Padre Island National Seashore

Padre Island National Seashore is a park in Texas, United States of America. Located along the south Texas coast, Padre Island National Seashore protects the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world. Here, you can enjoy of sandy beaches, wind-carved dunes, vast grasslands, fragile tidal flats, and warm, nearshore waters.

History
Padre Island has remained a wilderness for most of its existence. From the time of the earliest Amerindians to the present day, development has never really touched the barrier island, except within the last 100 years. The island has been claimed by four flags: Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the United States. The island's grasslands made it a very popular grazing ground for local ranchers.

In 1962, the federal government set aside a 70-mile length of the barrier island as a protected area, especially for rare species such as Kemp's ridley sea turtle, one of the rarest sea turtle species in the world.

Visitor information

 * Park website

By car
From Corpus Christi, take the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway to Padre Island and then follow Texas Park Road 22 south to the park entrance.

Fees and permits
The park entrance fee is $15 per vehicle (for that day), or $25 for 7 days. An annual park pass may be obtained for $40, and is valid for a year after the day of purchase. Please note that this is a pass to Padre Island National Seashore only.

Get around
The roads are simple. There's only 3. Beach Access is in two places: - North: usually ok for 2wd. Smaller section of beach, but it's before the park entry station so people often opt for this. - South: on the south side of the Malaquite Visitors Center, Park Road 22 runs into the beach. The first few miles are usually ok for 2wd; 4wd or AWD is recommended for anything past mile 5.

No driving on the beach area between North and South Access points. This includes the beach in front of Malaquite Visitors Center.

Buy
Malaquite Visitors Center is open daily 9-5. Selection is limited. Operated by Western National Parks Association (WNPA).

Sleep
Note that no reservations are taken for camping. Call Malaquite Visitor Center at +1 361 949-8068 to check on availability in the campgrounds. Space is almost always available on the beaches, unless they are closed due to unusually high tides.

Go next

 * South Padre Island, a small resort town on the southern tip of Padre Island