10/31/2023 0 Comments North padre island seashore![]() You can rent windsurfing equipment and kayaks to play in this Intracoastal waterway between the mainland and Padre Island. This is a shallow saltwater area with several islands in the waterway. There is a second campground on the west side of the island near the Bird Basin. Remember to pack out what you packed in and there are no sanitary facilities on the beach. You can even have campfires on the beach. The area near the pavilion is fairly wide so that you can turn your RV around during low tide or pitch a tent without the worry of water encroachment. What more could you ask for just 100 yards from the beach? You are allowed to have your RV on the beach or pitch a tent. There is a dump station and water-fill station along with flush toilets and cold showers. ![]() First is the Malaquite campground just beyond the dunes. If you want to stay at the Seashore in a less risky environment, there are wonderful camping opportunities. Camping, Hiking, And Boating On The Island A beach umbrella is essential.Īrina P Habich / Shutterstock 3. However, you get there, be sure to bring some shade with you as there are no trees to sit under. Once the sand gets wet and the water comes up, you won’t be turning around.Ĭonsider hiking down the south beach as far as you like, and it may be the best way to get away from the crowds without getting stuck in the sand. Account for needing to turn your vehicle around to head back north. The beach is narrow in some stretches, and you don’t want to be swamped at high tide. The farther down the shore you travel, the less likely you will have any cell service, so be prepared to drive on sand and to get yourself unstuck should you hit a spate of soft sand. After that, you need a 4-wheel drive truck or jeep. You can use a regular 2-wheel drive car for the first 5 miles. There are no gas stations, snack shops, or drinkable water stations once you leave the pavilion. Visiting the National Seashore requires you to be self-sufficient and have a sand-worthy vehicle if you are going to drive down the shoreline away from the ranger station. During the summer, a popular activity is to go at dawn to watch the researchers release the turtle hatchlings and protect them as they waddle over the sand to reach the water. The staff and volunteers work to preserve the beach’s nesting areas and the hatchlings’ march to the water. This nationally renowned project has been very successful at restoring the presence of this type of turtle. In addition to the beach, the National Seashore has a number of projects underway to preserve habitats, including the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Or you can drive right onto the beach and head south. There is a long boardwalk that takes you to the beach from the Pavillion. Here you’ll find familiar National Park Service activities like ranger talks, guide books about local flora and birds, as well as gifts and souvenirs. You’ll drive 5 miles through grasslands until you reach the Malaquite Pavilion (mile marker 0). In the summer, temps can easily reach 100 degrees. Expect constant breezes and lots of sunshine. At the National Seashore, you will find all types of people enjoying the warm Gulf water and the superfine white sand beaches. It may attract some partiers, but it’s not the no-holds-barred crowd. Once you drive south onto the National Seashore property, there is a different vibe. That happens near the base of the Corpus Christi bridge north of the Jetty on Mustang Island at JP Luby Beach. Many people have heard of the famous Spring Break-a-palooza on Padre Island, where young people gather to party and blow off some steam. It takes something to get to the national seashore but it is so worth the trip. You’ll cross a bridge at the jetty to get to the south island. ![]() The only way to get onto this island is either over the bridge at Corpus Christi or to take the ferry from Port Aransas and come south on Mustang Island. That’s the appeal of this unique location - beach camping and picnicking, driving on the sand, and enjoying the unspoiled beach for as far as you can see. ![]() To go exploring, you will drive on the sand. There are no roads south of the Malaquite Pavilion at the northern edge of the seashore. It stretches 70 miles on the Texas coast between the Gulf of Mexico and the Intracoastal waterway, which separates the island from Texas’s mainland. The Padre Island National Seashore is a barrier island and an unspoiled natural marine habitat.
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