Cook’s Canoes

I was bird watching yesterday at Little Webberville park and a friendly man stepped out of the Cook’s canoe house (shack) and asked if I wanted to rent a canoe. He explained that for $ 40 they would put the canoe in at Little Webberville park where I would leave my car and then I would float downstream and exit at the boat ramp at Big Webberville park where I would call them to pick me up and bring me back to my car. So I did it and had a beautiful time on the river. The float took me about 2.5 hours. Nothing technical about this portion of the river at all (at low water levels). A strong head wind made me wish I had ballasted the front of the canoe with an ice chest full of cold drinks. Also, note that the exit point boat ramp is a very small concrete ramp on the left bank IMMEDIATELY after you cross under the LCRA high voltage power lines. Don’t miss it or you’ll have to float several miles more before a suitable exit point. They picked me up within 10 minutes of my phone call.
The only reason I didn’t give five stars is that I’m always a little skeptical of places that only take cash.

Great day kayaking the lower Colorado. The place is dodgy looking as all get out but the trip is well worth it. I was out there for several hours. Saw the game warden and a few fishermen. Otherwise, several miles all to myself. They mention an «island» that you can tether to, but it was pretty overgrown and being on my own, I envisioned «den of snakes’. I liked not being overrun with tubers and drunken boaters. Very little trash. If i do it again, I’ll bring a bag so that I can collect on the way. Neil and the guys are nice. He is like the goofy Uncle, but concerned about your safety.
The river wasn’t really running, so I got a bit of a workout. If you bring a bit of rope, there are «1 – 2 places) you can tie off and go for a swim all on your own or a bit of fishing.
Not many places this close to austin where you can truly be alone for hours on end.
The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is that the kayak I had (ducted taped and all) tracked like crap. But it was a rental.
You can bring your own kayak or canoe and they will pick you up at designated place
overall…good people, great time. My serenity meter is on full.

I rented a kayak from this place and was very happy with my experience. I was kayaking on the Webberville Loop with some friends who all own their own kayaks. I rented a kayak here for 20.00 for the day and since we are fast paddlers we did the whole loop and did not need their shuttle service (that they offer for free).
I did not call ahead to check but I came armed with a rubber padded door mat for my dog to sit on and they were happy to see that my dog would be paddling with me and told me a sweet story about a guy who is paralyzed from the waist down who rents from them and exercises his dog by letting him pull the kayak. If my dog did not know Sit Stay I would be doing the same thing:)

For $ 30 per day per canoe, you can wind down the Colorado from Little Webberville Park to Big Webberville Park, which is approximately five miles. You can choose to go further, but it’s another twelve before you reach a place to pull out, so be sure you are up for it.
There are great bends and straightways, offering varying river speeds and challenges (for a novice or if you have a 3^rd person). Be sure to lolly gag and stop when you can, i.e. use the whole day. If not, you can pull out and pay $ 10 to get taken back to the original drop-​in point. Seems like they need gas money for more than the one shuttle trip included in their fee. Understandable, given the wallet raping we are all experiencing right now at the pump.
Michael and Neil will take your cash (only!) and meet you down at the ramp with the canoe (s), offer you advice (if you need it), and send you on your way. They provide life jackets and plastic bags for your cell phones. Bring a cooler for lunch at Big Webberville Park, while you wait for the shuttle… and, of course, for beer. A third person can sit on in the center on a cushion, but it will require more skill and balance than most are likely willing to provide for someone other than Mom.
It’s hard to give 3-​stars when I spent all day outside on the water, but I am partial to kayaking, and it was disappointing that the righteous island they pointed out on the map to stop at for our picnic lunch was actually a 15-​foot stretch of weed-​covered rocks. Not only that, but it would have been near impossible to actually pull up there because the water rushes at the bend just before it, and you aren’t prepared for that sad little area to be the oasis you were just described.
Nice guys, who really know the river. It’s definitely worth checking out once. They do advertise kayaks, and I believe they are $ 20/​day.
This is all public access, so you can take your own kayaks and canoes down also. If you only want to go the first five miles, the ramp to pull out is hidden behind a tree just before a dock on the left side, which is maybe one mile past four orange-​capped posts to the right side.

Just 15 minutes east of Austin along beautiful F.M. 969 (That’s Far east MLK for you urban types) is a trip into another world. This is a place time has scacely caught up with, and everything is still easy going. Nobody is in a hurry and neither will you be.
The thing to do here is go to the convenience store around the corner and get some cans of cheap beer, maybe some tacos, and then wander on over to the Cokkes Canoe office (right behind the conveninece store, not exactly visible form the road, just rember its the first Webberville). There you have a little conversation and after a little exchange of money you have life jackets, canoes /​kayaks, paddles, and enough plastic baggies to protect all your valuable electronics, maps, a ride to the take in point, and asurances of a ride from the take out point.
Now these boats are not exactly high performance aerodynamic machines, but rather workhorses that take a beating and keep floating. The current is usually strong enough that you need only take occasional evasive action to keep going downriver. Most of the time you’re just enjoying the cool water, watching the birds and trees, and drinking those cold beers. About half way down the run there’s a little island on which you can relax to your hearts content. Other places you can always anchor or tie to a tree and splash around. Indeed theoretically, you can make the run in an hour, but why?
No take your time, drink a lot of beer, watch the river houses and spash around.
At the take out point your ride home is just a phone call away. The folks running this operation are way mellow and quite friendly, a throwback to a kinder, more peacful era that may never have truly existed but exists here in Webberville. And at ~ $ 30 per boat (capable of holding 2 – 3 people) its one of the finest cheapest ways to spend a weekend afternoon.