Camper submitted image from Mustang Island State Park Campground - 1

Camper submitted image from Mustang Island State Park Campground - 2

Camper submitted image from Mustang Island State Park Campground - 3

Water

Camper submitted image from Mustang Island State Park Campground - 4

People

Camper submitted image from Mustang Island State Park Campground - 5

Facilities

Established Camping

Mustang Island State Park Campground

29 Reviews

About

State Park

Stay at one of 48 water and electric campsites or 50 drive-up primitive sites. (The water and electric campsites are 1/3 mile from the beach.) We have portable toilets along two miles of the beach. Full restrooms and showers with hot water are located near the water-electric campground.

Suggest an Edit

Location

Mustang Island State Park Campground is located in Texas

Directions

To reach the park, travel southeast from Corpus Christi on State Highway 358 to Padre Island; cross the JFK Causeway; continue one mile to the traffic light; turn left onto State Highway 361 (formerly Park Road 53); and go five miles north to park headquarters, for a total distance of about 22 miles. The physical address of the park is 17047 State Highway 361.

Address

17047 State Hwy 361
Port Aransas, TX 78373

Coordinates

27.6625676687615 N
97.19636482609063 W

Open in Google Maps

The Dyrt Alerts

Get reservations at sold-out campgrounds.

Learn More

Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site

Stay Connected

WiFi
Unknown
Verizon
Unknown
AT&T
Unknown
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group

Features

For Campers

Market
ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Reservable
WiFi
Showers
Drinking Water
Electric Hookups
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
Big Rig Friendly

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

The Dyrt Alerts

Get reservations at sold-out campgrounds.

Learn More

Contact

General Info

Reservations

Joerg M.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 11, 2023

No thills here

The camp ground’s only redemption is the closeness to the national park. There is really nothing there that would you wanna stay there except for that. Next time I would rathe stay at a camp ground one hour drive away from the national park in exchange for a better site.

Site27

Month of VisitDecember

Kimberly M.

Guide

Reviewed Dec. 16, 2022

Close To The Beach!

If you want to be close to the beach and have electric and water hook ups this is the campground! The sites are a little close and nothing fancy but they are close enough to walk to the beach. The bathrooms were clean and the camp hosts were very friendly. The showers were clean but terrible pressure and you had to keep pushing the button in to keep the water running. They did the job but it wasn't very enjoyable. The location is very convenient to exploring the nearby towns and Padre Island. The price is reasonable. I would stay here again.

Month of VisitDecember

(5) View All

Heather E.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 7, 2022

Primitive Beach Camping

Arrived the afternoon of July 4th and waited until day crowd left to choose our campsite - have to go to the right for camping - only 3 cars on the camping stretch - Sandy but totally worth the effort! A bit windy. Bought shrimp at a local seafood market on the way in. Bathroom/shower was okay - but we were very grateful for it! Only frustration was the knucklehead who wanted to film himself doing 360s in his truck … thankfully that only lasted 2 minutes. Also, took the ferry over from the north and left via Corpus Christi to the south.

Site3/4 down the primitive campsites

Month of VisitAugust

Cecil K.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 16, 2022

Great beach camping

Good beach camping! Hiking up the dunes in the evening and morning for wonderful sunrises and sets.
Its a beach, soft sand, peaceful, breezy. We had a good time and would go back.

Month of VisitDecember

Heather E.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 8, 2022

Favorite Texas beach to camp

Waking up to the ocean is a dream come true at Mustang island. The park has 4 designated areas. Close to the entrance and facilities there’s a camp ground with water and electric hookups those are reserve only so make sure if you want that you reserve in advance. Primitive camping is a bit down the way to the right this is where primitive campers can find a nice spot if the day users are crowding the area. There’s portal potties, picnic tables and trash bins day uses tend to navigate to the primitive camping area and take up the picnic tables. Then there’s day use that’s straight ahead from the entrance there’s a big portal potty at the parking lot and a path to the beach. Then there is fisherman pass this is a drive on beach with a few pavilions and tables and the jetty. The park is cleaned every morning and midday by the park staff and park rangers. The staff really does put in a lot of work to keep the beaches and facilities clean. Its $5 per head and $10 for primitive camping and $20 for the hook up campsites. The park usually keeps the beaches at a decent occupancy putting up signs when it’s getting full and won’t let you in. After 6 the non paying people start to flood in at the primitive side during the summer. Make sure to bring lots of sun block and baby powder.

Siteprimitive beach

Month of VisitJuly

(7) View All

James B.

Scout

Reviewed Jan. 12, 2022

Great Beach Great View

Never got tired of hearing the ocean waves a few yards away. The several camp hosts and park staff do a great job of keeping the park and facilities nice.

SitePrimitive Beach

Month of VisitFebruary

Ray & Terri F.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 22, 2021

Nice campground, if a little odd

We were in site 23 for 3 days. The sites were level, but are oddly arranged in pairs, sharing a wide pad, with the utilities in the middle, which puts them on the wrong side for one of the RVs, though most RVs wouldn’t have an issue reaching them. It also puts that sites covered picnic table on the opposite the RV’s door(s), although Class As& Cs would have the option of pulling in rather than backing in, which would address the oddness for them. Also, water pooled on most of the sites when it rained. The puddles weren’t deep, but were rather inconveniently located on many sites. We did encounter swarming biting flies on the North end of the campground. The park does not have any trails, but the beach was nice. Most everyone followed leash regulation here. AT&T coverage was ok, generally between 1-2 Bars of LTE service, with speeds up to about 1 MB/s. Since there are no trees, satellite coverage is not an issue, so we didn’t try to get any OTA channels.

We did have an issue with one side of the dump station backing up when we dumped upon leaving. We notified the office, so presumably that has been resolved.

Site23

Month of VisitMay

Eric B.

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 10, 2021

Great Beach

Beautiful sandy beach in an unspoiled, undeveloped natural area. The campground is essentially a big parking lot, no privacy, no trees.

Jackie R.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 8, 2021

Nice beach park

We camped in the RV area, which has electrical hook ups and water but you have to drive to the dump station. There are nearby bathrooms which are newly renovated and nice, although occasionally people using them to clean off from visiting the beach will make a big mess. Not just sand, but swim diapers and bathing suit tags and that sort of thing. The janitors clean every morning but it’s disappointing when people leave a big mess. Nothing against the park, only against the visitors. There are men and women’s bathrooms, family bathrooms/unisex bathrooms, as well as showers just outside the bathrooms.

Each RV spot is paved and comes with a picnic table and wooden pergola, also a grill for charcoal. We did notice quite a few burr plants so if you have dogs, you might have a problem later in the season when the burr seeds are dry.

You can walk to the beach or drive to the beach. There is tent and primitive RV camping on the beach if you wish, we did see people doing that. We visited around Easter Sunday and it was not too crowded, lots of picnic tables and plenty of space to have fun. We brought along a couple of mesh litter bags and were easily able to fill them up with random garbage that Washington to the beach, it was very satisfying to do that and there are dumpsters and trash cans conveniently located once you’re done with that.

It’s a short drive to Port Aransas or the other way to the edge of Corpus Christi, lots of restaurants and art galleries and all kinds of area attractions. Visit Snoopy’s under the bridge and eat on the deck. You can also take your RV on the ferry boat between Port A and Aransas Pass if you wish. It’s free.

Definitely visit, and go to the beach, and pick up a bag of litter.

(4) View All

Tim W.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 4, 2020

Clean beach front camping

The state park offers two styles of camp sites. Primitive and ones with a little more pizzazz.

Primitive sights are right on the beach. Water is located along the beach and restrooms and rinse off showers are 50 yards away from the sites more towards the main headquarters. Full restrooms are closer to headquarters

Sites with power; Picnic tables Grills Water 50amp hookup Shade shelter Bathroom and showers closer by.

The sites with power are behind the sand dunes. Fires unless in the grill are NOT allowed. For a campfire, go down on the beach.

Jo A.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 28, 2020

Walking distance to water

Great campground close to the drive on beach. No sewer hookups, great bathrooms, and friendly knowledgeable staff.

Chris S.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 23, 2019

Beautiful park

I love this beach. Always enjoy every time . Water is beautiful. Clean no trash . portapotty, picnic tables, trash cans available . Usually little crabs running around. Lots of beach all to yourself

(5) View All

Mendy S.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 25, 2018

Busy on holiday weekends

Amazing! Bring huge kites with tons of string or you will feel left out!

Stacy H.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 2, 2018

It’s ok

It’s not bad for a Texas beach campground. Very little shade, picnic areas could be a bit bigger- it’s texas a s it’s hot, shade is a must.

Alice R.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 29, 2018

Love this place

Not a lot of sites but was clean and great showers unfortunately it was destroyed by hurricane Harvey

Tina H.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2018

camp right on the beach

you are camping right on the beach. you will wake up to the sounds of the ocean, and gorgeous sunrises. since you are right on the beach, bring baby powder to remove sand from your skin. the restrooms here (prior to the hurricane) were not great. the campground has been closed since the hurricane, but they are building new restrooms and they are looking really nice! I’ve seen amazing sea life on this beach including: sea turtles, stingrays, starfish, and blue crabs. I’ve also had a great time shelling on these beaches. you can’t have public display of alcohol because it’s a Texas state park- so it’s not a party spot. however, if you are looking for a peaceful, quiet place to build a campfire and watch the waves roll in, this is your spot.

(9) View All

Brittany S.

Legend

Reviewed Aug. 16, 2018

Peace on a beach!

We have family that lives in Flower Bluff (basically Corpus Christi) and Mustang Island is just 15 miles from Flower Bluff. We usually do Thanksgiving at their house so it is convenient for us to stay here. It is a nice clean beach with some great fishing spots. (Fishing is free and legal in state Texas state parks without a license.)

The beach is away from the touristy areas of Corpus! They do have RV hookups up from the beach, but they have primitive camping directly on the beach with a permit, which is what we do. It is only a short walk to the bathrooms and covered picnic tables. It is just 5 dollars to get in, or free if you have a State Park pass. There is also a little store in the park with snacks and stuff but nothing to fancy. Also bathrooms are port-a-potties, but hey! it's the beach!

You can swim, fish, kayak or hike! The hiking trails are nice, just not a whole lot of shade. Very easy trails nothing to extreme, but great for kids! They also have a wonderful paddling trail along the coastline , so don't forget the kayak!

There is lots to do around the park as well. If you have kids, which is our main concern when going new places, there are a lot of educational attractions. There is an aquarium in Corpus. Don't expect Sea World, it is smaller, but just as fun. There is also the USS Lexington which is my little boy's favorite! You can go inside and tour the ship, plus there are airplanes parked on the top!! We also saw some Sea turtles being releases back into the wild so make sure you check for events around you!!

(14) View All

Chelsea O.

Ranger

Reviewed Jul. 18, 2018

Hot and muggy

The beach here is beautiful, however it’s so hot. You almost have to toss your gear out if you are out there for too long. The winters are a bit better but they are still pretty humid.

Rosa H.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 19, 2018

Beach camping

Love the beach you will love it there

Month of VisitAugust

JJ T.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 19, 2017

Ocean and Wind

The idea of camping on the beach is cool but be prepared for high wind, lots of sand everywhere, and the hot sun. We also went in the summer time so maybe it's better in the fall or spring. Still had a blast though and of course the kids loved the beach and playing in the water and sand.

(4) View All

Kim B.

Ranger

Reviewed Oct. 1, 2016

Water water everywhere

One side is the bay and the other is the ocean, lovely water views everywhere. Some of the beach shelters are pretty cool but everything is still exposed to the weather (heat, sun, wind) and your neighbors. There are a ton of sites at this campground and some are right along the water. Overall it’s nature focused, so plan to spend time here just chilling and relaxing with wildlife.

Gretchen N.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 29, 2016

Mustang Beach Camp

This spot gets 4 stars based on location, though it does have limited sites. If you prefer your space, book in advance and secure one of the few beach primitive spots where you can pick your tent pitch locale. Great location for sunset/sunrise with fun adventures close by: walk the jetty, ride a horse along the beach, or visit the Sea Turtle Rescue site further down the coast.

(8) View All

Talon W.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 26, 2016

Windy but nice!

My wife and I stayed at Mustang Island back in March. The camp area is off the beach behind a dune, and is just a long strip of sites with a bath house towards the entrance. It was surprisingly windy to be behind a dune, but since it's still the beach, that's somewhat expected.

Kayla M.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 26, 2016

Fantastic!

Spent a week in the developed campsite area of the park in December of 2015. Wonderfully maintained table, grill, and tent area. The showers left something to be desired, but I had never been beach camping - so that might be normal.

Loved that the beach was walking distance from camp, but the sites were guarded by the dunes. Really helped fend off the wind.

One of my favorite places in the park was the recreational area further inland. Beautiful sunset (see picture) and lots of crabs to catch!

(4) View All

Shelly S.

Legend

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2016

WINDY!

I'm not from a coastal area so I don't know if the wind is constant, changing w/season, weather or what BUT, very strong wind while I was there! Very clean and well maintained, staff was informative and helpful. 5$ to get in, plus your site fee. Bring your own shade. There were little gazebo sleds but no guarantee you'll get one. Tent camping was right on the beach, RV camping basically a parking lot....showers under the visitor center.

(15) View All

Ryan B.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 1, 2016

Great amenities.

Nice picnic tables on the beach and well maintained showers, in addition to the cleanliness of the whole beach really made this place stand out. Nothing like the beaches that you'll find elsewhere in Corpus Christi.

Jenna W.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 1, 2016

Great Beachside Park

What a lovely beach! I had a great time visiting last summer. There's a $5 entrance fee per person for day use. They also offer camping for both RV's ($20/night) and tents ($10/night).

We got there pretty early in the day, and were able to secure one of the little hut/gazebo things for our belongings. If you see one of them available, grab it! It's nice to have a shady spot to retreat to. The beach was very clean, and much less crowded than I was expecting.

There are porta potties and outdoor showers by the beach, and indoor facilities closer to the road.

(8) View All

Andrea F.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 21, 2016

Very toasty, no shade

Being that this is Texas, it's super hot all day and all night long. It's worse when there is no shade to shield you. Although the breeze is great off of the water, shade would be nice. The area is clean, the beach is clean, and it is about what you can expect from a Corpus Christi beach area camp site. Nothing special, just enough.

(4) View All

Benjamin C.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 24, 2016

beach

site: decent space. no shade. little privacy. (recommend primitive/beach area) amenities: clean. not busy. needed maintance. attractions: close to beach. Wildlife. Day trip, but checked out camping.