How to Enjoy Padre Island National Seashore

Encompassing 133,000 acres of barrier islands, Padre Island National Seashore is known for its white-sand beaches and a plethora of recreational opportunities. In addition, its proximity to Corpus Christi, Texas, means you will also have access to a variety of cultural pursuits as well as some good restaurant and lodging options.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Reservations
• Maps
• Trail Guides
• Car
• Binoculars
• Cameras
• Walking Shoes
• Sunscreen

1. Decide when to go. The park is open all year, as is the visitor center, which conducts interpretive activities year-round. Summer temperatures can be very warm, while winter temperatures may occasionally be too cool to swim or hit the beach.
2. Choose your transportation. You can fly into Corpus Christi, then rent a car and drive southeast to the park. There is no regularly scheduled public or commercial transportation into or within the park.
3. Choose lodging. There is no lodging in the park, but you can stay in motels on the island. The park's two campgrounds are semi- or completely primitive, and fill on a first-come, first-served basis. No camping reservations are accepted. You can also primitive camp on the gulf side of the island, but camping on the dunes, which are ecologically sensitive, is not permitted.
4. Stop at the visitor center, located at Malaquite Beach, and pick up maps, trail guides and books on the area. You can also watch a 12-minute orientation to the park, and get instructions on staying safe within the park's boundaries.
5. Explore the beaches. Whether you drive or walk, be sure to see the miles and miles of beaches and interior grasslands. You can also walk the 3/4-mile Grasslands Nature Trail, located near the park entrance station.
6. Look for sea turtles. Endangered sea turtles nest at the park, and some have their eggs collected for incubation at a ranger station. After eggs hatch, the young turtles are released into the Gulf of Mexico, and park guests can watch and learn about the turtles. Call the Hatchling Hotline at [phone] for information on upcoming sea turtle release dates and times.
7. Go birding. The Texas Coast is one of the country's prime birding locations. Best times for birding are during spring and fall, when migratory birds funnel across the Gulf Coast. Be sure to pick up a checklist to keep track of what's around.
8. Do a beach cleanup. Garbage from the Gulf of Mexico frequently washes up on the beaches of the park. Rangers will be glad to give you a trash bag and direct you to a beach that needs picking up.
9. Travel "down island." More than 50 miles of beach are open to four-wheel-drive vehicles, which means you can do a lot of exploring in isolated areas. Be sure to check in at the visitor center before you go for a list of driving and safety regulations.
10. Enjoy the recreational activities that the park is famous for: surfing, swimming, windsurfing, shelling, fishing and sunbathing.
11. Consider visiting some of the nearby attractions in Corpus Christi. Here you'll find the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, the Texas State Aquarium, the International Kite Museum, the Art Museum of South Texas, and many more cultural and recreational offerings.

Tips & Warnings

• To contact the park directly, write to Padre Island National Seashore, P.O. Box 181300, Corpus Christi, TX 78480-1300, or call [phone].
• There's a shed in front of the visitor center where you can rent beach chairs, bodyboards, beach umbrellas and inner tubes during the summer.
• If you're worried about running into rowdy kids spending spring break on South Padre Island, be aware that you are widely separated by an impassable channel, so are unlikely to be bothered.
• If you are caught with an endangered Kemp's-Ridley sea turtle, or with any part of the turtle or its eggs, you will be charged with a felony and fined up to $20,000.
• Several species of jellyfish - including the dreaded Portuguese man-of-war - are found in the waters off the park. Watch for jellyfish when you are swimming and beware of stepping on any that may have washed up onto the beach.
• In summer, the sand on the beach is very hot, so be sure to wear thongs or shoes when crossing the sand.
• Summer and fall mark hurricane season in the Southeast. Be sure to check the weather report occasionally to listen for hurricane warnings or evacuation orders.