With more than 70 miles of unspoiled coastline and 130,000 acres of pristine sand dunes and grassy prairies, it’s fair to say there’s no place quite like the Padre Island National Seashore.
From the beach to the bay, Padre Island National Seashore offers countless opportunities to discover and enjoy the amazing recreation and resources of the park. Take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico or build a sandcastle. Swim in the recreation area at Bird Island Basin or in the Gulf of Mexico. Use caution when swimming and never swim alone. Strong currents flowing parallel to the beach, tides flowing to-and-from the beach, and sudden drop-offs in the Gulf floor can be dangerous for swimmers and waders alike.
Padre Island National Seashore has access to the Laguna Madre waters through the boat ramps at Bird Island Basin. The boat ramps are located separately from the campground at Bird Island Basin limiting traffic through the campground. There is plenty of parking at the boat ramps for day use but the boat ramp parking can still fill up quickly. Spring and fall usually are the busiest as anglers use Bird Island Basin as a closer entry point to access the legendary Baffin Bay in search of trophy trout.
Padre Island National Seashores’ access to the flat waters of the Laguna Madre has been recognized as one of the best windsurfing locations in the U.S. Bird Island Basin has year-round wind and also warm water for nine months of the year. Windsurfing rentals are available at Bird Island Basin as well as windsurfing lessons.
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Fishing is readily available while camping at Bird Island Basin. Wade fishing in front of the campground provides easy access to fish for redfish, flounder, speckled trout, and other fish. Kayak rentals are also available at the Worldwinds facility on-site at Bird Island Basin.
All campgrounds are open year-round. No reservations are accepted as camping is first-come, first-served. Campers must have a camping permit which is available from the kiosks at the entrances of each campground. There are no RV hook-ups anywhere in the park but an RV dump station and a water filling station are available for all campers staying in the park. Camping is permitted only in the five camping areas available for public use.
Located on the southern end of North Padre Island, the Padre Island National Seashore is just a short 10 miles from the city limits of Corpus Christi. Visitors who do not wish to camp at the Seashore can enjoy staying close by in an RV park in Corpus, Portland, Rockport-Fulton, or Port Aransas.
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Padre Island National Seashore is the most important nesting beach in the U.S. for Kemp’s Ridley, the most endangered sea turtle in the world. The park has been a participant in a bi-national, multi-agency effort to save the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle since 1978. The park also participates in global efforts to recover the populations of four other threatened and endangered sea turtle species.
Hatchling releases typically occur from mid-June through August. Most releases that are open to the public take place at 6:45 a.m. on Malaquite Beach in front of the Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore.
Padre Island has particularly varied birdlife. Most common are laughing gulls, sandpipers, geese, and herons but over 380 species of birds are sighted at the park which, impressively, represents roughly half of the all documented bird species in North America.
Diamondback rattlesnakes, coyotes, deer, and rabbits live in the dunes while ghost crabs inhabit the area just above the high tide mark and are responsible for the many small holes in the dry sand that mysteriously stay unblocked, even when sand is blown about by the strong sea breezes that affect the island during most summer afternoons. The endangered sea turtle may also occasionally be spotted, and during the egg-laying season, park rangers patrol the beaches looking for any signs of activity.
The shoreline is also home to a host of marine life including jellyfish, frogs, and 149 species of fish. The nearby dunes inhabit the spotted ground squirrel, white-tail deer, and coyotes.
Observe the flora and fauna of the area by hiking the ¾-mile Grasslands Nature Trail or by going on a guided birding tour. Visitors can enjoy seeing deer, coyotes, birds in the wetlands, and beach shorelines. Hiking, bicycling, or walking through the Padre Island National Seashore is a great way to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the park.
Padre Island has long, hot summers and short, mild winters. The most rain falls near the beginning and end of the hurricane and tropical storm season which lasts from June to October.
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Daytime temperatures in the spring average in the 70s-80s with lows in the 50s-60s.
Daytime temperatures during summer are usually in the mid-90s with very humid conditions. Lows are usually in the 70s. Afternoon and evening sea breezes help to moderate temperatures.
During fall the daytime temperatures average in the 70s-80s with lows in the 50s-60s.
High temperatures during winter are usually between 50 and70 degrees but can occasionally drop into the upper 30s. Sudden, strong cold fronts can move through bringing gale-force winds and dropping temperatures quickly. The wintertime climate is typically dry though most of the year’s rainfall occurs in the winter.
The average rainfall for the southern end of the park is 26 inches and 29 inches for the northern end of the park.
Texas Spoken Friendly
Worth Pondering…
Nature, it seems, has a way of returning things to how they should be.
— Fennel Hudson