Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Padre Island National Seashore

Drive, camp and beachcomb along about 65 miles of undeveloped Gulf beach, and watch sea turtle hatchling releases in summer.

20420 Park Road 22 · Corpus Christi, TX

About Padre Island National Seashore

The national seashore protects a long stretch of a narrow barrier island, with about 65 miles of Gulf beach, one of the last intact coastal prairies in the country and the hypersaline Laguna Madre. Most of the beach is reachable only by four-wheel drive, and you can camp right on the sand. The Malaquite Visitor Center on Park Road 22 is the main stop. In mid-summer, rangers hold sea turtle hatchling releases, and the park is a globally important area for migratory birds.

#national seashore
#beach camping
#sea turtles
#birding
#beach driving

Printable maps

What's around here?

The closest stops to Padre Island National Seashore, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Attractions
Family Favorite
Texas State Aquarium
Under $25
The largest aquarium in Texas, focused on Gulf Coast marine life and wildlife conservation, on the Corpus Christi bayfront.
Transit: reachable by public transit
28 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions
Museums
History Buff
USS Lexington Museum
$25–$50
Walk the flight deck of a World War II aircraft carrier on Corpus Christi Bay and explore the ship on self-guided tours.
Transit: reachable by public transit
28 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Sightseeing
Family Favorite
Corpus Christi
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Official tourism guide to Corpus Christi, Texas, covering Gulf Coast beaches, hotels, and attractions.
28 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Tours
History Buff
King Ranch
Under $25
Take a guided tour past Quarter Horses, Santa Gertrudis cattle and historic buildings on an 825,000-acre working ranch.
37 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours
Sports & Outdoors
Outdoor Adventure
Goose Island State Park
Under $25
Camp under live oaks on the Texas coast, fish from a 1,620-foot pier and visit the Big Tree, a coastal live oak thought to be 1,000 years old.
53 mi awayMore like this
Sports & Outdoors
Lake Corpus Christi State Park
Under $25
A Texas state park on the shore of Lake Corpus Christi, known for fishing, boating, camping, and birdwatching in South Texas brush country.
56 mi awayMore like this