Question 1

How do I rent a Tube or Kayak?

Accepted Answer

Great question, we have two options -- There's a "Short Run" and a "Long Run."

The "Short Run" rents by the hour and the "Long Run" rents for 3 hours.

For the "Long Run" you will need to book online at least 24 hours before your desired run time. Our run times are at 11:30 am, and 3:30 pm. Please check the booking calendar for availabilities. We will be closed Mondays.

For the "Short Run" you will stop by our rental booth on the Rocktop property (314 S Pearl St, Belton, TX) to rent a tube or kayak. You will be charged by the hour.

Details for the "Long Run" -- you will book a time online and make driving arrangements within your group for pick-up/drop-off. You are responsible for the shuttling of the people in your group for the beginning and end of the float.

Equipment drop-off: We will meet you at your booked time at the drop-off location near 1003 W Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Belton, TX 76513 with your rented equipment (please do NOT park at the gated Senior Village community). We will also gather a picture of your valid government issued photo ID and will make sure you've signed a liability waiver before you hit the water.

Your booking is for 3 hours. At the end of the last chute (Liberty Chute), please look for a Rocktop assistant that will collect your tube or kayak. We will inspect any equipment for damage and check your equipment back into our booking system at that time.

Question 2

Do I need a reservation?

Accepted Answer

Yes & no.

You will need a reservation for the longer float called the "Long Run". You will need to book online with a credit card to reserve a time. The Long Run booking duration is for 3 hours.

You do NOT need a reservation for the float called the "Short Run". Although, if you prefer, you can definitely reserve a Youth Kayak, Adult Kayak, or Tube for a specific time for the "Short Run." Just go to the homepage to book a date and time that works for you. These will rent by the hour and are intended for use in the Yettie Polk Park area and the Gin Complex area.

For walk-up customers, limited numbers of youth kayaks, adult kayaks and tubes will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis at the Rocktop property.

Question 3

Do you have shuttles?

Accepted Answer

People shuttles would be awesome, but we don't have them quite yet. But we do plan on having shuttles in the future 😃 🚌.

Although, we will drop off your rental equipment at your designated rental time for the "Long Run."

Question 4

Where does the float begin? And where does it end?

Accepted Answer

For the "Long Run" (3 hour rental) you will begin near the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) and end near Belton Christian Youth Center. Please see the FAQ about parking for more details on how to shuttle your group.

At your booked time, we will meet you at the starting location near 1003 W Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Belton, TX 76513 with your tube or kayak. This address will take you to the Nolan Creek Nature Trail.

You will walk down a short trail to the water where you will put into the creek and start your float. The first section of the float is called "Horseshoe Bend." See the Float Map for more details and names of each section of the float.

The float will take approximately 2.5 hours and you will end up at Liberty Park near Belton Christian Youth Center.

After the float, we will have a Rocktop assistant at Liberty Park who will collect your tube and check it back into the inventory system so that you won't be charged for more time.

Question 5

What is the "Long Run" ?

Accepted Answer

The "Long Run" float takes approximately 2.5 hours and is the stretch of Nolan Creek that flows from the MLK-Jr bridge at UMHB all the way to Downtown Belton and ends at Liberty Park near Belton Christian Youth Center.  The "Long Run" consists of the following sections of Nolan Creek, which are also labeled on the map:

• Horseshoe Bend (start here)
 • Iron Bridge Chute
 • Chisholm Springs
 • Yettie Waters
 • Gin Chutes
 • Lizard Ridge
 • Liberty Chute (end here)

For the "Long Run" you will book a time online and make driving arrangements within your group for pick-up/drop-off. You are responsible for the shuttling of the people in your group for the beginning and end of the float.

Equipment drop-off: We will meet you at your booked time at the drop-off location near 1003 W Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Belton, TX 76513 with your rented equipment (do NOT park at the gated Senior Village community). We will also gather a picture of your valid government issued photo ID and will make sure you've signed a liability waiver before you hit the water.

Your booking is for 3 hours. At the end of the last chute (Liberty Chute), please look for a Rocktop assistant that will collect your tube or kayak. We will inspect any equipment for damage and check your equipment back into our booking system at that time.

Question 6

What is the "Short Run" ?

Accepted Answer

The "Short Run" is the stretch of Nolan Creek that flows from Yettie Polk Park, through Downtown Belton, and ends at Liberty Park near Belton Christian Youth Center.  This float takes approximately 20 - 30 minutes and can be run as many times as you'd like within your rental timeframe. You will stop by our rental booth on the Rocktop property (314 S Pearl St, Belton, TX) to rent a tube or kayak. You will be charged by the hour.

The "Short Run" consists of the following sections of Nolan Creek, which are also labeled on the map:

• Yettie Waters (start here)
 • Gin Chutes
 • Lizard Ridge
 • Liberty Chute (end here)

*Note: Yettie Waters are still enough to navigate upstream, which allows kayakers more space to paddle before heading toward the Gin Chutes.

Question 7

What payment methods do you accept for rentals?

Accepted Answer

We accept all major credit cards. Must be 18 years or older to rent, and must provide a government issued ID such as a driver's license. You will need a credit card to rent a tube or a kayak. All other purchases such as drinks and snacks can be purchased with cash.

Question 8

How old do I have to be to rent?

Accepted Answer

You must be 18 years of age or older to rent by yourself. For those under 18 years of age we require a parent or legal guardian to sign our release form on your behalf.

You must be 5 years or older to participate as a minor with any Rocktop rental.

Question 9

Where do I park?

Accepted Answer

Parking is different for the "Long Run" and the "Short Run." Please read below.

For the "Short Run" there is free parking in Yettie Polk Park directly below Rocktop, located at 314 S Pearl St, Belton, TX. There's additional parking in Yettie Polk Park near the restrooms and basketball court, and even more parking up-river near Nolan Creek Apartments.

For the "Long Run" you will need to handle the parking/driving arrangements on your own for your group pick-up & drop-off.

Our recommendation is to have a designated driver drop-off the group who will be floating at the starting location at the Nolan Creek Nature Trail near UMHB. This trail is near 1003 W Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Belton, TX 76513 (please do NOT park in the gated Senior Village community). Then pick up the group at Liberty Park. Liberty Park is near Belton Christian Youth Center at 700 Veterans Way, Belton, TX.

If everyone in your group will be floating the "Long Run" you will need a drop-off vehicle for the beginning of the float, and have a pick-up vehicle for the end of the float. We recommend leaving a pick-up car at the Belton Christian Youth Center parking lot near Liberty Park (700 Veterans Way, Belton, TX). Once the pick-up car has been placed, head over to one of the 10 parking spots at the starting location near UMHB.

The exact starting location of the Long Run is at the Nolan Creek Nature Trail near 1003 W Martin Luther King Jr Ave, Belton, TX 76513 (do NOT park in the gated Senior Village community). Please be at the starting location on time so that we can gather a picture of your valid government issued photo ID and make sure you've signed a liability waiver before you hit the water.

Question 10

How do I return my Tube or Kayak to Rocktop?

Accepted Answer

For Tube rentals - Please walk/carry your tube back to Rocktop before your rental time has expired. Most people use the hike/bike trail to return their rental. There's a good chance there will be a Rocktop assistant nearby to help you. For the "Long Run" float there will be a Rocktop assistant to collect tubes at the end of the run at Liberty Park.

For Youth Kayak Rentals - Do not drag the kayak. Please walk/carry the Youth Kayak back to Rocktop before your rental time has expired. If you need assistance please call or text us. There's a good chance there will be a Rocktop assistant nearby to help you.

For Adult Kayak Rentals - Do not drag the kayak. Please text/call when you're ready for us to pickup your Adult Kayak rental. A Rocktop assistant will come with a kayak dolly to help you return the kayak before your rental time expires.

Question 11

Is it safe to get in Nolan Creek?

Accepted Answer

Please refer to the City of Belton - Nolan Creek (https://www.beltontexas.gov/departments/parks_and_recreation/nolan_creek.php)for more information about water quality and safety.

Ultimately, it is a personal decision for how you and your family will recreate on Nolan Creek, but we recommend water activities that are above water such as tubing and kayaking. We do not recommend complete submersion in Nolan Creek.

Nolan Creek is rated for secondary contact, which includes wading by adults, fishing, tubing, or kayaking. Since Nolan Creek has a history of elevated bacteria levels, swimming that includes complete submersion, or any other activity where water ingestion is likely, is not recommended, especially for people with compromised immune systems.

Also, watch the weather! During and following rain events, Nolan Creek is prone to rapid water elevation changes. Make sure to check the weather forecast before planning time on the creek. Increases in water elevation typically bring dangerous increases in water velocity and much more floating debris (it is not unusual to see uprooted trees racing down the creek during large storms). In addition, storm runoff creates spikes in bacteria levels.

In general, the best and safest time for recreation in Nolan Creek is when the water is clear and flowing at normal elevation.

Again, for more information please visit City of Belton - Nolan Creek.(https://www.beltontexas.gov/departments/parks_and_recreation/nolan_creek.php)

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