The Texas Eagle II is a custom-built tour boat with a passenger capacity of 149. The boat has a covered, open-air upper deck for ideal scenery watching and an enclosed lower weather deck with large picture windows, air conditioning, heating and restrooms. All of VTRC's boats have the approval of the ship safety division of Texas Parks and Wildlife, meeting stringent requirements in design and construction.
They also must maintain or exceed standards of safety equipment and fire fighting equipment required by TPWD and the Lower Colorado River Authority. Before the boats leave the dock, the crew conducts a safety briefing which outlines the safety features of the vessel, what to do in case of an emergency, an introduction of the crew and their qualifications, as well as an outline of the course and activities planned for the voyage.
They also must maintain or exceed standards of safety equipment and fire fighting equipment required by TPWD and the Lower Colorado River Authority. Before the boats leave the dock, the crew conducts a safety briefing which outlines the safety features of the vessel, what to do in case of an emergency, an introduction of the crew and their qualifications, as well as an outline of the course and activities planned for the voyage.
Services
We offer cruises year-round and they are based on seasonality. Keep reading below to see what cruises are available during the current season or view our calendar. The original VTRC cruise for more than four decades, the Scenic Wilderness Cruise offers an 18-mile journey across Lake Buchanan to the mouth of the Colorado River.
From the town of Burnet at the intersection of Highways 281 and 29, drive west on Highway 29 for three miles to FM 2341. Turn right (north) and go 14 miles to Ed Low Drive. You will see our billboard directions from there. Turn left on Ed Low Drive for about 1/4 mile. At the top of the hill the road will Y, turn left onto Waterway Lane and go down the hill.
Reviews (21)
Aleksey Tsalolikhin
Dec 28, 2021
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Ugs
Dec 26, 2021
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The cruise was relaxing and the narration was great. However, I am still giving 3 stars ( and not 1 or 5), because on the return journey, the narrator announced that he would visit everyone and answer any questions. We were just one of the 5 tables occupied on lower deck, where the narrator was and he went on each and every table (all American groups)and personally spoke to the folks even when they had no questions.. we were patiently waiting for him to come to our table and he did not! Now I am not sure, if he on purpose avoided our table or accidentally missed us ( even when there were just 5
David Sherwood
Dec 17, 2021
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Abby Mendez
Nov 30, 2021
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Keith Kirkland
Nov 27, 2021
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LeWayne Ballard
Jul 22, 2021
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Booked the Scenic Wilderness Cruise after finding this place when looking for things to do on Lake Buchanan. Debated between the Scenic Cruise and the Sunset Cruise, but wanted to see the actual lake, river, and hills since it was my first time. Will do the Sunset Cruise next time as they both go the same route.
Purchased tickets in advance, but you still need to check-in inside when arriving. Arrived about 15 minutes early and there was a line to board. They started to board about 10 minutes prior to departure. The boarding process was very simple and smooth. There are plenty of seats upstairs
Purchased tickets in advance, but you still need to check-in inside when arriving. Arrived about 15 minutes early and there was a line to board. They started to board about 10 minutes prior to departure. The boarding process was very simple and smooth. There are plenty of seats upstairs
Sarah Holman
Jun 15, 2021
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Mr. Tdy Man
Aug 22, 2020
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We booked this trip using a Groupon so we got a great deal. It was definitely worth trying out. We found it to be full of information about the area both from the past and present. The crew were very friendly and informative. The boat was clean and open, so once underway you had a good breeze up top. On the bottom deck there is A/C. They provide water and tea but you are allowed to bring your own food and drinks. There are bathrooms on the boat as well. This is not an exciting trip. This is a relaxing trip with not a whole lot to look at other than coastline as you can see in my pics. Again, the
Don B.
Jan 08, 2020
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It's been almost two years since Peg and I had the pleasure of taking the VTRC Ultimate Eagle Cruise and when we heard that more eagles than normal had taken up temporary residence, back to Burnet we went!
Captain Shawn and Tim the Guide were with us again; felt like old home week! We were joined by an interesting group from a tour bus consisting of Oriental men and women who had married Caucasian Americans. I would have never imagined such an organized group existed but there they were and the nicest bunch of folks we could ever hope to meet.
The day was dreary and misty, so I apologize
Captain Shawn and Tim the Guide were with us again; felt like old home week! We were joined by an interesting group from a tour bus consisting of Oriental men and women who had married Caucasian Americans. I would have never imagined such an organized group existed but there they were and the nicest bunch of folks we could ever hope to meet.
The day was dreary and misty, so I apologize
Melissa M.
Jan 05, 2020
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We went on the scenic river cruise in October and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. I recommend sitting on the upper covered deck if you want the best views. We had a great guide who was very knowledgable about local history and wildlife.
Although wildlife can be unpredictable, we were lucky enough to see plenty of birds, monarch butterflies and goats. In addition to seeing an osprey and a kingfisher, our guide spotted a juvenile eagle, something that was a little unusual for October given the eagles typically don't arrive until November. Even if you don't spot any wildlife, the beauty
Although wildlife can be unpredictable, we were lucky enough to see plenty of birds, monarch butterflies and goats. In addition to seeing an osprey and a kingfisher, our guide spotted a juvenile eagle, something that was a little unusual for October given the eagles typically don't arrive until November. Even if you don't spot any wildlife, the beauty
Nathan N.
Mar 23, 2018
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William Z.
Jun 18, 2017
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On Friday we took some out-of-town friends on this cruise We arrived at the dock near Burnet about 45 minutes prior to departure. We soon boarded and took seats on the top deck on plactic chairs. Next time I would take more comfortable chairs. The boat holds about 140 people but they said they keep it down to 100 max. We had 40 people on our cruise. The cruise lasted a bit over two hour and the tour guide seems like it was her first cruise and was confused much of the time. It was a hot and humid day and we were glad to get back to the air conditioned car.
Warren M.
May 28, 2017
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What a cool opportunity! I really enjoyed the calming visualizations of the scenery during an the 11 mile stretch I saw (22 miles total there and back) taking about 2 hours. I went with my family and grandparents and we all had a pretty enjoyable time.
Note: It's great for elderly individuals since it didn't require a lot of energy, the first floor was air conditioned and the waves were soft against the boat so motion sickness wasn't an issue for any member of my group.
Tip: consider bringing sun screen, sun glasses, and cool clothing during summer days.
Note: It's great for elderly individuals since it didn't require a lot of energy, the first floor was air conditioned and the waves were soft against the boat so motion sickness wasn't an issue for any member of my group.
Tip: consider bringing sun screen, sun glasses, and cool clothing during summer days.
Makayla W.
Mar 14, 2017
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My grandma, mother, and I were staying in Burnet for spring break and put this at the top of our list for things to do, but we're wondering when it was going to be over about twenty minutes into the cruise. The guide wasn't very exciting and we stared at the same scene (hills, murky water, trees) for two hours. Also, when we reached the end of the tour, the boat turned around and we went the same way we entered! Another hour of the same stuff! Save your money and do something else.
Miriam B.
Feb 03, 2017
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We went on this boat tour with the promise that they were advertising there was going to be bald eagles that are around this lake.
We did not see any bald eagles we did not see any bald eagles nest we saw that the water was very murky like P green soup which is not conductive for bald eagles to fish in.
My friend went to this boat tour in March of last year and he found the same thing there were no bald eagles around and he never saw one.
I went on this tour February 2, 2017 and I found the same thing there are no bald eagles at this lake the water is not clear enough for bald eagles to see
We did not see any bald eagles we did not see any bald eagles nest we saw that the water was very murky like P green soup which is not conductive for bald eagles to fish in.
My friend went to this boat tour in March of last year and he found the same thing there were no bald eagles around and he never saw one.
I went on this tour February 2, 2017 and I found the same thing there are no bald eagles at this lake the water is not clear enough for bald eagles to see
Shirley P.
Jul 12, 2016
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On Saturday, July 9 we were guests on the Vanishing River Cruise out of Burnett,TX. It was great fun! People on board mingled and made new friends.
The food was sprinkled with just a tad to much Cajun Spice but was average. The only disappointment is the rudeness of passengers to our tour guide- he tells many interesting things about the river but more than 1/2 isn't heard due to rowdy passengers. The
Explanation of the River is actually only 39 minutes long and does extend into the dinner which is served within 10 minutes of boarding. What we did hear from the tour guide was quite interesting
The food was sprinkled with just a tad to much Cajun Spice but was average. The only disappointment is the rudeness of passengers to our tour guide- he tells many interesting things about the river but more than 1/2 isn't heard due to rowdy passengers. The
Explanation of the River is actually only 39 minutes long and does extend into the dinner which is served within 10 minutes of boarding. What we did hear from the tour guide was quite interesting
Benjamin W.
Jul 10, 2016
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We went on the Scenic Wilderness River Cruise on a Sunday in July. We would have loved the eagles, but if you read their website the season for that is November through March. Still, the trip was pretty idyllic for a Sunday afternoon. I'll paint the scene for you:
A gentle breeze, the shade of the top deck roof and the soft, rhythmic hum of the engine behind you. From the stern, a hint of diesel fuel. Clear, strong speakers permeate the air with the lazy drawl of a storytelling tour guide. Fun trivia: ranchers and Tonkawas, mayors and developers; egrets, herons, willows and oaks; limestone
A gentle breeze, the shade of the top deck roof and the soft, rhythmic hum of the engine behind you. From the stern, a hint of diesel fuel. Clear, strong speakers permeate the air with the lazy drawl of a storytelling tour guide. Fun trivia: ranchers and Tonkawas, mayors and developers; egrets, herons, willows and oaks; limestone
Gen M.
Mar 17, 2016
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We went on the Wilderness Cruise with the kids during spring break. Shelled out $100 dollars. Here is what the cruise promised- according to their website: "Enjoy visions of waterfalls, towering cliffs, abundant native Texas wildlife, world-class birding...etc"
Sounds great, right? None of this occurred.
As we started cruising along, the captain made a comment that they have noticed this week that due to some debris and muck clogging the engine that they may need to stop a few times to clean it out. He said it was bad yesterday and would definitely be bad again today, so they
Sounds great, right? None of this occurred.
As we started cruising along, the captain made a comment that they have noticed this week that due to some debris and muck clogging the engine that they may need to stop a few times to clean it out. He said it was bad yesterday and would definitely be bad again today, so they
Chuck M.
Mar 01, 2016
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Went with my mom and wife to take some pictures and just have a relaxing day. Although the eagle sightings have been sparse we saw several young eagles flying around. Very cool. Saw a couple of white breasted hawks sitting proudly on top of some trees. They say the tour is 2 hours, but it's really about 2.5 hours. Weather was great. Saw all kinds of other birds and a beaver sleeping on top of its house. Very cool people running the cruise with a lot of historical knowledge over the speaker during the trip.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
Benjamin C.
Oct 20, 2015
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My friend, his son and I rented a canoe from these guys to explore Lake Buchanan. It was a sunny, white-hot October day with no other business as far as we could see, but they met us at the arranged time; were super friendly and helpful with directions and tips for navigating the lake; and didn't mind that we came back a little late. Good folks.
Shari K.
Jun 11, 2012
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My family went on the Vanishing River cruise over the Memorial Day weekend and had a blast. We will definitely be going again. The cruise itself was so much fun, but our River history lesson from Candy was the hit if the day! Candy was very informative, funny, and very knowledgable. We enjoyed the mid-trip walk to the abandoned town foundation, but the elderly parties in our group couldn't safely make it down the ramp for that part. The lower deck is air conditioned and comfy. We probably won't get the Captain's lunch again (pressed ham and cheese on a croissant with a packet of