Came over to see the sunrise and this didn't disappoint. Easy access, and driving on the beach is…read moreamazing! San was light and fine, and there weren't too many people that early. Several families camping from the night before and people fishing.

One of my favorite beaches to chill with the family. We come here every summer or we go farther…read moredown to South Padre.

Lovely beach! There were a lot more jellyfish this year than I've seen in a while but you can…read moreeasily avoid them. Beautiful sunsets and calm evening waves...so peaceful.

I have to say I don't envy thr people who clean these beaches!…read morePeople are just nasty. We cleaned up the area ( mile marker 17) of the beach we were on. Cigarettes/beer can/soda bottle tops. We will be back for the clean up.

This is the beach we visit when in Corpus. Last visit was July 4th weekend. Convenient as you can…read morepark your car on the shore making it easy to unload and pack it in when you're ready. We typically park our car in reverse so we can set up the chairs/cooler out in front of the trunk facing the ocean. Makes for easy access to the shore. Everyone is respectable with cleanliness and ensuring trash/debris are thrown in the garbage cans and not littering. We always meet some friendly people here where we share some beverages and beach space with. Quite a community here. Don't forget your beach parking permit; you can purchase it when you enter ($12 for the year).

We came here on a Saturday in mid May and while there were lots of cars and people, it didn't feel…read morethat crowded and everyone was friendly and polite. We were able to set up our canopy and enjoy our 4 yo playing in the sand and in the shallow waters. It was nice because the waves aren't too crazy and it's actually very shallow for a while. The beach parking permit ($12) also could be purchased right in the front so you didn't need to stop by a gas station prior to coming. I would definitely recommend this beach and hope to come back again soon!

Perfect beach day--especially for families! The beach was…read moreclean and peaceful, especially since we visited during the week. The water was clear enough to see our feet (definitely not Galveston!), and the shallow area stretched far out, making it ideal for kids to splash and play safely in knee-deep water. We loved having a palapa for shade--it kept us cool all day. We brought our own chairs, which worked out great. Another big plus: parking was just steps from the sand, so there was no long trek with gear. Lots of swim area and space to spread out. We'll definitely be back!

The beach crew is lazy and leaves trash all over the place. I don't understand why the navigation…read moredistrict spends money on them when all they do is hide and smoke marijuana.

Great park with camp spots that are not right on top of each other. We came in on a Monday and for…read moretwo days there was only one other camper which meant we had it quite. By Friday afternoon we only had two neighbors so it was still quiet. The only drawback is that the grass is full of stickers which is bad if you have three dogs like is

Paid to get in, our dog got attacked by a swarm of wasps, got pulled over and given a ticket for…read moregoing less than 10 over in an empty park while rushing our dog to the vet. This place sucks. Pretty though.

We walked the beach front and the jettis along the park on a beautiful day, 71 degrees and mostly…read moresunny. It is a very nice park to explore the beach and Gulf. If you're looking for a lot of shell's, this isn't the park however they do have some shells. We didn't see any wildlife today (dolphins, turtles). If you like long walks on a beach, check this one out.

My family and I shared many great memories at Mustang Island State Park…read more My daughters finally got to share in the experience too back in June 2025. They loved how warm the water was! Camping isn't free to my knowledge, but day use fees are not applied in most stretches of the island. I'll never forget our last summer (June 2025) vacation day when I reminded my girls to try to remain calm and not thrash around if they see a shark. They boogie boarded and swam for a couple of hours. Then about 150 yards away, the fishermen reeled in a couple of juvenile sharks. They took pictures then released them properly back into the ocean. My family acted as though sharks were a new phenomenon. A star knocked off because I was just taken aback by how trashy Texans and tourists have gotten. It didn't seem this bad when I was much younger. I picked up a full trash bag's worth walking up and down our area alone. Let's do better... tell your group to pick up too. Wildlife deserves to search for food and shelter garbage free.

Heads up this is from a view of an overnight camper-…read more Me and my husband were looking for a place to camp near Houston for Christmas Eve night. We looked around Houston and everything was booked or rained out! So we found Goose Island and it had decent reviews! We decided to book a campsite for one night- our campsite was 201. When we arrived my goodness!! I've never seen so many deer - one minute outside of the park, there were about 5 deers hanging out- not scared of me or my car or the noises. It was beautiful! When we entered the park, we first was looking for our campsite and drove in many circles- it was in the "wooded area" so it was a bit hard to find! When we arrived it was around 3pm And we started setting up camp. I am thankful the parking was right in front of the campsite but also that whole area I think 201-204 Is shared. I was lucky it was Christmas so no one else Booked the area next to us but it wouldn't have been as fun if others did! We stayed overnight- everything went well as planned! One thing I didn't like the restrooms were driving distance or a longer walk away but this was an amazing weekend getaway for us! In the morning we checked out the pier area. It was nice and very different than our campsite area! Highly recommend this park even for a daytime park!

Seeing the Big Tree at Goose Island State Park has been on our wish list for a while, and we…read morefinally made the trip. It's an antonishingly old live oak tree with a massive trunk and spreading branches. During our visit, the land under and around the tree was a carpet of wildflowers. Goose Island State Park is smaller than some state parks we have visited but it's full of amenities. There are lots of camping spots for tents and RVs. There are short hiking trails that showcase the local flora . . . but be sure to bring your bug spray if you come during the warmer months. The pier that stretches into Aransas Bay has spectacular views, and the wetlands welcome many types 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.

Located by the Ferries, this place was great for kids to play and family to watch dolphins. They…read morealso have plenty of parking and public restrooms making it accessible for everyone.

Roberts Point Park offers so much to so many. It's open from sunrise to sunset every day of the…read moreyear and is a beautiful place. You drive through in one direction with plenty of parking available throughout the park. It's wheelchair accessible and dog friendly, which I really appreciate. There's a boat launch with trailer parking and docks, fishing areas, a pirate ship playground with a splash pad, covered picnic tables, an observation deck, a basketball court, and a large covered pavilion with a kitchen and bathrooms. The city hosts events there, and it's also available for private rentals. I love stopping along the waterfront to watch the dolphins play and ships sail in and out of the port.

the pier itself isn't all that special but there are wooden…read moretables, parking, showers and bathrooms available. you can also drive down and park on the beach for more privacy. i've been to many good parties that created many good nights for me. to go and fish on the pier, i believe it's around $2, closed at night.

One of my favorite places to take my family fishing has been through quite a change since the last…read morestorm. It really shook things up! But the good news is that they're rebuilding everything even bigger and better. I can't wait to make more wonderful memories there!