John W. Schulze/Flickr Creative Commons
A whole bunch of people know all about Galveston, South Padre, Surfside, Corpus, Port Aransas and all the usual spots on Texas’ Gulf Coast, but not as many know about the little gems we’ll be discussing today. If you like to swim, fish, see some spectacular scenery, and don’t particularly enjoy the crowds that come with those activities, then today’s blog might help point you in a lower traffic direction. Let’s hit the road!
First stop is Goose Island State Park. Just up the peninsula from Port Aransas is Rockport. Just across the bridge from Rockport and after you turn right on Park Road 13 is Goose Island State Park. Goose Island itself is in Aransas Bay and is home to some great fishing, campsites, and The Big Tree. Folks That Know reckon that The Big Tree was better than 500 years old when Cabeza de Vaca first landed in Texas in 1528, putting the tree’s age at more than 1000 years old. When you think of how many hurricanes, how much wind, how much drought, frost, and just regular old idiots this old tree has survived…it is truly a thing of wonder.
While we’re in the area, let’s head to Mustang Island State Park. If we use Port Aransas as the starting point like we did for Goose Island, you simply drive south from Port Aransas on Hwy 361 until you arrive at Mustang Island State Park (pssst! Port Aransas is the northern tip of Mustang Island). Mustang Island State Park is home to some of the cleanest beaches on the Texas Gulf Coast. At the park you can rent a kayak and paddle your way through better than twenty miles of paddle trails, or if you prefer, the surf and sand are some of the best in the state. Bike trails also criss cross the park if two-wheeled pedal-powered adventures are your thing.
Although we love visiting Galveston and Padre, there’s more to the shore. And before you hit the beach, hit us up on the website for all those camping and grilling goodies!