#PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE CAMPING FREE#

In the dunes, grasslands, and mud flats, there are also venomous rattlesnakes. Safety - The Portuguese man-of-war, a blue jellyfish with a nasty sting, should be avoided by swimmers and anyone going barefoot on the beach. September through November is a nice time to visit because the weather is still warm enough for swimming but not as scorching or crowded as it is during the summer. Hurricane season (June to October) is the wettest time of year, with the highest surf. The temperature rarely drops below 40☏ (4☌), and a freeze is extremely uncommon. Winters are mild, with highs in the 50s to 70s Fahrenheit (teens to 20s Celsius) and lows in the 40s and 50s Fahrenheit (single digits to the teens Celsius). The heat is moderated by sea breezes in the late afternoon and evening. When to Leave - Summer is the busiest season here, despite the fact that it is hot (highs in the 90s/30s Celsius) and humid. From access Road 2 (Marker 99) to Newport Access Road (Marker 196, no Permit is required with exception of Mustang Island State Development Park which requires an entrance fee. The normal $12 permit is required for any vehicle to park south of this point to marker 99. A special annual pass for RVs parking on the beach is required in the city limits.

#PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE CAMPING FREE#

While there are not a lot of boondocking spots in this section the ones around the Mustang Beach that free and some Permit sites in the Port Aransas area.ĩ Best South Padre Island Vacation Rentals Port Aransas Padre Island Boondocking Fee Informationįrom this point north (excluding the free area between 52-58) until the Horace Caldwell Pier, you are in Port Aransas City limits. Although driving off-road is permitted on some parts of the beach, all vehicles are prohibited from entering the dunes, meadows, and tidal flats.

Pets must be on a leash and are not permitted on the tourist center’s bathing beach. The rules are similar to those at other National Park Service locations, in that visitors must not disturb wildlife or cause harm to the site’s natural features and infrastructure. There is also a $5 user fee in Bird Island Basin. Regulations & Fees - It costs $10 per vehicle (valid for 7 days) or $5 per person on foot or bike to enter for up to 7 days. the rest of the year (closed December 25), and the store is usually open during those hours. from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, and from 8:30 a.m. The visitor center is open from 8:30 a.m. 361/949-9368) hires chairs, umbrellas, body boards, and other beach toys and sells camping and fishing supplies and gifts in the same facility. The park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.Īn observation deck, a bookstore, and a number of displays, including one on the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, are all part of the visitor center complex on Park Road 22 at Malaquite Beach. 361/949-8175) is also maintained by the Park Service. A recorded beach and road-condition information line (tel. 361/949-8068 is the place to go for information. You will find plenty of Padre Island boondocking locations in this northern section. It takes 45 minutes to an hour to drive there. 358 (South Padre Island Dr.) across the JFK Causeway to Padre Island, then south on Park Road 22 to the national seashore.

Getting There - From Corpus Christi, travel southeast on Tex. There are not cell or internet services of any king on these beaches but they are the most pristine in all of the United States.

You will be alone at the southern areas with days going by between potential help if you are stuck in the sand. The northern section has places for all of types of visitors from boondocking and paid spots for RVs of any length and type to the southern section with no services and where a 4WD may not be enough at times. North at the Corpus Christi area, in the center it can be accessed traveling east from Raymondville and on the southern end via Port Isabel. They are all around the island with three major entrance points. South Padre Island Boondocking spots are not hard to locate.

Padre island national seashore camping