"We got back quick," Kerrville Parks and Recreation director Jay Brimhall told Spectrum News in early September. "That was great, but one of the results of that is that now everything that was done is gone."
He was talking about the River Trail and the parks along the Guadalupe, which flooded again on July 16, 2026, the second summer in a row. Last year, the city moved fast to put things back. This year it is moving more slowly and choosing what to rebuild. The first sign of that came on Friday, Oct. 9, when two trail segments reopened while the rest of the river corridor stayed closed. The trail you can use this fall is a short, working piece of that plan.
The Stretch That Reopened on Oct. 9
The day after the flood, The Kerr County Lead reported that every river park and trailhead in Kerrville was closed. Twelve weeks later, the City of Kerrville announced the first reopening. The stretch runs between three trailheads:
- Schreiner University Trailhead, 2100 Memorial Blvd.
- G Street Trailhead, 124 G St.
- Birkdale Trailhead, 255 Birkdale Lane
That's two continuous segments with G Street in the middle. Any of the three trailheads works as a starting point for a walk or ride in either direction.
The city called the reopening one step in an ongoing recovery. It thanked the volunteers who helped assess damage, clear debris and deal with hazards where conditions allowed. It also said plainly that the work isn't finished. Debris, uneven ground and other hazards may still be on or near the trail, and users should stay alert. So this stretch is open, but it isn't fully restored yet.
The Rules That Come With It
For longtime users, the trail itself is familiar. It's a 10-foot-wide, ADA-accessible, multi-use path shared by people on foot, cyclists and other permitted users. When it reopened, the city restated the rules, and a few of them affect how you plan an outing:
- Dawn to dusk only. Earlier sunsets this fall mean a shorter after-work window.
- Stay on the designated trail. Parts of the River Trail pass through or border private property, and the reopening doesn't give access to those areas.
- Dogs on leash and under control, with owners cleaning up after them.
- Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed, up to a maximum assisted speed of 15 mph. Other motorized vehicles and equipment are not, though motorized wheelchairs and mobility devices are.
- Keep right, pass left, and yield to pedestrians, slower users and anyone using a mobility device.
- No smoking, vaping or e-cigarettes, and don't approach or feed wildlife.
For questions about conditions or access, the city lists the Parks and Recreation Department at 830-257-7300 or [email protected].
Why the Rest Is Taking Longer This Year
The city's announcement didn't give a date for the next segment. It also didn't give an opening date for Louise Hays Park, Guadalupe Park, Tranquility Island or any other section. That fits the plan Brimhall described to Spectrum News in September. "We're trying to get the parks outside of the river corridor tuned up first, so that people have spaces," he said. "And then we'll start focusing on areas like this."
In that report, the parks he was talking about were in very different stages:
| Park | Status in Spectrum News, Sept. 2, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Guadalupe Park | Closed for the past year and set to reopen the week of the July 16 flood. Reopening on hold until the playground surfacing is repaired |
| Louise Hays Park | Only partly reopened after last summer's flood, then heavily damaged again. Recovery "is going to take a little more time" |
| Kerrville-Schreiner Park | Open |
| Most other Kerrville parks | Open |
Guadalupe Park is the hardest one to watch. It had been closed for a year and was days from reopening when the water came up again. Spectrum reported that inspectors who looked at the park soon after the flood found it in fair shape, but the playground surfacing still has to be fixed before it can open.
A Different Trail on the Other Side of This
Louise Hays Park is where the slower approach shows most. Brimhall told Spectrum News the city had a master plan to reimagine the park, and he was thankful the renovation work hadn't started before the second flood. Pickleball courts had been planned for the park. "If this is going to be a continual thing," he said, "every year, every other year, I don't think it's a good idea to put anything down there. I don't like wasting public funds, wasting funds that people have donated."
He also said the city is reconsidering whether some amenities are worth rebuilding in the floodplain, and that river access is limited for safety for now. For anyone who has used Louise Hays as Kerrville's front yard, that matters more than any reopening date. The park that comes back may have fewer or different features than the one in the earlier plans.
The money for that work was committed before this summer's flood. In April 2026, KSAT reported that the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country had announced $14 million in grants, with these amounts for Kerrville's riverfront:
| Project | Grant | What it was meant to fund |
|---|---|---|
| Louise Hays Park | $8.2 million | Rebuild with a playground, splash pad, dog park, parking and landscaping |
| Guadalupe Park | $375,000 | Reconstruction |
| Kerrville River Trail | $460,000 | Mostly replacing the Camp Meeting Creek Bridge |
Together, the three grants come to a little over $9 million, which matches the "more than $9 million" Spectrum News cited in September. These were grant commitments made in April. They describe what the money was meant to pay for, not work that's been finished. Brimhall's comments about the floodplain suggest that some of what gets built with it could change. His overall message was hopeful: "Places like this are going to be cleaned up, and they'll be back opened to the public. It's just going to take a little more time."
Where the Longer Walks Go in the Meantime
Before this summer, the River Trail was Kerrville's long route along the water. KSAT has described about six miles of city river access running from Guadalupe Park to Kerrville-Schreiner Park. With only the Schreiner-to-Birkdale stretch open, the park at the far end of that route is the best place for a longer outing this fall.
Kerrville-Schreiner Park was open as of the September report. Brimhall pointed to the hillside and its mountain bike trails and called it "gorgeous." The City's facility page for the park lists trails, birding, a playground, a fishing pier, river access and other facilities. It lists entry fees of $4 per adult, $2 per senior and $1 per child, with a cap of $10 per vehicle. For a family of four, the vehicle cap is the number that counts, since it covers the whole car. Check the page before you go, though. The September report also said river access was limited across the city's parks, so the fishing pier and river access on that list may not match what's open right now.
A simple fall routine uses both places. On weekday mornings and evenings, the reopened River Trail between G Street and Birkdale works for a quick walk or ride before dark. On weekends, Kerrville-Schreiner Park's hillside trails make the longer outing.
Something else is coming up at the end of the month. The Kerrville CVB calendar lists the Texas Fleece and Fiber Show for Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, 2026, and October Family Free Day for Oct. 31. That gives the last weekend of October more to do than the trail alone.
What to Watch for Next
The city hasn't announced the order of the remaining reopenings. Based on Brimhall's stated priorities, parks outside the river corridor come first, and Guadalupe Park is waiting on its playground surfacing. Louise Hays Park and the rest of the trail are the bigger rebuilds. Since most of the River Trail grant was meant for the Camp Meeting Creek Bridge, that bridge is one project to watch for news on the next segments. The Parks and Recreation Department at 830-257-7300 is the most direct place to ask before heading to a trailhead that isn't on the Oct. 9 list.
If you'd like to talk about the river corridor or how the town is changing around it, Terri Taylor-Walker, Realtor is happy to hear from you. Let's Connect.
