If you're looking for a place to dispersed camp near Matagorda, look no further. With The Dyrt, it's easy to find peaceful dispersed camping near Matagorda. You're sure to find the perfect dispersed campgrounds for your Texas camping adventure.
Be aware of the tides and high tide line when choosing a beach campsite. Strong winds or storms can significantly elevate tides and create hazardous conditions along the Gulf Coast.
A $10 permit is required to drive on the beach, but camping is free.
If you do not want to drive on the beach, you can walk with your gear and do not have to pay the $10 fee.
Camping on the beach is welcomed in Matagorda and there are no additional fees to camp. You can camp anywhere on the beaches in Matagorda county including Jetty park for up to 72 hours. Tents and RVs are permitted but beware of the soft sand if you are bringing an RV. See below for information on parking areas if you do not or can not drive onto the sand.
If you don’t want to drive onto the beach there are a couple of parking areas within walking distance. The first and best area is Jetty Park at the end of FM 2031. This is a County Park and there is no usage fee. There are bathrooms, outdoor showers, and covered picnic tables as well as a walking pier and the Colorado River Jetties.
Free camping is available on Magnolia Beach for 14 nights. It is one of the best beaches on the Texas Gulf coast that offers free RV camping! Port Lavaca and Magnolia Beach is located in the Matagorda Bay.
From miles of sandy beaches, pristine bays and bayous, to bottomland hardwood forests, come experience the diverse and beautiful landscapes that Brazoria County has to offer. Also, there's great fishing, camping, paddling, and birding - all of which you can find within Brazoria County Parks.
Included in our park system are 10 parks, 23 miles of sandy beaches, 21 boat ramps, two RV campgrounds, historical homes, interpretive centers, day use facilities, playgrounds, horseshoe and volleyball pits, and picnic areas. We also offer meeting room, cabin, dormitory, pavilion, and chapel rentals.
Guide
Drove in on a Monday and love it already. They were combing the beach section I came in on and I picked the first spot that was at least 100 yds away from the only two others that were there. So far so great.
ScoutDoes not have the white sands of South Padre, but not much of a chance of getting stuck unless you really try. Dodge 2wd 1500 pulling 10 ft trailer with no issues getting in and out. Very quite during the week. There is some trash around and that is sad. We picked up every day but still needs help fosterm all. Weekend it get a bit crowed and becouse of the hard pack sand, some people we're going alot faster then the 15 mile an hour speed limit. Weelend also brings vender trucks coming down the beach all the time. We were a bit irritated at 1st but then bought ice-cream LOL We live in Fort Worth and the trip here is about 200 miles shorter then South Padre so it will be a great place to hit when we dont want to travel that extra 200
Scout
No sand, only rocks. One set of bathrooms was very dirty and the other set were locked. All the best area say no camping.
TravelerRight by the gulf and on shell and coral covered beach. Free camping for all types up to 14 days.
RangerHard packed sand. Tide is safely far from the rig. Boondocking and waking up to the ocean sound is amazing. Take a walk with a garbage bag and help pick up liter left by others
TravelerGreat place to park. Pulled in with 23 ft trailer and no problems. No amenities. Great spot to camp for up to 14 days. Few other campers but plenty spread out. Love this spot.
Scout
This is a very beaten up part of a beach, but great for free camping! I would come here again for the camping part, not for a beautiful scenery(there's a factory right over the water on the other side which meant I did not want to swim in this), definitely not for the showers or restroom, but I would to sleep. The showers are absolutely horrendous. I told myself even if they were cold I'd use them, but these don't look to have been used in years and are DIRTY. Same as the bathroom, but those I'd have to use. It's beautiful to wake up to a beach no matter what and the best thing is that you don't need 4x4 to go here. It's hard shell beach, so there's no way you're getting stuck. Me and my friend used the outdoor shower made to wash off sand to rinse our bodies, but I wouldn't do a full wash in it. I also loved the fact that I could go to San Antonio and Houston then come back to the beach! I know it's about 2 hours away, but I definitely do not want to stay in a hot city. The best part about this place is if you keep your windows open at night a very nice breeze will keep you cool.
RangerWe have stayed here multiple times in our camper van. There were RV’s there, other camper vans, and tents! There are no hook ups, water, or trash available - pack it in, pack it out, please! Driving along the sand packed beach was easy. Plenty of space to spread out. Obviously it’s not clear water and white sand beach, but the view is still amazing and listening to the ocean waves is dreamy. There are a few convenience stores nearby, but it’s highly recommended to stop for groceries elsewhere. Cell signal is strong
GuideKind of an off the beaten place but a real gem for Boondocking.
ScoutPlenty of space water is very calm not much noise especially at night definitely would go back Free 👍
Traveler
This is camping in the sand on Matagorda Beach.
No accommodations. Will need 4 x 4 to get out and down the beach.
Be sure to get a beach parking permit from the gas station before crossing the bridge, costs $10.
Plenty of driftwood to gather for huge bonfires that we do every time we go.
Very secluded, usually no one passes by if you down far enough.
It’s the Gulf, so the water is yeah…but lots of shells if you are into that, and even surfing back down near beach entrance.
Just a great spot to go get away from it all and camp in the sand and make a huge bonfire.
GuideBeautiful views, but the weekends get very busy. I stayed the full 2 weeks and loved my time there! Free bathrooms and showers if you are willing to brave the cold water. No warm water - But it’s free! Definitely glad I stayed.
ScoutGreat setting on the beach with water at your back door. Site is ground seashells (hardpacked) for a great road surface to drive on and park your rig. There are shower/ bath houses at the east end of the camping area. Did I mention that it is FREE?!
GuideWe have been here 3 days and staying 2 more. Have showers and restrooms but we haven't used them. Nice quiet time on the water
TravelerAmazing water front camping-and it’s free. The town has a store 2 min away for any last minute essentials. Definitely staying here again.
RangerJust chill. The place is clean, not much around and free. The beach is made up of shells, not sand, so some sort of protective shoes are needed. That aside, there is not much to do here except to relax. And that is just we wanted.
When we stayed in early April there were plenty of other campers but at least I haven't been subjected to the sound of generators. It appears everyone is here for the same reason, chill.
This is dry camping so bring everything you need. Any size rig will fit. Cell service is fair with 2 to 3 bars of Verizon 4g service.
RangerMagnolia Beach is a mid-nineteenth century beach front community that offers authentic charm because it has not been gentrified. No high říše condos or pretentious sea side mansions, and no casinos or fancy resorts. There is a large inland estuary for birding and an elevated walk way with an observation deck leading into it. An interesting early history of the originál settlement Has been documented on about 20 plaques sited in the area of the estuary walkway.
There are a number of options for where to park your rig, but all are waterfront and on the beach. The further down the beach side road you drive, the less congested sites become. There are dumpsters but that’s it.
TravelerThe other reviews were very promising, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere of peace and relaxation. I live in north Houston, and it took us about 3 hours to get there, on a Friday afternoon. Since we went in the wintertime, there weren’t that many people, but the people we met were very nice and welcoming. I highly recommend the burgers and breakfast tacos from the one stop shop up the road from the beach. Can’t wait to come back soon when the weather gets warmer!
RangerFree beach camping. There’s plenty of other campers here. And seashells everywhere!! By day there’s a seeming ugly view of an oil refinery across the water... but by night that place lights up and there’s something more whimsical about it. This was fun for a one night stop along the way.
LegendSome places are just best discovered than read about, and Magnolia Beach is one such place. We came for a night, and stayed for a week. This place just might win the award for the most chilled-out camping area on the continent– but it would have to muster enough enthusiasm to enter the contest. Rather, all enthusiasm here is geared toward fishin’ and sittin’.
Drive through the small village into an unassuming beachside residential neighborhood and out onto the beach itself, where there is room to park nearly 100 RV’s. Most tent campers set up at one of the picnic pavilions where there is a bit more beach grass. The bathroom building has flush toilets, warm-ish showers (individual stalls), and external beachside rinse off showers.
Since the area does not charge a dime for your stay of up to 14 days, it is super important to take care of the place, i.e. don’t ruin it for everyone. So, bring plenty of drinking water, and carry away all your rubbish. The area does have trashcans, but not a large collection dumpster.
There is one convenience store/ take away restaurant with the usual suspects of chips, and beer–you can get a pizza to take back with you to the beach. The closest town with grocery stores, and other services is Port Lavaca, about 12 miles away. There is another similar camping area just down the road toward Indianola which has a similar set up if you find Magnolia Beach too noisy or crowded.
GuideA mix of folks RV, car, tent camping! Some folks are definitely here for a long time.
Pros
Cons
Lots of good taco options in the town over! We enjoyed Mr. Tacos barbacoa and al pastor tacos.
GuideDuring fair weather this beach is great! It's hard pack, natural she'll sand, easy to drive on and we'll kept. However, we experienced a cold front this week (Thanksgiving week 2020) that was very difficult. The wind was treacherous coming off the bay, the surf was angry. It was not the beaches fault of course, but from what I have heard it's pretty common here.
TravelerEasy access, easy parking on hard packed crushed shell & sand. We parked feet from the ocean, pay attention to high tide and park accordingly. We were there in mid November so too chilly to swim but still mid 70s so beautiful weather for fishing and hanging out. We caught a huge flounder for dinner. There's a 14 day stay limit although I'm pretty sure there are some who stay longer. Restrooms and showers available- bring your flip flops for the shower! Good place to collect shells and memories ❤️ IG @_GoWanderWithUs
GuideThis is a BEAUTIFUL beach! You camp right next to the water and can listen to the (gentle) waves all day and night. The beach is really level. There are garbage cans, showers, and pavilions with bbqs. The sand is mostly varying sizes of crushed shell so careful walking barefoot. You can watch the ships go by, the fish jump, seagulls and sandpipers running around the beach all day, I have been told, dolphins occasionally swim through. We fished, kayaked, and rode our trikes. Every one there is super friendly and it's fairly quiet. And it is completely FREE!
ScoutLover it. Park just feet from the water. Has restrooms. I stayed 7 days.
ScoutLocated between Port Lavaca and Port O'connor, TX. A mile or so of no-fee camping. No designated sites. Hard packed sand/sea shell surface, with paved access roads. Beach is pretty clean but beach appropriate footware is required. There is a bath house with free lavatories. We were there in August 2019 and March 2020 and the inside showers (4) were locked. There is a free use outside shower. There are picnic tables covered with 4 open sided concrete shelters. There are trash barrels in front of all the shelters. The picinic shelter closest to the rest rooms is wheelchair accessable. No electric, sewer or water sites. This is a very windy place. If you tent camp, low profile strong tents are recommended. I've seen many RVs with generators, PV solar arrays and wind turbines. There are small convience stores and bait and tackle stores nearby. There is a fishing pier towards the Southern part of the beach. A few RV campgrounds in the area. It is kept pretty clean. In the warmer months the crabs like to hide in the bathrooms out of the sun. Don't be alarmed, they stay away from people. Don't miss the Camel memorial at the Southernmost entrance. There is a Geocache in the area.
GuideWhat a great beach boondocking location! Fantastic view and hard-packed sand that made it very easy to drive on. We only stayed one night and will stay again next time we’re in the neighborhood. It was not crowded. Overall we had a really good time.
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Matagorda, Texas, where you can enjoy the serene landscapes and the soothing sounds of the Gulf. This area offers a variety of spots perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Matagorda, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Matagorda, TX is Magnolia Beach with a 4.3-star rating from 20 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Matagorda, TX?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 dispersed camping locations near Matagorda, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
