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Carter Smith, the executive director for Texas Parks and Wildlife, said it's one of the fastest growing sports in all of the country.

"We have more people that canoe and kayak than we do that play soccer, believe it or not," he said. "And when people come to Village Creek State Park alone, it helps bring back revenue to the county, generating half a million dollars in local impact.”

Getting folks on the river is the goal of Texas Parks and Wildlife's statewide paddling trail program.

“Once you get people out on a river and they begin to enjoy it, they develop a conservation effort for having water in rivers which is very important,” Melissa Parker, Texas Parks and Wildlife riparian ecologist, said.

Jerry Rashall, Texas Parks and Wildlife park manager, pointed out that the trail itself is more than 21 miles long.

"The park’s primary attraction is kind of a duel attraction for us – the creek itself and then also the huge variety of plant and animal life that is here in the park because of it being in the Big Thicket area of Texas,” Rashall said.

"It’s a nice quiet stream even though it’s relatively close to the city, easy access, lots of birds and other wildlife to see," park visitor David Thrash said.

And if that’s not enough to celebrate, the park just recently added nearly 1,500 acres to explore.

“Very excited about both the paddling trail and the new land acquisition," Rashall said. "The park just recently increased in size from 1,090 acres to a little over 2,500 acres thanks to a partnership with The Conservation Fund.”

Village Creek State Park is located 10 miles north of Beaumont in the city of Lumberton. Click here for more information on Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Paddling Trails.