Frequently Asked Questions

There are two boat houses located in The Woodlands Texas. Riva Row Boat House opened in 2009 in the rapidly developing Town Center village. Riva Row Boat House is within walking distance from Market Street and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. This boat house in located on the lower waterway and it takes about 25 minutes to reach Lake Woodlands from this boat house. Rental options include: single and tandem kayaks, single and tandem pedal kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, elliptical stand-up paddleboards, water bikes, and swan boats.

A second boat house,  Lakes Edge Boat House, opened in The Woodlands in 2016 in the new Hughes Landing development. This compact boat house is just south of Restaurant Row and located directly on Lake Woodlands for easy access to Northshore Park and the rest that the lake has to offer. Rental options include single kayaks, tandem kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards. Beginning in spring 2021 offerings will include water bikes as well!

Riva Row Boat House and Lakes Edge Boat House are owned and operated by The Woodlands Township, a political subdivision of the State of Texas.

The boat houses operate based on the time of year and sunset calendars.

During the summer months (May through August), both boat houses open at 9 a.m. and the last boat out time is 7 p.m. All boats must be back by 8 p.m. Riva Row Boat House is closed on Wednesdays, while Lakes Edge Boat House is closed on Tuesdays.

During the rest of the year, both boat houses open at 9 a.m. and the last boat goes out one hour before sunset. All boats must be back by sunset. Riva Row Boat House is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesday & Lakes Edge Boat House is closed Monday through Thursday.

Click here to check today’s sunset time!

The boat houses are closed on the following major holidays: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The boat houses are open every day of the week for Conroe ISD’s Spring Break. During major weather events such as hurricanes or severe flooding, the boat houses may shut down.

Riva Row Boat House is located at 2101 Riva Row, The Woodlands, TX 77380. It is located east of the Boardwalk Apartments and south across from Town Green Park.

Lakes Edge is located at 1970 Hughes Landing Blvd. The Woodlands, TX 77380. It is located next to the Lakes Edge Apartment Complexes in Hughes Landing, just south of Restaurant Row.

Yes! Parking is free at both locations.

Riva Row Boat House parking is located on the street (parallel spots on Riva Row) or in the Green Lot which is Pavilion parking. During large events, it may be necessary to park in the White, Orange, Yellow, or Blue Lots in order to access the boat house. All of these parking lots are free to park in.

Lakes Edge Boat House parking is located in the retail parking garage, or in the Whole Foods parking garage.

Age requirements:
A child age 9 years and younger must ride in a watercraft with someone older than 16 years of age. A child age 10 to 15 years may be in their own watercraft, but with direct adult “(18 years or older)” supervision. Children 16 to 17 years of age may go out without supervision, but their parent/legal guardian must sign the rental waiver.

Height requirements:
In order to ride a water bike, participant’s leg length must be at least 30 inches long to reach the pedals.  Elliptical SUP handlebar length is 45 inches tall. Participants must be able to comfortable rest their hands on the handlebars at this height.  A child under 42 inches tall may ride in an adult’s lap in the standard single and tandem kayaks only.

Maximum Weight Limits:

Tandem kayaks= 500 pounds
Single kayaks= 300 pounds
Pedal tandem kayaks= 550 pounds, max seat capacity 275 pounds
Pedal single kayaks= 275 pounds, max seat capacity 275 pounds
Stand-up paddleboards= 220 pounds
Elliptical stand-up paddleboards= 200 pounds
Water bikes= 325 pounds
Swan boats= 700 pounds

Health and medical conditions that should restrict participation are but are not limited to: any severe injury, heart conditions, or lung conditions. Participants should consult a physician prior to participating in this activity for any additional conditions that may limit or impair function and execution of one’s responsibility as an operator or be exacerbated by this activity.

No. If a single kayak is rented, the person who signed the waiver form is the only person that can use the kayak. If a tandem kayak is rented, then only the two people who signed the waiver form can use the kayak. Thus, there is no transferring of rentals among people in a group.

• Sign the Online Waiver for every person in your group BEFORE you arrive at the boat house. Waivers remain active for 1 year.
• Check the weather before visiting either boat house and be sure to bring what you will need; jacket, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc.
• Be sure to bring one photo ID with you. Each group has to present one photo ID as your deposit.
• Due to the nature of water sports, you can expect to get wet and may want to bring a towel or extra change of clothes with you.
• Riva Row Boat House offers twelve small lockers, but patrons must bring their own locks. Lakes Edge Boat House does not currently offer anywhere to store belongings.
• Coolers are allowed. The only items you may not bring are glass bottles and alcohol of any kind. The boat houses sell water and sports drinks.

• When you check in, please be sure you are ready to go out on the water. Use the restroom, apply sunscreen, put things in your car, etc.
• Restrooms for Riva Row Boat House are located in Town Green Park, a quick ~3 minute walk.
• Restrooms for Lakes Edge Boat House are located in the parking garage to the northeast of the boat house.
• Absolutely no vaping, smoking, drugs, or alcohol are allowed at the boat house facilities. Anyone observed or suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be asked to leave immediately and will not be eligible for refunds. Boat House staff reserve the right to deny rentals to anyone for any reasonable cause at any time.

Bring one ID that matches the name on your reservation. Wear clothing that fits you well and that you are comfortable in. You will most likely get wet, so please keep that in mind. For any watercraft with moving parts (water bikes, swan boats, elliptical stand-up paddleboards, and pedal kayaks) do not wear excessively loose clothing. Loose clothing may get caught in these moving parts. Always bring enough water to supply you during your time out on the water.

Yes, both boat houses will provide all the equipment you need for your adventure on the water.

We have four sizes of lifejackets: 0-30 lbs, 30-50 lbs, 50-90 lbs, and 90 lbs and up. If you have your own personal life jacket, it can be used provided it us U.S. Coast Guard approved. All renters must wear lifejackets at all times.

Most of the kayaks are large enough to hold small bags or coolers (no glass or alcohol, please). Riva Row Boat House offers small lockers for you to store items that you might not want to get wet. Please bring your own lock, as locks are not provided by the Riva Row Boat House. Riva Row Boat House is not responsible for lost or stolen items. The stand-up paddle boards have limited bungees on the front of the board to store belongings. The swan boats and water bikes have limited storage. We recommend leaving large bags, purses or valuables locked securely off-site. Lakes Edge Boat House does not offer personal storage or lockers.

We recommend participants plan to arrive 10-15 minutes earlier than the reservation time. This will ensure you have enough time to find the boat house, check-in, complete any necessary paperwork and use the restrooms before your start time. Late or No-Show Policies apply, so be sure to give yourself enough time!

Yes. Please follow all Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations. Lake Woodlands is a catch and release lake. The boat houses do not rent or sell any fishing gear, so be sure to bring your own. No fishing is allowed in the upper waterway, or near the docks.

Yes! All of our rentals are simple to operate and our friendly staff will go over proper techniques if needed before you leave the dock. We recommended researching online to learn more about your rental choice if you would like in depth information.

Boat House staff will be present on the dock to verbally assist and encourage participants.  Staff may hold your watercraft steady for you while you are entering and exiting the watercraft.

You are allowed anywhere on Lake Woodlands and the lower Woodlands Waterway. Only swan boats are allowed in the upper waterway. Public docks are located at Northshore Park, Southshore Park, The Cove Park, and Hughes Landing.

You are free to launch your own boat from our docks. However, if it is busy we ask that you wait until are patrons are off of the dock before you launch. We usually recommend Northshore Park to launch from because parking spots are in close proximity to the docks.

Yes, dogs are allowed to ride in the standard single and tandem kayaks only. If your dog does not comfortably fit in your lap, we recommend a tandem kayak so that your dog can have its own seat. Dogs ride for no additional charge. A limited number of life jackets are available for dogs. Dogs are not allowed on other watercraft besides the standard kayaks. We recommend bringing dogs to the boat houses during the cooler times of the year.

• Tandem kayaks= 2 people, or 2 people and one child under 42 inches.
• Single kayaks= 1 person, or 1 person and one child under 42 inches.
• Pedal tandem kayaks= 2 people. All people, including children, need their own seat.
• Pedal single kayaks= 1 person, no exceptions.
• Stand-up paddleboards (SUP)= 1 person, no exceptions.
• Elliptical stand-up paddleboards= 1 person, no exceptions.
• Water bikes= 1 person, no exceptions.
• Swan boats= 2 to 4 people. No more than 4 people, including small children.

No, the facility you rent from is the same facility you must return your equipment to (except during weather or medical emergencies). Remember, a photo ID is left as a deposit at the rental facility you visit, and all equipment must be returned in order to pick up your ID.

No rented or personal watercraft of any kind are permitted in the Upper Waterway except our fleet of Swan Pedal Boats.  Waterway access rules are enforced by Town Center Rangers.

Reservations are not required but are strongly encouraged. Due to staffing, inventory restrictions, and other reservations, walk-ups cannot be guaranteed a watercraft. We suggest making a reservation as soon as you’ve made plans — AT LEAST two to three days in advance. The website will allow you to make reservations up until the day of your event, if space is available. Reservation slots are open months in advance for you to plan early.

Yes! Liability waivers are required by each participant who will be renting. Participants under 18 years old must have a liability waiver signed by a legal parent or guardian. The boat houses encourage participants to fill out all waivers prior to checking-in. Online Waivers

When you make your reservation you will select the amount of hours you would like to stay out.

If you are more than 15 minutes late returning your rental(s) we will charge you full price for your rental(s) again. We must respect the other reservations, and being late affects our reservations for the rest of the day. Be sure to bring a watch or phone with you out on the water so you know what time it is.

Sustained winds (wind speed determined by averaging observed values over a two-minute period) of 20 mph or greater would warrant facility closure. The boat houses will contact your party as soon as possible if this is the case for your reservation.

The boat houses cannot have anyone on the water if thunder and lightning is nearby. All rentals will be stopped immediately if thunder is heard or lightening is visible. The boat houses will remain closed for thirty minutes from the last thunder or lightning occurrence. If you and your party are out on the water, seek shelter at Northshore Park, or Southshore Park until the weather passes.

Visiting the boat houses can still be fun while it is lightly raining. However, we will close for severe weather such as heavy rain and thunderstorms.

During extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tropical storms, winter storms, floods, etc. the boat houses may close for the day for everyone’s safety.

A notification of facility closure due to extreme weather will be posted on our website home page as well as our Instagram and Facebook page.

All scheduled bookings will be fully refunded in this case.

Cancelation or rescheduling requests must be made by calling the boat house your reservation was made for or emailing [email protected]. Participants are responsible for ensuring that the boat house receives the request.

Participants canceling 10 days or more prior to the reserved booking date will have the option of rescheduling the booking, receiving a gift certificate allowing them to reschedule at a later date (within 1 year of purchase), or a full monetary refund.

Participants canceling less than 10 days prior to the reserved booking date but prior to 48 hours of the reservation will have the option of rescheduling the booking or receiving a gift certificate allowing them to reschedule at a later date (within 1 year of purchase), but will not be eligible for a monetary refund.

No-shows are not eligible for monetary refund, credit, gift certificate, rescheduling of the event, or any other reimbursement. The entire reservation cost will be forfeited. The No-Show Policy is applicable to all participants, including individual participants within a group reservation. Reservations are considered a no-show 15 minutes past a reservation slot.

Participants that do not show for the reservation time without prior notice of 48 hours cancellation are considered a no-show and are subject to the No-Show Policy. The entire reservation cost will be forfeited.

Rescheduling requests must be made by calling the boat house your reservation was made for or emailing [email protected]. Participants are responsible for ensuring that the boat house receives the request. The boat houses allow rescheduling or an option for a gift certificate (valid for a year from issue date) up to 48 hours prior to your reservation. No monetary refunds will be issued unless requested at least 10 days prior to your reservation date.

In the event the boat houses need to close, participants will have the option to reschedule the reservation, receive a gift certificate to schedule at a later date, or a full monetary refund.

In the event you need to return during your adventure prior to your scheduled end time, participants will have the ability to reschedule for your chosen rental later or receive a gift certificate to schedule at a later date (valid for a year from issue date). Under these circumstances, no monetary refunds will be issued.

If you or your group are 5-10 minutes late to the reservation, the boat houses will work to get you and/or your group on the water, however, you will still be limited to the return time of your original reservation.

If you and/or your group are 15 minutes late or later for the reservation, the booking is considered a no-show and subject to the No-Show Policy. We must respect the other reservations for the day.

We recommend that you plan on arriving 10-15 minutes earlier than your reservation time. This will ensure you have enough time to find the boat house, sign in, buy concessions, and use the restroom before your start time. Late or no-show policies apply, so be sure to give yourself enough time!

There are several different types of programs available at the boat houses. Seasonal programs include, but are not limited to: kayak birdwatching, stand-up paddleboard yoga, tandem trick or treat, jingle boats, learn to kayak, etc. View the Action Guide online or contact the boat houses for more information.

We host lots are large group events such as: boy scouts, sports teams, office outings etc. Please contact the boat house for these types of inquiries. Contact Us.

Restrooms for Riva Row Boat House are located in Town Green Park, a quick ~4 minute walk.
Restrooms for Lakes Edge Boat House are located in the parking garage to the northeast of the boat house, a quick ~2 minute walk.

At Riva Row Boat House there are small lockers. Locks are not provided, but you may bring your own. There is currently not anywhere to store belongings at Lakes Edge Boat House. We recommend leaving valuables at home, or in your vehicle.

Riva Row Boat House is located within Riva Row Park, which offers a variety of benches and picnic areas. Town Green Park is also directly across the pathway from Riva Row Boat House. Lakes Edge Boat House is located in Hughes Landing near several benches.