Padre Island National Seashore
Padre Island, the longest remaining undeveloped barrier island in the world, stretches for 110 miles along the Texas Gulf Coast. The national seashore occupies over 80 miles of uninhabited island paradise, a place where the warm and gentle waters of the Gulf of Mexico caress white sand beaches. Padre Island is named for Padre Jose Nicolas Balli, who built a mission on the island in the early 1800s to Christianize the native Karankawa Indians. Read More »
Padre Island National Seashore Highlights
- Padre Island National Seashore, just 25 miles south of Corpus Christi, is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world. The east side, on the Gulf of Mexico, stretches 66.5 miles and is ideal for sea kayaking the big surf.
- Much of the island is accessible only by four-wheel drive or by boat.
- For excellent kayak fishing, head over to Yarborough Pass, 18 miles south of the entrance to Padre Island. Accessible only by four-wheel drive, this part of the beach is secluded and offers excellent opportunities to primitive camp without needing a reservation. It’s situated on the central flyway for migrating birds, so lookout for unusual waterfowl and migratory birds.
- Sixty miles of white sandy beaches make up Padre Island National Seashore. Malaquite Beach is a semi-private campground with water, restrooms, showers, and a concession stand. It has 50 designated sites (8 for tent camping, 26 for tent or RV camping, and 16 for RV's only). There are no hook-ups. There is a 14-day limit for all camping areas.
- Rated as one of the top windsurfing areas in the US, and one of the top birding areas of Padre Island, Bird Island Basin charges $5 per day—or a $10 annual fee—to camp at the primitive campsite with pit toilets. There is a free boat launch ramp on the basin.
- Padre Island National Seashore has approximately 60 miles of beach from which to fish, but only the first five miles are accessible without four-wheel-drive vehicles. The better fishing areas are further down the beach in more remote locations.
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Padre Island National Seashore Travel Q&A
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What You Can Do in Padre Island National Seashore
Articles & Advice on Padre Island National Seashore
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- Fly Fishing the Texas Coast
- Fly Fishing the Surf: Padre Island (North End)
- Fly Fishing the Texas Coast
- Upper Laguna Madre (East Shoreline)
- Paddling Our Wild Shores
- Padre Island National Seashore, Texas
- Winter Wandering
- The South
- Great American Beach Adventure
- Wildlife Viewing at Padre Island
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Parks Near Padre Island National Seashore
- Laguna Madre, TX (19 mi.)
- Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, TX (46 mi.)
- Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, TX (60 mi.)
GEARZILLA: The Gorp Gear Blog
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