Kayaking the Coast
1-2-3 Glide! Stay at Cinnamon Shore & Explore the Shore by Kayak
Kayaking puts you close to the waves and to the beauty of Mustang Island and surrounding waterways. Area outfitters can connect you with equipment and lessons if you're new to the sport, and experienced kayakers have miles of shoreline and bayfront to explore. Our narrow barrier island gives you plenty of opportunities.
Step 1: Book Your Rental
Make Cinnamon Shore home base for your kayak adventure. Check rental availability HERE for a great assortment of luxe but beachy accommodations from condos to homes. Enjoy countless resort-like amenities in our coastal town after a day paddling island waters.
Step 2: Read our Guide to the Guides
Choose from a variety of area outfitters.
Coastal Bend Kayak | 1044 W. Cotter Ave., Aransas Pass TX 78334; 361-557-7003
Operated by a 25-year veteran of these waters, Coastal Bend Kayak offers lessons, guided tours, kayak fishing expeditions and more.
GlowRow | Seadrift TX; 361-746-3250; info@glowrow,com
With several launch locations along the Coastal Bend, GlowRow offers lighted kayak tours of Lighthouse Lakes, launching from a site along the Redfish Causeway in Port Aransas. Choose from several LED lighting combos for group tours with colleagues, family or friends. Paddle in a clear kayak at twilight and into the evening as bright lights illuminate creatures swimming just beneath the surface!
Duration: 1-1.5 hours
Availabilty: Wed.-Sun. 8-10:30pm
Step 3: Choose Where to Paddle
Your guide will direct you if you opt for an excursion with an outfitter or lessons. If you're kayaking on your own, here are two good options:
Fish Pass
Prime waters for learning, the depth of this section is just 2 to 3 feet, according to Port Aransas Tourism. Located at the north end of Mustang Island State Park, this original pass between the Corpus Christi Bay and the Gulf is now silt-filled and closed to boat traffic, but kayaks can explore the remaining cut, which leads to the flats behind Mustang Island, according to coastalbendfishing.com.
Mustang Island Paddling Trail
This scenic kayak pathway combines the North Trail (8.5 miles), the Shamrock Loop Trail (5.24 miles) and the Ashum Trail (6.8 miles), all following the western shoreline of Mustang Island in Corpus Christi Bay. You'll meander through prime shallow-water fishing, so you can put down your paddle and pick up a rod-and-reel if you like! According to Texas Parks and Wildlife:
"The Ashum Trail follows the shoreline of Corpus Christi Bay over a firm sand bottom and allows for outstanding bird watching as well as sight casting opportunities. The Shamrock Loop Trail skirts the beautiful, protected waters of Shamrock Cove, where it connects with the North Trail, which follows the shoreline to East Flats and then meanders through marsh and spoil islands to the Island Moorings Marina in Port Aransas."
Put-In Points: Fish Pass in Mustang Island State Park & Wilson's Cut, located on private land accessible to the public (on the (right) west side of Hwy 361 approximately 8.4 miles from Port Aransas Ferry dock, directly across from the Seagull and Sandpiper Condominiums sign.)
Get Back to Nature
Fall makes a great time of year to paddle bay waters, with milder temps, prime fishing, and great birding. Check Cinnamon Shore vacation rental options HERE, and enjoy a kayak adventure.
Published on Wednesday, September 13, 2023