The part of Buffalo Bayou we’re used to seeing isn’t exactly what you’d call scenic, but that is a tiny sliver of the 106-mile bayou, which has all kinds of twists, turns, history and beauty you’ve probably never seen before.
“I think it’s just because of lack of access,” says Tom Helm, an avid canoer.
Most weekends, his is the only boat on the bayou.
“Unless you’re ready to paddle 10 miles at least, which a lot of people aren’t, they just don’t bother,” he explains.
I hopped in with him to canoe 17 miles after putting in at Voss and San Felipe in West Houston.
“We paddled from there, all the way downtown, to the confluence with White Oak Bayou. Then we paddled up White Oak for about a mile and a half to Houston Avenue and took out there,” Helm says.
That route winds through the natural part of the bayou, the part that looks and feels like the river it is, rapids and all.
“We have a lot of natural springs that flow alongside the bayou. That is one of them right there,” says Helm, pointing.
Along with those springs, trees and flowers line the banks to create a much-needed canopy on this sunny day. If you keep an eye out (or an ear), you’ll get a taste of the wildlife on the bayou.
“I love all the different birds you can hear down here,” Helm says.
You can also pop out of the canoe and a quick check of tracks will tell you what kind of animals make their home on the water’s edge. We spotted plenty of bird, raccoon, beaver and, possibly, alligator tracks.
“The bayou gets all this attention in the media when we have floods, but it doesn’t get much attention when it’s normal, like this,” says Helm.
For more information about Helm’s canoe service, click here.