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.

I absolutely love this park! It is one of my absolute favorite places in South Texas…read more The city of Rockport does an immaculate job maintaining the park, from trimming grass on the side of the paved paths to making sure that the natural trail is always trimmed low. There is a group of people who walk/jog in the early mornings here. The park opens at 6 AM. The part that is paved near the soccer fields and the playground is well lit. But the part that is closer to the ponds towards the back of the park is not. So if you do decide to walk here in the early morning, for safeties concerns, I always kept to the front half of the park. But the dog park is on a whole other level! Between the small and dog park it has to be a little over an acre. It is extremely well shaded with lots of trees. There are obstacles for your dog to play on. They have a fresh source of water as well as a self filling water station. I absolutely love that they have a pretty significantly long natural trail. My joints don't love pavement but they do love natural trails and oftentimes parks they are overlooked or paved over. This park is a gem for the people of Rockport and those who visit.

Yes, there's a dog park in Rockport! Tried finding trails and dog friendly areas, and this has been…read moreone of the best finds! Very shady, with plenty of space and places to sit. Wish there were more dogs around when we came! Idk how many people actually know about this- I've frequented rockport for years with family, and just now found it! Drive past the baseball fields and play scapes at Memorial Park, and you'll see two acres of the dog park!

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.

Excellent park for kids, families, and amazing play ground that is all abilities friendly, splash…read morepad (that can be enjoyed in the summer) & great walking trail and fields.

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!

I was pretty good there was this fish that would steal my bait just don't go on a windy dayread more

Went out on a Thursday night and the place was packed. Felt like half the town was there…read moreelbow-to-elbow. The lights on the water were excellent, but all I was pulling up on the sabiki were tiny bait fish -- piggy perch, small whiting, you name it. Basically running a daycare for baby fish under those lights. Dropped $20 on croaker and got nothing out of it. Even tried the artificial fish bites, and still just fed the little guys. Didn't see anyone else land anything worth bragging about either. Honestly, just way too many people for not much action.

Great stop to check out black-bellied whistling ducks or ducks for that matter!…read more Do you like nature? Check this place out. Parking can be found across from Walmart or K-Bob's Steakhouse. On the nature trail I appreciated the stops explaining the plants, birds and hummingbirds. We also spotted a deer hiding in the shrubs. One of the visitors showed us that he snapped a photo of an alligator hiding in the water. Be sure to bring insect repellent since this is a marsh.

This garden is a cool marshy area with a walkway, a bridge, and some informative signs! The park is…read morelocated right along Business 35, the main street in Rockport. It has a small parking area at a trail head, and a nice wooden bridge that takes you over a marsh. The Thule Marsh is a tranquil, placid body of water that looks like it might contain alligators. There are lots of birds here with long legs and sharp beaks. Fortunately, there are signs that tell you what you're looking at- very informative! There's also hummingbird feeders, and places for squirrels to hang out. The wetlands were rather untouched by the hurricane- the nature trails were closed, but the bridge and all the info signs were unscathed! There was a piece of the Wal-Mart gas station in the marsh, but that'll get fished out eventually. The place was picked up, and a safe place to relax in the shade or ride a bike!

You can tell it's had work done: it's nice being in nature and all: it's a beautiful day here in…read moreRockport .

We had to find this Oak Tree. It's been around for about 1,000 years. It's survived many…read morehurricanes and lived through the history of this area. If only it could talk! A fence has been put around it to protect the roots. We enjoyed reading the history of the tree. It's quite astonishing that this tree is so old and probably still has many years of life left in it.

Get orientated! This park is right along Business 35 in…read moreRockport. It's a great example of the public works of art that makes Rockport such an artistic, cool destination! This park has a private little lot right off the highway. Once you arrive at the park, you can't help but notice the giant palm tree that's survived storm after storm. It's long since fallen, but continues to grow, sideways and upwards. To me, it's a symbol of Rockport's resiliency. It's been knocked down, but continues to survive and flourish, making it even more interesting. You don't get old by being weak! The park is full of native flora and fauna. There are colorful examples of local flowers and plants to check out. The park is situated along a labyrinth on the ground- you walk along it in a meandering spiral within the circle of the compass rose with some sort of meditative mindset and it's supposed to be relaxing. The labyrinth is an ancient symbol of wholeness, and the journey from the outside in and back out again helps clear the mind. The compass is right on, according to my measurements! You can come here and set your own compass to the giant directions made from marbles on the ground. The compass is true! The park offers a great view of the entrance to Rockport, and the bay, with the beach in the background. It's an exquisite spot for taking in the scenes of Rockport! My only gripe is there aren't enough places to sit in the shade here, and there are no facilities like a drinking fountain. North, South, East or West, this place is a the best park around!