The Comal River is located in New Braunfels, Texas, a beautiful and historic city about 20 miles northeast of San Antonio. The river is a natural spring-fed waterway that originates in Landa Park. At 2.5 miles, it is known as the longest shortest navigable river in the world, its crystal clear waters both begin and end within the city limits of New Braunfels.

The ComalRiverCam.com camera is located on private residential property in downtown New Braunfels at an area along the river called “The Rapids.” It gets its name from a small dam that constricts the water flow creating a short area of turbulence that gives a mostly leisurely tubing experience a bit of excitement. The area has been enjoyed by tubers for decades and screams of delight can be heard as they encounter the rapids. In the past, this area of the Comal River was located alongside a campground with riverside cabins called Camp Warnecke that catered to summertime tourists looking to escape the hot temperatures in the cool waters of the Comal River. Nowadays, it is part an expanded area of the original Schilitterbahn Water Park called Tubenbach.

“The Rapids” are located down river from the famous city-owned Tube Chute that was originally called the Clemens Dam. The dam area was given the nickname of "Stinky Falls" after a well was dug 900 feet deep in the area in 1907 looking for fresh water. However, it only succeeded in finding sulfur water, resulting in a nickname that is still in use by many locals for the area. The actual odor was mitigated in 1976 when the water well was capped eliminating the strong odor of rotten eggs.

A floating trip down the Comal River will usually conclude just before it intersects with the Guadalupe River at an official city-owned location called the Last Public Exit that was recently renovated. It has handrails and steps to assist exiting the river in order to access shuttle buses and sidewalks at street level near the intersection of S. Union Ave. and Lincoln St.

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please email ComalRiverCam@nbtx.net.
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