BEACH

Mustang Island State Park (link to Mustang Island State Park page) is a five mile stretch of sandy beach along Mustang Island’s coastline, giving visitors the experience of a state park without traveling far from amenities in Port Aransas and Corpus Christi.

• Entrance and additional fees apply
• Electric and primitive campsites
• Showers/restrooms
• Fishing
• Birding
• Mustang Island Paddle Park Trail
• Ranger programs
• Pet-friendly park

Mustang Island boasts 18 miles of beautiful, largely undisturbed Texas coastline. Visitors can drive right up to the water and barbecue, play horseshoes, camp out, or just enjoy the cool ocean breeze.

• No entrance fees
• Beach parking permit required
• Fishing
• Primitive camping
• Use Access Roads 1, 1A, 2, and 3 to access the beach.
• All Wheel Drive may be necessary depending on sand conditions.

Add a mini island getaway to your day and hitch a ride to the privately-owned San Jose Island. It’s a brief boat ride from Port A, but you’ll feel like you’re a world away. St. Jo’s, as the locals call it, is largely uninhabited and undisturbed, with miles of quiet open beach to explore. Pack a picnic and bring a basket for your seashell collection!

• To visit San Jose, hop on a passenger ferry boat at Fisherman’s Wharf Jetty boat service is limited, so plan ahead.
• Be sure to bring food, water, and any other provisions you may need, as there are no public facilities or stores on the island.
• Remember to bring a trash bag and don’t leave any of your trash behind.

Located just on the other side of the rolling sand dunes that stretch along the small town of Port A is the 167-acre I.B. Magee Beach Park. Rent a golf cart, cruise the beach in your vehicle, or take a stroll on the sand. Wherever you are on the island, I.B. Magee Beach is no more than five minutes away. Located down from the jetty is the 1,200-foot-long Horace Caldwell Pier, where you can walk out over the Gulf of Mexico and throw a line in the water.

• Horace Caldwell Pier entrance fees: $3/person, $4/pole (3-rod limit per person), $1/person for military and seniors 65+, free for children four and under.
• No fee to park
• No tent camping
• Pets must be leashed
• Recreational Vehicle (RV) Camping - The park contains 64 RV sites that have 20/30/50 amp electricity, on-site sewer, water, and wifi.
• RV Dump Station - Dump and City water tank fill is included for campers and non-registered guests.

This scenic national park, found at the end of Park Road 22 on North Padre Island, is a nature enthusiast’s paradise. The site for camping among the coastal wildlife and catching hatchling releases, visitors of the 70-mile-long Padre Island National Seashore have the chance to experience the coastline in its most natural state. 

• Entrance and additional fees apply
• Kemp’s Ridley turtle hatchling releases
• Watersport rentals
• Primitive and semi-primitive camping
• Showers/restrooms
• Fishing
• Birding
• Parking lot