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mingle51 · 05-19-2016, 08:34 AM

I've had this dream of boon docking on the beach. I have a vintage airstream 1972 31' land yatch that's been remolded in a modern style like a high end yatch. It has all it needs for glamping, water tank waste tanks, energy source for up to one week of camping. My question and not looking to pull into an rv park but wild camp on the beach. Do any of you know of public land etc that might allow this? Any suggestions please. http://pastor mingle.wordpress.com.

HowieE · 05-19-2016, 08:53 AM

Try looking at Padre Island TX, Edisto Beach SC, or Grand Isle LA. Not quite ON THE BEACH OR TRUE BOONDOCKING but you can trow a stone.

If you bring your own water Quartzsite AR is close.

Lily&Me · 05-19-2016, 09:13 AM

You can't boondock at Edisto nor at Grand aisle, I don't believe

You can boondock at Padre Island NS....pull right out onto the beach anywhere on a stretch that goes for miles and miles.

It is free, and there is a dump station and water fill nearby.

It is heavenly.

Maggie

Rpatrick16 · 05-19-2016, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

You can't boondock at Edisto nor at Grand aisle, I don't believe

You can boondock at Padre Island NS....pull right out onto the beach anywhere on a stretch that goes for miles and miles.

It is free, and there is a dump station and water fill nearby.

It is heavenly.

Maggie

When I was a much younger man my family and I lived within 12 miles of the NS @ Padre Island and I have a "boat load" of wonderful memories and a few bad ones......namely getting stuck in the sand. And I might add I never once saw any one attempting to pull a travel trailer onto the beach.
That was 40 years ago.
What has changed to make this a possibility now?

Pat

CDONA · 05-19-2016, 11:36 AM

I've seen mohos on the sand in Pismo Beach Ca.

Hittenstiehl · 05-19-2016, 01:33 PM

Along with those
Try:
Port Arenas texas
Sandy neck beach cape cod
Camp gulf, destin florida
Oceana dunes California

One of our bucket items Airstream in the sand in the beach.

KNOW your tide tables
Use/have traction (maxtrax)
Have tow straps
Carry cash
Take some air out of tires

Lily&Me · 05-19-2016, 02:05 PM

I wouldn't try it at South Padre Island, it is North Padre where you can pull out onto the beach, and it is very popular.

You stay on the packed sand, and no problems. Our Interstate has done it....twice.

I don't know what is different from 40 years ago, or where exactly you were, but we were there last in February 2014.

Maggie

mingle51 · 05-19-2016, 07:50 PM

Any closer to Alabama?

GMFL · 05-19-2016, 08:00 PM

Camp Gulf Destin or St George island

**wulfraat** · 05-19-2016, 09:22 PM

Elephant Butte State Park in New Mexico was pretty cool when we boondocked there a couples years ago in March... Gets busy in the summer though.

Rpatrick16 · 05-19-2016, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I wouldn't try it at South Padre Island, it is North Padre where you can pull out onto the beach, and it is very popular.

You stay on the packed sand, and no problems. Our Interstate has done it....twice.

I don't know what is different from 40 years ago, or where exactly you were, but we were there last in February 2014.

Maggie

Maggie...if my memory serves me right..The Padre Island National Seashore is called Malaquite Beach. The northern part of the island is the "County Beach"...there used to be a pier there called Bob Hall Pier. Further north from there the Island is called Mustang Island. This may have all changed since I lived there. The island used to be all one...but a hurricane cut a slice out of it thus a new name was given at the time. This was even before we lived there. South Padre Island is located from Harlingen south towards Brownsville. Regardless...it is a beautiful area. At one time you could drive clear to Mexico on that beach....starting from the Corpus area.

Pat

Lily&Me · 05-20-2016, 05:05 AM

I believe it is at Malaquite where you can drive out onto the beach to camp for free, then using the dump station and water fill at the county campground.

My late husband did the driving back then, and I am a bit geographically challenged....I would have to drive it myself to explain it exactly

...but you can do it there, and we have done it.

It is an incredible experience, camping right on the beach.

Maggie

Rpatrick16 · 05-20-2016, 10:42 AM

Malaquite Beach or for that matter any location on this section of Padre Island is "always windy"....be prepared for a constant gail and blowing sand. I have camped under a lean-to many times on this beach....it's a wonderful place to get a really deep, deep sleep and let the stress just "blow away".

Having lived there it was fun to go out there close to the holidays when everybody else was at home. We'd set up close to the dunes to get out of the wind....build a camp fire and boil fresh shrimp. Lots of wonderful memories.

3wd67rg · 05-20-2016, 11:07 AM

That Padre Island wind is INCREDIBLE! It's like being sandblasted. There was sand inside our tent before we even unzipped it to climb inside. Sleeping on our sheets and pillows was like being sanded all night long. Only the stuff inside our tent kept the tent from being blown away; we even put our cooler inside for the weight. We were glad that it was calm enough in the morning to make coffee and a quick breakfast. After that we packed everything up and drove home, but I found a lake for us to camp at on the way and we spent the rest of our days there. This was pre-airstream. Next year we camped at Mustang Island with our Airstream in their campsites. No wind, but huge clouds of mosquitos. We still had a better time!

drboyd · 05-20-2016, 11:26 AM

We need to see photos of this high-end interior!

Quote:

Originally Posted by mingle51

I've had this dream of boon docking on the beach. I have a vintage airstream 1972 31' land yatch that's been remolded in a modern style like a high end yatch. It has all it needs for glamping, water tank waste tanks, energy source for up to one week of camping. <snip>.

Rpatrick16 · 05-20-2016, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PammieSue

That Padre Island wind is INCREDIBLE! It's like being sandblasted. There was sand inside our tent before we even unzipped it to climb inside. Sleeping on our sheets and pillows was like being sanded all night long. Only the stuff inside our tent kept the tent from being blown away; we even put our cooler inside for the weight. We were glad that it was calm enough in the morning to make coffee and a quick breakfast. After that we packed everything up and drove home, but I found a lake for us to camp at on the way and we spent the rest of our days there. This was pre-airstream. Next year we camped at Mustang Island with our Airstream in their campsites. No wind, but huge clouds of mosquitos. We still had a better time!

"Been there done that"! First experience with this beach was 50 years ago. Lived in Waco at the time. I modified our VW Bug for a 4th of July trip to this very beach. Packed everything including a few bricks to build a campfire break. Left Waco around 7pm...drove the 300 miles arrived at Bob Hall Pier around 3 AM. Wasn't sure what the tide was like but I was exhausted. People were laying around sleeping everywhere. Fearful that I would run over someone...I unloaded an old rug and thru it down on the sand....collapsed on the rug and was asleep in seconds. Morning sun woke me up. Got back in the car and drove down the beach until I saw the last person...then added 10 more miles. Found a deserted location and set up camp. Within minutes my canopy was blown down....my fire wouldn't burn..and the scrambled eggs and bacon filled with sand. By 4 that afternoon all of us were sunburned and we were out of pop and beer. I looked at the wife and asked..."are we having fun yet"...she said no! I said you wanna go back home....she nodded and we were gone within an hour.
Total time spent a bit over 24 hours and we were back in Waco..sunburned beyond belief.
Now we look back and laugh but after moving down there we learned a lot of how to "beach camp" and have a great time.

B00merang · 05-20-2016, 08:20 PM

You cannot park...much less camp... on the beach on St. George Island. But their campground is about 1/4 mile inland. Ditto St. Joe Peninsula SP to the west of St. George (make sure you stop for oysters etc in Appalachicola on the way)...St. Joe's two campgrounds are very close to the beach...one just a dune away. Ft. Clinch north of Jacksonville has a wooded campground next to St. Mary's River and around the corner from the beach. But there is no more trailer camping anywhere on any Fl beaches (my home state). jon

RamRider · 05-21-2016, 09:14 AM

Padre Island's Malaquite Beach camp grounds is our preferred camping destination, $4/night with senior pass, or you can camp on the beach for free, (too sandy for us and you have to be wary of high tide) - we see rv's of all kinds on the sand including diesel pushers. Bob Hall's is a county park with water and electricity only - entire park is paved over. Mustang Island State Park very nice with water and electricity hook ups. An alternative on the National Seashore is Bird Island, $5 per season with senior pass, no hookups and less wind

SuzyHomemakr · 05-23-2016, 04:02 PM

Just got back from Anastasia State Park near St. Augustine, FL. OK, it's not right on the beach, but in a forested setting a short walk away. More beach than you can comfortably walk!

Ft. DeSoto, near St. Petersberg, Fl, also has waterfront campsites. So does Curry Hammock SP in Marathon (The Keys). None of these are boondocking, but sure are nice! And they require reservations far in advance...

As a youth, I did a lot on boondock camping down in Baja. Probably still some of that going on, but maybe a bit riskier nowadays.

Jim Petrovic · 07-24-2016, 07:44 PM

Besides Pismo Beach which is a State park, in central CA there is wonderful BLM camp ground west of Petrolia that is next to the beach. no vehicles are allowed on the beach but walk over or around a dune and you're on the beach. water but no dump. This northern end of the 'Lost Coast' beach trail.
In Washington there a number of dirt access roads off of US 101 that take you to the beach that is maybe 100-200 yards away.