Canyon Lake Gorge Reopens to Visitors But GBRA Implements New Safety Measures
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Canyon Lake Gorge will reopen to visitors on June 1 but with some changes to ensure the safety of guests and staff.
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) said it is now accepting reservations for tours but has made temporary COVID-19-related adjustments to the way it operates the gorge and other parks under its jurisdiction:
- Tours will be limited to 10 participants for June, July and August.
- Volunteers will continue to lead tours; however, no more than five volunteers will be onsite at one time.
- Park staff and volunteers will be provided with face masks, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, gloves and other requested PPE.
- Tour leaders will be using a PA system to allow for social distancing of at least six feet during tours.
- Guests are encouraged to wear masks.
- A shuttle is used to transport tour participants to the top of the Gorge. Family groups will be transported separately from other family groups. The shuttle will be disinfected between each use.
- Additional sanitation and hygiene measures also will be implemented.
To make an online reservation to tour the gorge click here. For more information or to book a tour by phone call 830-964-5424. To see a complete list of GBRA’s temporary guidelines click here.
GBRA closed the gorge to visitors in late April, citing safety concerns about protecting guests and staff from COVID-19.
About Canyon Lake Gorge
Canyon Lake Gorge was created during the summer of 2002 when more than 34 inches of rain fell in the upper watershed of the Guadalupe River, setting off a torrent of floodwater that carved what the GBRA describes as “a perfectly fascinating wonder.”
The historic flood sent a rush of water from swollen Canyon Lake over its spillway for the first time since the reservoir was completed in 1964, creating a gigantic 64-acre gorge that exposed ancient crestaceous limestone, fossils and 110-million-year-old dinosaur footprint.
The gorge is considered a textbook example of hill country geology and the exposed Trinity Aquifer. Limestone layers created by an ancient sea are visible, and visitors can admire waterfalls and springs.
Texas educators use the gorge as a real-life classroom for elementary students to learn how the Trinity Aquifer’s underground permeable rock cavities soak up, store and move rainwater that many in Central Texas depend on for drinking water and irrigation.
Tour participants can explore dinosaur tracks and perfectly preserved fossils.
About the GBRA
Established by the Texas Legislature, GBRA serves as a water conservation and reclamation district.
Its mission is to support responsible watershed protection and stewardship, provide quality operational service, and to promote conservation and educational opportunities in order to enhance quality of life, GBRA said on its website.
