I thought it was time for another review of this park since the last one was from six years ago…read morefrom this writing. It also looks like there have been some recent additions since the last review. The park is located at a crosswalk next to an RV park on Avenue G. There is actually a lot to see here starting with a very long paved nature trail running through a nature preserve with observation areas and continues on by the ship channel. You will also find 3 ball diamonds, a large baseball field, a little league diamond, and a T-ball diamond complete with batting cages. Other amenities include a fenced in dog park, a community pool, a soccer field, basketball court, public bathrooms and a large children's play scape. On the property is also a frisbee golf course and skateboard park. You will also find five fenced in pickleball courts that look like they were just built yesterday. The pickle ball courts are open to the public at no cost. There are some covered picnic tables directly next to the pool and a couple of tables in the dog park. This is definitely one of the nicest community parks you will find anywhere.

Located on Cut Off Road, jusy behind San Juan Taqueria, this unexpected gem is an oasis in the…read moremiddle of the island, and a nice place to visit with your bird watchers, wildlife lovers or kiddos. Dedicated in 2002, Paradise Pond is a 2-acre habitat that provides an excellent example of public/private collaboration. A group of birders who won the Great Texas Birding Classic designated the prize money for the purchase of land located behind a local motel. Several donations of land, additional grants and other funding sources helped to complete the project that birders from across the country now enjoy. Paradise Pond is a stop on the spring migratory route for smaller warblers and other songbirds, while many feathered friends call the pond home all year long. The wheelchair accessible boardwalk and 3 observation decks provide easy access to get "up close and personal" with the birds under a mantle of trees. There is a sitting area at the entrance for watching butterflies, dragonflies and birds, along with information about the flowers and the butterflies that the flowers attract. Private donations of land, foundation funds and teamwork helped make Paradise Pond part of the Birding Trail of Texas. Visitors flock from across the country for a sitting here...and you should too!

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.

Off the beaten path and wasn't too busy. Lots of people fishing. Only downside is no shade on the…read morepier so bring a hat!

Probably one of the most underrated parks in South Texas…read more How do I know it's underrated? Well, it wasn't even on Yelp! But seriously, I love coming here on a sunny day. You will find mainly locals, parasailers, and fishermen here, which makes it more appealing. It is mostly unencumbered by any touristy overflow from across the bridge. It is a truly beautiful nature preserve.

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.

Repaired and reopened! This island park consists of a…read moreboardwalk that makes its way out into a tidal flats marsh, and overlooks a bunch of swamp. There are lots of green, lush plants around and a few birds. Keep an eye out for the famous crane birds. You'll also probably see some gulls, terns and other birds- so keep your sandwich in check, or they'll eat it. This boardwalk was once rated the #1 boardwalk in Texas for birding by Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine! It lacks some of its former glory after Hurricane Harvey, but they did put some of it back together so you can go out on the boardwalk. There were LOTS of mosquitoes when I went. Lots. The skies darkened with mosquitoes when I arrived. I didn't spend too long at this park, because I was losing so much blood to mosquito bites. The park is located across 361 from the Post Office. There's plenty of parking, I can't imagine that this park gets full very often. There are no restrooms or any other facilities. No picnic tables, playground or anything else. I wouldn't take a dog walking here, it might fall in the water or eat an endangered bird.

The Wetland Park of Port Aransas was one of the better of the eighteen birding spots in the town,…read moreand supposedly the only fresh water place. There was a lake/marsh like area teeming with birds including flocks of Black-necked Stilts, a Lesser Yellowlegs, a Willet, a pair of Blue-winged Teals, a Marbled Godwit, a Mottled Duck, a Tricolored Heron, and various egrets. Nice spot. Update: Came back the next day in the evening as opposed to the morning and saw lots of Laughing Gulls, seven or eight Willets, a Tricolored Heron, various egrets, a Marbled Godwit, a couple of female Pintails, lots of Black-necked Stilts, a Red Knot, and lots of Boat-tailed Grackles. This only backs up the fact that this place is great. And if you're having trouble navigating to this place, it's across from the post office.

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!

I absolutely love Rockport Beach!…read more Whenever I feel like taking a break of the city and spending some time in nature, I like to come down to Rockport, TX. This small beach town is full of delicious restaurants and amazing people. However, one of my favorite things to do is going to their beach. As any Texas beach, their sand is rockier and can't be compared to a beach in the caribbean. However, I like that it is located within a bay so it's protected from huge waves which makes it great for kids. On our most recent trip there, the ocean tied was so low that the beach looked like a giant splash area, which my kiddo absolutely loved. The daily entrance fee for the beach is $10 and their yearly membership is $40. They do have public bathrooms and showers, but they are not the best. They also sell food and beverages inside the beach, but only during busy season (usually closed on weekdays). They also have a nice playground for the kiddos which is in the shape of a pirate ship. Also, please note the beach is not dog friendly, but service animals are allowed.

Family and I are on vacation. We had just finished visiting The Museum of Science and History and…read morewere waiting on The Art Museum of South Texas to open. In order to kill some time, we walked along the beach and took in the sculptures and other historical sights. We were caught by surprise on how windy the weather was. Been awhile since I was able to walk along the coastline. I was enjoying every minute of the experience. Please check out the incredible coastline along Bayfront Park.

Bayfront park is beautiful and the Watergarden is the most scenic and refreshing spot. The water…read morefountains and falls make cool sound that is very relaxing and amuzing. I just love the sound of water falling down the stairs of that circular fountains. It is just beautiful!

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!

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.