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Dispersed Camping

Follett’s Island Beach

12 Reviews

Follett’s Island Beach, near Galveston, Texas, is a laid-back spot for those who crave a simple beach camping experience. This location offers free camping right on the sand, allowing you to set up your tent just steps away from the water.

Visitors rave about the compact sand that makes it easy for all types of vehicles to access the beach without getting stuck. Campfires are allowed here, which is a rare treat for beach camping, and many campers have enjoyed cozy evenings by the fire while soaking in the sounds of the waves. As one camper put it, “They allow campfires here!”

The area is known for its spaciousness, giving you plenty of room to find your own slice of paradise. Reviewers have mentioned the minimal traffic during the week, making it a peaceful retreat, while weekends can get a bit busier with families and trucks parked along the shore. If you’re looking to stock up on supplies, keep in mind that amenities are sparse, so it’s best to come prepared.

Follett’s Island Beach is perfect for those who want to disconnect and enjoy nature. With stunning sunrises and a chance to spot local wildlife, it’s a great place to unwind. Just remember to bring your own water and be ready for a truly primitive camping experience.

Description

Municipal

Follett's Island is the 13-mile stretch of public access beach along the Gulf of Mexico that protects Christmas Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway from severe weather, and provides the community with free entertainment and relaxation. Visitors of Follett's Island enjoy fishing, swimming, and camping along the beach year round. The beach is available via public access entrances along Bluewater Highway, or CR 257.

Reservation Info

No person shall camp on any public beach for a period greater than 14 consecutive days.

No permits needed

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Location

Follett’s Island Beach is located in Texas

Coordinates

29.03560522 N
95.17589755 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

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

Site Types

Tent Sites
Dispersed

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Trash
Phone Service
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Pull-Through Sites
Big Rig Friendly

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.

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Contact

General Info

Reservations

+14793220791

Drive Time

1 hr 16 min from Houston
2 hrs 6 min from Victoria
2 hrs 9 min from Beaumont
2 hrs 23 min from College Station

Jadon B.

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 15, 2025

Beach Access #5

We had a blast! We were living on the beach in our 39ft skoolie for 5 days over christmas!

Month of VisitDecember

(5) View All

Josh M.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 2, 2023

Amazing experience

We drove our 32ft class C (with tow dolly attached) on the beach without any issue getting in or out, and we saw multiple 2 wheel drive vehicles drive allllll the way down the beach. The sand is compact basically all the way throughout the entire beach. The weather was cloudy when we were there but the potential for a beautiful sunrise on the beach is there. There weren’t a lot of people on the beach during the week, but the weekend was slammed with all sorts of trucks and cars parked on the beach. Some small businesses drove by selling goods from their vehicles, like ice cream trucks and flags.

Oh! And you know the scenes in movies where they have a campfire on the beach? But no beach ever allows a campfire? They allow them here!

Sitebeach access 3

Month of VisitMarch

(6) View All

Cultivating Fire L.

Ranger

Reviewed Sep. 29, 2022

Quiet spot right on the water

We camped out on the beach for three days at a few different locations and had no problems other than soft sand at one of the access roads (check before you drive into the sand) Minimal traffic in September and the beach was still cleaned of seaweed and debris daily due to the hurricane and higher tides - but we only had water touch our tires one night. Overall, great spot! Just pick your driving lanes and parking spots carefully without 4x4

Month of VisitSeptember

(5) View All

Gary N.

Traveler

Reviewed Jan. 20, 2022

A weekend getaway

Class B camping. Had beach mostly to ourselves. Primitive camping with no amenities. Just what we were looking for.
Clean and plenty of room. Good cell services. Not much in the area so pack your pantry in advance.

Sitenot applicable

Month of VisitJanuary

Stefan H.

Scout

Reviewed Dec. 29, 2021

Great free beach camping spot

Free beach camping between access 3 and 5. Stayed here end of December. Nice temperatures and great view on the gulf. A lot of space. Some campers but a lot privacy. Sand is not soft so no 4x4 required. You have to he self sustained since there is nothing here...just you and the gulf.

Month of VisitDecember

Mitchell M.

Guide

Reviewed Nov. 26, 2021

100 Ft from Water

Very nice strip of beach. Very easy to access regardless of car type you have, won’t get stuck in sand. This is a 13 mile Long Beach, so amenities may be far and few. Didn’t have any at the spot I stayed. There are multiple beach access points and you can drive right on and drive where you need to get privacy. There was no trash where I stayed and no debris. There is a sand and grass barrier between the beach and the main road. Water is about 100-150 feet from top of beach. Being November, the temperature was mild and there weren’t that many bugs nor people. Lots of gas stations and stores along the way. No need to pay or get permit besides a $2 toll when coming from the East through Galveston.

Month of VisitNovember

(4) View All

BL E.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 26, 2021

South was better Beaching!

Free beach camping, No reservations needed! We went on a weekend late July 2021, NO PROBLEM finding space. Recommend some type of canopy or awning, Texas Sun is HOT! Plan ahead, stores are few and far between. NO amenities, water, showers or hookups of any kind. Tmobile Cell service wasn't the best. Generator usage is allowed, but you barely could hear any due to all the space between campers & the WAVES SOUNDING SO AMAZING! Sunrise was beautiful! I'll go again!

Pros: Amazing View, Lots of Space, No harassment, Ice Cream & Food Trucks pass throughout the day (if you have a sweet tooth), beach sand is compacted so you shouldn't get stuck, several beach access roads to enter from. Camp fires 🔥 are permitted & I found firewood laying around.

Cons: North part of island has LOTS of debris, dead trees, branches, etc. No trash cans or porta pottys either (we didn't mind that, but be prepared to take your trash with & have a bucket for your business, lol). A goofball left all their trash scattered when they departed after their 3 hr beach adventure. Most everyone was mindful of leaving things clean. MORE trash cans could help.

SiteThink we went in @ Access point 2.

Month of VisitJuly

(4) View All

Lea B.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 19, 2021

Be Ready for the Bugs

Pros: Loved camping on the beach. No problem on the sand. No problem finding a space even on a busy Sunday afternoon. Water was great!

Cons: No trash cans in site. The bugs were immune to EVERY form of insect repellent we threw at them.

That being said. We’d go back.

Siten/a

Month of VisitJune

Nat&Rach C.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 14, 2021

Reggie’s first beach

Fabulous night’s sleep and morning swim and cup of joe! The stars were excellent at night and the sea breeze made for amazing sleeping weather. The morning brought warm sun which allowed for a pleasant frolic in the ocean after waking.

Plenty of space for privacy, very quiet. Sand is very packed and we had no trouble getting in and out. $2 toll if coming from Galveston, so if you come in from the west, this can be avoided.

John H.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 5, 2021

Free Beach camping

Parked on beach with nobody else in sight. Hard to beat free camping on the beach.

Lisa S.

Ranger

Reviewed Mar. 20, 2021

Free Beach Camping

Saturday, March 20,2021 Surfside Beach Access Road #4 Third day here. Temp 72°, light breeze, bright sun.

A couple of other camping rigs in the distance early this morning along with two část fishermen with pickups at water’s edge. My dogs ran free.

I moved up here from Access Road #1 two days ago to get away from people and noise congestion and was successful.

Any vehicle can drive on the upper beach and there is light traffic during the day from beach day users. Late Last night, there were kids doing wheelies in their pick ups and a very loud ATV blasted by around 2:00 AM so if this kind of thing keeps you awake you’ve been forewarned.

You won’t find camping amenities here, just sun, sand, and surf rolling in with waves big enough for light surfing. Apparently, the fishing is pretty good, too.

The Freeport beaches are popular, but clean (I picked up one small bag of trash from around my site. The County came through this morning with a clean up detail of four.) The beach is wide and there are very small Dunes on the up side to camp against. No chance of water encroaching on your campsite.

Love it here.

(4) View All

Andrea P.

Guide

Reviewed Aug. 24, 2019

Free beach getaway

You get what you pay for, but it’s still not bad. I would definitely come again. Flat packed sand makes it easy to drive any type of vehicle on the beach. There are no fees for driving on the beach, and no fees to camp over night.

It’s tricky to find because there are only two access roads and you have to drive one way on the beach, so don’t miss the small sign that says free beach access road. There is not much info on the county website either on the address just a “general idea” on how to get here. But if you are down for a little driving adventure to find it, it’s pretty chill.

There are porta potties every couple hundred feet and trash cans every few feet. So there are plenty of trash cans but the beach is a bit dirty.

Pets allowed, on leash. I brought my small dog Yoshi with me in this camping trip.

I have Verizon and have 3 bars LTE.

You can have small fires on the beach but only if there isn’t a burn ban, which right now I’m pretty there is so I didn’t bring anything with me.

Nice surprise is that there is an ice cream truck that goes by every now and then. Some people may not like it, but I think it’s nice.

(10) View All

Enjoy dispersed camping on government land and leave no trace. Pack in and pack out. No (or limited) services at this camping area. Permit may be required.