Corpus Cristie and Padre Island

There are several opportunities to camp on the beach with nothing but sand between you and the ocean. But it's not an 'alone' experience.

Most hookup campgrounds are separated from the ocean/beach by a small grassy sand dune. But plenty close enough to smell the ocean.

Mustang Island State Park has 50Amp/Water sites with a dump station nearby. Showers and toilet building. It is a parking lot type camping area but a nice small picnic table for each site.

The state park also has a mile and a half for beach open for overnight camping. Can be crowded on weekends. Check with the rangers before driving onto the sand/ beach. I've seen 35 footers down the beach. But not sure I would do it.Mustang Island SP

There are two county parks with RV facilities including water and electric hookups on the offshore islands - I.B. Magee Beach Park near the Port Aransas channel (north end of Mustang Island) and Padre Balli Park right at the edge of the Padre Island National Seashore. When I was last there in October - I found Magee better, but Padre Balli has a better location - Nueces County Beach Parks

The City of Port Aransas allows RVs to stay 3 nights on the beach - must have the county $12 parking sticker - Port Aransas Beach Info

Padre Island National Seashore has one organized campground - nice - but no hookups - cold water rinse showers - Malaquite Campground - $8 per night - Malaquite

There is also camping at several other locations - including 65 miles of beach - though you must have a 4WD to go past the 5 mile marker.

Again - be very careful and check with rangers before going onto the beach with a heavy vehicle - especially an RV.

Towing charges to pull it out could be huge - think a few thousand - if you were to get a heavy RV stuck four miles down the beach.

There are some commercial campgrounds - various review sites will give you information about them. Port Aransas is on the Mustang Island end and the Padre Island end is in the City of Corpus Christi.

Look under those cities - but under Corpus - all the commercial campgrounds are on the mainland side of the bay.

The only commercial park in the area we've stayed was Ransom Road RV Park in Aransas Pass - very nice. Not too distant - but definitely not on the beach. We've been very happy with Mustang Island State Park and will be going back there.

There is a nice campground at Padre Island National Seashore. Also a section of beach where you can camp. There is a dump station with potable water.

Check out our blog with pictures on our travels along the Gulf Coast....From Galveston to Brownsville....Dennis

A lttle Northeast up the coast is Port Lavaca. City owned campground with some Beachfront spots FHU..on the bay rather the Gulf.
We Like it.

No electric hook ups anywhere on the beach or at Bird Island basin or Maliquite campground (see photos of Malaquite above). You could stay at Neuasis country park (basically a concrete slab parking lot) located near the pass and only a few yards from the beach. It has electric and water plus dump station.

There is approximately 70 miles of beach camping and you can go as remote as you want but a lot of that distance requires 4x4 vehicle. There are about 15 miles of beach front where no 4 wheel drive is necessary.

Good luck and enjoy the trip / Skip

Thanks. We stopped at Mustang Island a State Park. Good to have electric with the cold weather!

To quote my post on another topic:

"DW & I were in Texas mid-October. Drove from St Louis through Arkansas to Dallas to see some friends. Spent a couple of Days in San Antonio. Wife LOVED the river walk and the Alamo. The next highlight of our trip was Mustang Island SP, one of my Had-To's. Gavelston Island was next and between the two GI had the better campground, but MI had the better beach, in our opinion. Camped our way back through LA, into Ark and Petit Jean SP. Great trip "

Hope this helps.

John S wrote:
Thanks. We stopped at Mustang Island a State Park. Good to have electric with the cold weather!

Yea, you picked a bad day to go to the beach :(
It will be back in the 70's by Friday

Look at the bright side, it's better than being back in Chicago :)

Mustang Island State Park is our favorite. Corpus Christi Naval Air Station is about two miles away. Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington is located in Corpus Christi harbor and is very interesting to go through and view restored aircraft which flew off her decks during WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War. Lots of other things to see and do in Corpus Christi, along with deep sea fishing at Port Aransas about thirteen miles from the park.

No one mentioned Goose Island State Park.....right on the water...Dennis