquitoes were as bad as I have ever experienced. Overall this is a great place; the smell and feel of the ocean is so alive.