Hi folks, this is very interesting reading. I have been in Houston for 23 years and never went to Padre, but always thought about it. Now we have a trailer and can do so.
I am intrigued by the idea of staying on the beach. I would be bringing a family of five, with three small children. I do not want to take ANY chances. Can someone recommend a way to go and enjoy it with relative simplicity and MAXIMUM safety? Sounds great!!
I am intrigued by the idea of staying on the beach. I would be bringing a family of five, with three small children. I do not want to take ANY chances. Can someone recommend a way to go and enjoy it with relative simplicity and MAXIMUM safety? Sounds great!!
Thanks,
Steve
Steve,
Camping on the beach at Padre is straight forward. I went for the first time last winter and will be heading there in a few weeks for the second "first annual beach blast" .
I was pretty on edge about camping on the sand myself. I spent a couple nights in the campground (cheap and toilets). The camp ground is separated from the beach by a berm which also cuts some wind. Another advantage of the campground is the sand is easier to control. You WILL find sand everywhere for at least 8 months, you can trust me on this. During the days I was in the campground I went down to south beach (the camping on the sand area) and checked things out as best I could.
Things I learned: when towing/driving keep to the wet sand so you don't get stuck. Keep an eye on the tides and the wind- bring your weather radio and use it. Talk to the regulars - they know what to keep an eye out for. Finally, the rangers I talked with were all laid back and on the ball - pay attention to what they have to say. My friends who do a month there every winter say they expect to get pushed off the beach about once every stay by storms or tide but they just tow over to bird island for a day or two and head back.
When I head down in a couple weeks I may spend a night in the campground just because I will be getting in late, but other than that I will be on south beach wooping it up.
__________________ "If a man does not have an ideal and try to live up to it, then he becomes a mean, base and sordid creature, no matter how successful." Letter to his son Kermit, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt by Joseph Bucklin Bishop, 1915
Hello Rodney,
We are coming to Texas after the Can Opener rally and seeing Texas for this winter. We would like to try boondocking on the beach also. Is there any restrictions with having dogs? Thanks Annie
Hello Rodney,
We are coming to Texas after the Can Opener rally and seeing Texas for this winter. We would like to try boondocking on the beach also. Is there any restrictions with having dogs? Thanks Annie
Annie,
You are going to have a great time! According to the NPS website for the park:
" Pets are permitted, but must be on a leash. Pets are permitted throughout the park, except for the Malaquite Visitor Center's deck and in the picnic shelter area on the beach directly in front of the Visitor Center. However, guide dogs are exempt from this rule and are permitted throughout the park"
__________________ "If a man does not have an ideal and try to live up to it, then he becomes a mean, base and sordid creature, no matter how successful." Letter to his son Kermit, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt by Joseph Bucklin Bishop, 1915
Thanks for the info Rodney! We will definitely look to do that. I just wish I could bring the boat too! I was going to ask if eight months of cleaning sand out was worth the trip, but since you are going back I think you have answered the question!!
When asking about safety, I really meant potential for crime. We have had some incidents in Galveston on the beach, so was worried about that. But I understand this area has controlled entry so should be safe right?
I don't think I remember any controlled access. You will probably be fairly secluded so you should make your own decision on your safety (we bring ours with us). I should say we never felt any threat to our safety - although my copilot was acutely aware of the coyote tracks we found a hundred yards away.
Also, you might want to check with the ranger station. This is all heresay, but I've heard that a lot of Hurricane Ike debris washed up down there. A quick phone call might help - or comments from recent visitors who might post something here.
Finally, thanks to Monocoque in post #28 for correcting my original misnomer - it is NORTH Padre Island (National Seashore)
Glad to see so much interest in this thread. Maybe next time we're there, we'll run into some of y'all.
__________________
Hey, its the only way to be sure!
Thanks to you too, Tin, and sure I understand "bring our safety with us", I am a Texan!! Just have kids and all that. By controlled entry I was referring to your (I think you?) earlier comment about a ranger station or check in area or something like that? To where someone had some idea of who has come and gone?
I have talked with park officials and the beach is fine. As far as concerns about safety go, there is no need for security. The only people out there (esp this time of year) are fishermen, other campers, and some gas exploration folks. I have absolutely zero concerns in that department.
__________________ "If a man does not have an ideal and try to live up to it, then he becomes a mean, base and sordid creature, no matter how successful." Letter to his son Kermit, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt by Joseph Bucklin Bishop, 1915
So- is the concensus that there is NO beach boondocking on south Padre, that it is RVparks only? I was under the impression that there was a "road" along the beach, north of the development, where you could camp. If this is wrong, can someone reccomend a good campground or RV park?
The best advice I can give everyone coming to camp on the beach is to wash down your whole rig multiple times when you get off the beach & at home. Our normal windy conditions down here are strong and blows the humidity & sand into everything. Your dealing with salt water and everything will subject to corrosion so wash, wash, wash!
Just reading back through this thread, since I'll be headed down to PINS in mid-July. Thanks to all for your contributions to this thread, it's great information for someone like me who has never RV-camped the Texas beaches before.
because of this thread...I am now parked bayside at gooose island state
park arrived early today..after two days at pioneer rv resort in port aransas ( not reqlly a cool plqce...ok but) would not stay there again
and was there only to attend the texas highland lakes unit of the wbcci rally and meet some of those nice folks....left early and wanted to see goose island and the aransas national wildlife refuge...drove there yesterday...butit was closed due to a prescribed burn. that got way out of control and forced the refuge to close to the public but i will return.....
but the rest of the story is i drove the North, and public portion of the padre island shore from downtown port aransas to its end at malaguite beach where the National Seashore of Padre begins...i explored mustang island state park first and then drove to the second mile marker (10) it begins with 5 and they are five miles apart....after mile marker 5 they advise 4wd vehicles and caution with smugglers and illegals........
anyway this research leads to an extended stay at the National Seashore...South Padre over thanksgiving...i will report back then
Seashores
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because of this thread...I am now parked bayside at gooose island state
arrived early today..after two days at pioneer rv resort in port aransas ( not reqlly a cool plqce...ok but
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