My family spent the weekend here in Corpus and this beach is right outside the hotel we stayed at…read more Love how this beach is near downtown along with some food places (including food trucks) and can see all the boats towards the side. It was a cute little beach and didn't have many crowds thankfully so can enjoy it in peace. The sand wasn't too bad honestly though there was some trash along the shoreline which is unfortunate. When you do walk into the water there are shells and rocks that maybe hurt to walk in but once you pass that small section, you just feel nice soft sand on your feet. Just wear water shoes if needed. My nephew did find some little hermit crabs but they never bothered us and we're cool to look at. No issues with any animal thankfully. There are different types of birds flying around we saw including seagulls and a blue heron. If you decide to bring food be careful they will definitely try to get some. Overall it was fun experience. Not the best beach out there but still had fun.

Good! We enjoyed it very much. It's easy to get to, there's a place with fresh water to wash off…read moreyour feet near the parking lot, the sand is pretty soft and clean. The water is clean and the waves aren't crazy.

Did you know Corpus is known as being the "Birdiest City in America"? Well, according to the…read morecity's visitor website it is! I open this review with this observation because the Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge is without a doubt one of Corpus' most popular "birding" destinations. You can almost be assured that if you are visiting this park on a nice day, you will come in contact with both "birders" and "bird watchers" alike. I am not a birder, per se, but I am an overall nature lover, which makes me kind of a bird watcher by definition. In any event, like most normal people, I genuinely appreciate any and all aspects of nature. The park is kind of a not so hidden gem in that it is in an ideal location, but not frequented a lot by locals. It is located off Ennis Joslin just South of TAMUCC (Texas A&M University Corpus Christi) and the innaccessble part (by the public) of the naval base. It is actually smack dab in the middle of all the public university housing, which explains a lot. It is a beautiful wildlife refuge on the bay. There are more than enough trails to keep one moving and entertained with the endless views of beholden beauty that nature bestows upon us.

We have been doing some exploring around the area and came across this wildlife refuge. We love to…read morebe outdoors with our dog! The trails aren't very well kept and the trees and bushes are overgrown. I'm not sure if it's because it's winter time, but it just seems that this place isn't maintained. There are nice views of the water and plenty of birds.

JP Luby Surf Park (aka North Packery Beach) is the beach directly behind the Lively Beach Resort…read moreoff Zahn Road & Hwy 361. If you are staying at Lively, this is your spot. The boardwalk from Lively empties right onto this beach between markers 204 and 205. If you aren't staying at Lively but you wanna get away from the crowds in Port A, Cinnamon Shore, or on North Padre Island out of Corpus Christi, you might wanna keep JP Luby as a backup option. It's well-maintained, clean, and generally as pleasant as Texas beaches can possibly be. You do need to pick up a permit for driving onto the beach, $12, easy to get at any convenience or grocery store in the area. The pass is good for the whole calendar year and all drivable beaches in the Port A - Corpus region from mile marker 0 to 62. Trucks or other 4WD high clearance vehicles are advised, but I did see a few less sporty options around. Take care to heed warning flags about surf conditions and the rip current. These are posted as you enter from Zahn Road, just as you pass the shower station and porto-johns. Once you get settled, you'll see everything from anglers to families on beach vacations to dare devils on surfboards, boogie boards, or kite surfing rigs. Our early October 2024 visit was easily one of my favorites from 30+ years of semi-annual trips to the Mustang / Padre Island area. We spent 3 days on this beach just watching the waves, the birds, and the happy visitors soaking up the last bit of summer paradise for the year. It was so calm, no loud stereos blasting, just folks out to enjoy Mother Nature and allow others to do the same. The adjacent North Packery Channel Jetty includes a long walkway that was packed with anglers at sunrise each morning we were there. From one fisherman I spoke with, red fish and trout were the goal at this time of year, with bait mullet easily caught by casting a net from the rocks. If you don't want to haul a bunch of chillax gear out to the beach, there are vendors who will provide setup/take-down of chairs, shade, campfires, and more for a fee. Some options to consider include Corpus Beach Rentals and 361 Blue Beach Concierge, but note that these vendors may close outside of "high season" dates.

The JP Luby Surf Park (also known as North Packery) is always a good time. Let me tell you about a…read moreday I had there... I spent Christmas in Port Aransas. It was probably the best Christmas ever. The only thing missing was I couldn't go surfing. A couple of days later, the sun came out and the wind switched to the south. and there was a bit of swell in the Gulf. That morning, the buoy report said 8' at 6 seconds with a SW wind at 12 mph. We loaded up the truck and headed down to Zahn Rd. It was a beautiful day. It was warm for December. It felt like Springtime. Not a cloud in the sky. The water was a beautiful, clear green. The waves were waist to chest high with good form. Nothing but really cool people at the beach that day. I caught countless fun waves for about four hours. I paddled back in for a water break. It was fun just sitting on the tailgate of my truck just watching everyone have a good time. People were surfing nice, clean waves. Some were fishing on the jetty. Boats were going out. Kids were playing. Dogs were running around. One guy was spearfishing by the jetty. Classic rock was blasting all day. The sounds of Santana, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix filled the air. So much fun. I paddled out again and road a few more waves until my back and shoulders couldn't take anymore. Some old friends were on the beach. I paddled back in and drank beers until the sun went down. That was a good day.

We were in Port Aransas for 2 days in mid-April to look for migrating birds. The one place we went…read moreto several times was the Leonabelle Turnbull birding center. We visited both morning and afternoon, and found that the selection of birds was somewhat different each time. It also made sense, for photography purposes, to visit at different times because we found quite a few beautiful migrating birds in the mulberry and willow trees, and the lighting was best there in the afternoon. There are multiple areas for birding. The entry walk has some willow and mulberry trees where birds congregate. In spring, the mulberry provides fruit for the birds and is a favorite for migrating species. Past the entry there are boardwalk to view (mostly) water birds. There are a couple of covered observation decks as well, and these provide the only shade in the boardwalk area. If you're prone to getting bitten by mosquitoes, do use repellent before visiting. The parking area nearest the entry was being enlarged during our visits, so we ended up in the overflow parking area on the other side of the water treatment facility. This is a great place to see resident and migrating shore birds, as well as inland species during migration. We saw buntings, videos, tanagers, warblers, orioles, and other migrating species during our most recent visit... a feast for the eyes!

one of my fav birding places. They have really improved the pier out over the water. You are up…read morehigh with the birds down low, so not really disturbing the birds and you get great looks. We got to see the Pink Flamingo last week. One of the best places to see shore/water birds. Away from the water nearer the parking lot, a water feature and trees for the migrants in fall and spring. even if you aren't into birds, it is still a beautiful place to visit. There is a resident alligator that is around sometimes. Bigger parking area coming soon.

This mile-long running/walking and biking path winds around from the parking lot near the Super…read moreWal-Mart along some marshes and swamps through some live oak trees and ends up at Enterprise Boulevard near Memorial Park. There's plenty of dedicated parking, and the marsh nearby the entrance has some cool stuff on how Rockport is a migratory bird and butterfly refuge, where all sorts of winged creatures come to roost due to the tranquil nature of this seaside town. There's always a variety of lizards and bugs around here too. Be sure to bring some bug spray! The pathway is about ten feet wide, and paved- so it's perfect for walking your dog or riding your bike or even roller skates! The pathway is usually picked up well, so it's beautiful. There were a lot of trees down after Harvey, but the city has been working on picking those up and restoring the trail to its former glory. There's not much at the end of this pathway, so I turn around and head back along the mile to the start. It's a very nice walk, and I recommend checking it out if you have some spare time.

Fantastic job the Rockport garden club has done restoring a segment of native marsh. 50 years ago…read morethe entire Texas coast was largely undeveloped. These days if you sit in one spot too long you're likely to get bull dozed and paved. So,hats off to anyone governmental,NGO,Clubs, Associations etc who try to preserve a piece of nature as it has been for 100s of years . Right across the street from this oasis sits a Walmart. I bet the Karankawa Indians could never have imagined that. Unbelievably I saw many species of ducks,birds,butterflies and insects I'd never seen before. But the real surprise was two white tail deer I spooked. If you're in the area definitely seek this lovingly," set aside" piece of The Texas Coast. Go!

Quick, immersive walk into some wetlands! Heard frogs a and birds, and plenty of plants and trees…read moreto learn about from markers along the way! Wish it were a longer trail, and I was surprised it wasn't dog-friendly! If those two things were changed, it'd be 5/5 for us!

This is a nice little park with lots of shade, two play areas and swings. The play area is set up…read moreon different levels and situated in a pebble pit which can be a nice bonus for playtime. It's a bit hidden and typically empty when I go, but I like that. It's very close to a few homes so it feels safe and quiet. The park is also right off the jogging trail on Oso.

Oh Yeah! I'll spare…read morea lengthy review as I've said much in past ones from around this slice of heaven. I'll just let some of the following photos from around the island October 2024 do the talking.

I was only able to spend a day in Port A but just from driving around it's a cute small island…read morefeel. The beaches here are drive up so you can have your car on the beach, you do need to purchase a beach pass though (good for a year). We weren't able to get into the water this time because of a storm that came through the night before which caused a high fish smell from the kelp, plus the water wasn't as warm since it was early May. I'd definitely come back to visit though!