A trip down the
Sabine River offers an abundance of sandy beaches, good fishing, swimming and
botanical beauty. 
All of the trips
down the Sabine will take all day, or longer, so you should plan on an early
start. Due to the width of the river you should prepare for little shade, and
possibly windy conditions. There are few hazards, though there may be a
class 1-2 rapid, downed trees or stumps depending on the section you choose to
paddle. There are few access points along the river, and due to this extreme
isolation there is a minimum of two canoes for these trips. The land along the
river is mostly privately owned, so should you venture outside of the river
banks you must have permission from the property owner. There are abundant and
beautiful white sand bars for camping, however, be aware that the river will
rise rapidly during power generation so check the high water marks before making
camp.
Tack-A-Paw has
divided the river into sections:
(Click
on the section titles to view a map of that section..)
-
Section
1A - Put in at the flood canal on the old Sabine River, and take out at
the generator canal at Toledo Bend Dam. This trip is approximately 5 miles
and has a constant water level. Runable just about all the time, trips are
scheduled around dam release times. Shuttle fee for put in & take out is
$10 total per group.
-
Section
1B - Put in at the flood canal on the old Sabine River, and take out at
LA Hwy 8. This adds approximately 5 miles to the section 1C trip.
Shuttle fee is a minimum of $10 for put-in and $20 for take-out. You
can also do the 'Yo-Yo' trip in this section by putting in at the flood
canal, paddling down to the generator canal, then back to the put-in. This
trip is planned to catch the power generation flow on the return trip, and
is approximately 7 miles. Shuttle fee is a minimum of $10 for put-in and take-out.
CAUTION: It is important on the Yo-Yo trip that you do not paddle
past the confluence of the Sabine River & the generator canal! When the
generators are turned on, there is a class III rapid and recirculating eddy
formed at that point.
-
Section
1C - Most popular stretch with the best fishing for bass, striper, white
perch & catfish. There are two rapids in this section. The first is at
the confluence of the generator canal and the Sabine River. It is referred
to as the 'Ghost Rapid' as it is only there for the first two hours after
the generators are turned on. The rapid has Class III standing waves, and is
not recommended for open canoes.
The second rapid is at Sandy Creek, approximately 2 miles from the
put-in. Formed by a rock shoal tapering all the way across the river, this rapid can be a class
I or II, depending on water flow. When the water is low, it's pick &
choose your path on river right. During the first 2 hours of power
generation, it can be a class II. At high levels both rapids will be washed out.
This
trip is approximately 10 miles from the generator canal to the bridge at LA
Hwy 8 (TX Hwy 63 ). Shuttle fee is a minimum of $10 for put-in, and $20 at
take out for groups. This section is also a good leisure over night trip.
You may see bald eagles or an alligator along the way.
-
Section 2
- This is the longest stretch. It is mostly isolated and undeveloped.
You should plan to spend two to three days on this section. There are numerous white
sand bars offering primitive campsites. Put-in is at LA Hwy 8, and
take-out is at Anacoco Bayou for a distance of approximately 28 miles. Due
to the highway distance for shuttle, the minimum fee is $20 for put-in, and
$50 for take-out per group. This is the same section described in the event
section for the Labor Day Weekend.
-
Section 3
- This is the last section serviced by TAP. It is much the same as the
above section with numerous sand bars. The distance for this trip is
approximately 11 miles from the put-in at Anacoco Creek to the take out at
Hwy 190. Due to the highway distance, the minimum shuttle fee is $50 put-in
and $60 take-out per group.
View a summary of Sabine River Trips
SRA
Generation Schedules
 
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