The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Padre Island National Seashore. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Padre Island National Seashore, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Padre Island National Seashore. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"Tables set up to be behind your rv. Kind of a strange setup. Showers and baths were clean. Laundry on site. Somewhat protected by dunes. No view of water. Pretty cheap and good access to beach."
"It is large and paved, good amenities, good access to the beach. The beach spans the entire gulf coast if you are interested in walking from Florida to Mexico."
$25 / night
"We camped in the RV area, which has electrical hook ups and water but you have to drive to the dump station."
"(Fishing is free and legal in state Texas state parks without a license.)
The beach is away from the touristy areas of Corpus!"
"We've camped on the beach at Padre Island National Seashore twice. The campground has always been fully booked but there is access to the beach and you can camp on the sand."
"There is a whole lot of Texas, but not a ton of public land lies therein. One exception to this is Padre Island National Seashore."
"The proximity to the Gulf of America and the full hookup sites are an awesome combination."
"I love this site Best in Texas, you can see and hear the ocean from your tent, and its on the Island so there are a lot of attractions for visitors."
$47 - $68 / night
"The resort is incredibly family-friendly and pet-friendly, making it an ideal destination for everyone."
"This was the perfect place to stay in proximity of our son's house. Nice, clean campground with bay views , great sunrise and sunset. The only negative is you have to prepay your stay 10 in advance ."
$43 - $80 / night
"This place is centrally located near a lot of services and activities. There's lots of pavement, which is not a huge selling point, but the dust is greatly reduced as a result."
"The park is close to H-E-B and not too far from multiple beaches."
$12 - $20 / night
"Potholes are horrible in some areas. 2nd the picnic tables are so rusted through that many are unusable. 3rd the goat heads or grass burrs are a nightmare especially if you step on one in the middle"
"Wi-Fi was nearly unusable but T-Mobile 5G was over 200Mbps down and perfect for working remotely."
"Port Aransas Beach On Rt 361 Texas near Corpus Christi. This entire area is awesome and windy :)
Worth the drive and you can easily spend a week here and not visit all of the areas."
"Beautiful beaches, some of the clearest water you will find in Texas. Head towards the state park for quieter crowds. Swim at your own risk!"
"Easy walking distance to the beach just over the dunes with a cart path."
"We were there through the bid cold snap Texas suffered in February. Everyone there was helpful and just great to be with. The staff is first class."
ScoutImagine parking your temporary home 10 feet away from
the ocean. That’s padre island national seashore. No, there aren’t hookups in the place where we stayed, but getting to wake up with the sun and step right into the water was worth the heat and humidity at night. Make sure you pack in lots of drinking water! This beach had the most wildlife we had seen in a while: man o wars, sand sharks, clams, plenty of seabirds. Definitely an amazing experience.
GuideWe've camped on the beach at Padre Island National Seashore twice. The campground has always been fully booked but there is access to the beach and you can camp on the sand. It gets a little crowded on holiday weekends but there are MILES of sand so you can just drive until you find a spot that suits your fancy. I have a 2WD vehicle and was a little concerned about getting stuck. Fortunately, there were plenty of people on their beach with 4WD who were more than willing to use their toy to pull me out.
I contemplated giving my review fewer stars because this is Texas and the beaches are not nearly as nice as those in other parts of the US. We had issues with seaweed washing up both times but the water was clean. There are no facilities on the beach but the visitors center has showers and flush toilets.
LegendThere is a whole lot of Texas, but not a ton of public land lies therein. One exception to this is Padre Island National Seashore. With 63 miles of barrier island sand available to drive and camp on, it is impossible not to get away from it all. And if you are a card carrying "America the Beautiful" pass holder, this place is FREE to camp!
Once you move away from the developed roads to the seaside sand, which is easy enough to drive on even with just front-wheel drive so long as you stay on the flats, you leave behind any services, water, electricity and toilets. Bring everything you need with you and you’ll be fine. We brought our solar panel and had all the electricity we could possibly want for 8 full days.
Park your rig just to the dune side of the highwater “roadway” and you’ll be out of the way for the many vehicles who come to fish, camp, or just explore this natural wonder. No OHV vehicles are allowed on the beach, which is considered a highway, so leave the toy-hauler behind. Opportunities to birdwatch, hike or bike along the beach, play in the surf or just lie in the sand are as numerous as the stars. We found some LTE by hiking up onto the high dunes, but just enough to call, text, or check email.
Within 15 miles, the small community of Padre Island offers plenty of restaurants and gas stations but cross the bridge into Corpus Christi and you’re in full-blown suburban Texas. Ice and water kiosks are everywhere so bring your quarters to fill up.
LegendWhen traveling to Padre Island National Seashore there are several options for finding the perfect spot to settle in. While improved camping is just an exit up for $8, those wanting to get the true beach comber off grid experience can do so at the North Beach turn off.
We went to check out this immense 60 mike stretch of beach that is advertised as untouched and unimproved, just drive out and set up for free. It sounded great, that was until we got there in a small car.
Depending on conditions the sand can quickly evolve from tight packed to shifty and almost like quicksand. Signs are clearly posted that driving out on the sad is indeed at your own risk and if you become stuck tow trucks can be called. What that sign does not elaborate on however is the heightened cost of those two services.
We drove forward a bit on the sand and began to bog down quickly and thus had to call the drive off. This limited our access to the miles and miles of beach ahead. Camping was available where we are however was very congested in this area which was much closer to the initial turn off.
While cost of camping here is free, there is a small cost of admission to the Seashore. My suggestion is taking advantage of the National Park pass which is good at any of the hundreds of national facilities for one calendar year. Cost of this is $80 per year but covers admission for up to 4 adults to landmarks and parks. This pass does not cover parking where applicable or camping.
TIPS:
LegendJust outside of Corpus Christi in a slightly more remote stretch of Texas coast rests Padre Island National Seashore, a beachfront land preserve operated by the United States Park System that offered a variety of camping and recreation options.
Amongst those, Malaquite Beach Campground, a small but nice facility less than a quarter mile up the beach from the visitors center. This campground boasts around 50 campsites, many featuring a picnic table, BBQ and shade structure.
No reservations can be made so the facility is a first come first come Campground which uses a camping kiosk or account for availability. Campsites are $8 per night and do include handicap options.
While the individual sites do not offer amenities such as running water or electricity, there is a nice bathroom and shower facility located mid-camp. These showers are free and boast cold water showers, something you will more than crave in the humid Texas air.
Campsites are located amongst the grassy dunes about 200 yards from the coastal waters but upon paying you can park in your designated site and set up your tent anywhere within the area including beachside.
We arrived late in the evening just before sunset. Following sunset Campground is very dark, no security lights to disrupt the coastal star views so it can be a bit tricky to navigate. Do not forget a flashlight if you are camping here for sure!
The humidity of the coast was intense so it made for a bit of a hot evening camping though the breeze passing through the tent was very helpful. Make sure your have a fully venting tent when camping here to keep cooler at night and pack lightweight items for sleeping.
🐰🐰🐰🐰⚪️
All in all I would give Malaquite Campground 4 of 5 Bunnies. The facilities were clean, Campground host was helpful and location was ideal for beach combing away from some of the crowds. I do suggest this to be a weekday excursion however as they did mention because of the low cost it does fill up quickly on weekends.
The only downside, lighting is sparse at night which makes it a bit difficult to navigate the grounds. Again for safety remember to bring a flashlight! And this campsite is very windy, nothing you can do about this though because it is nature, but that can make for difficulty in setting up or using bbqs.
For a video of the campsite and a little more about Malaquite Beach check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFW9mi4iE2Y&t=8s
ScoutWe stayed for four nights and we enjoyed our stay. The roads and pads were all nice, level concrete.
I didn't see the pool myself, but my wife and daughter enjoyed it while I was at work. The playgrounds were nice, but could use some more shade. Same with the dog park.
The dog water fountains at the dog park were not working, so that would have been nice since it is so hot right now. The dog park is just open space with a fence right now, but the front desk said there are agility features coming soon.
The grass and trees were clean and trimmed, but there are stickers in the grass, so beware stepping off the concrete pad barefoot.
ScoutThe manager is very friendly. They have laundry. They provide quarters for purchase. They have a fishing dock off the campground. A pool. And a dog park.
TravelerNot my favorite way to camp, but the price was right. We were pretty cramped but the whole place was very quiet. There weren't any kids at all, other than ours. Dog friendly environment but none running loose at all. There was a friendly peacock wandering about who loved grapes.
Easy parking, pull through spots.
The laundry room was very clean which was much appreciated. $1.75 per washer & dryer.
We were parked right across from the owners/manager which was fine, just felt a bit like we were watched. Mind you, we're used to being in the middle of no where though😂. Owners helped us park and have been super friendly the whole time.
There's a small dog park across from the rv park, which was full of burrs and mosquitoes unfortunately. Apparently they are both bad this year.
It was only 0.4 miles to the water and 1 mile to rockport beach- we biked and walked.. it was a nice area to explore. Photo is from rockport beach taken in November.
GuidePeople friendly. Tent camping on beach.could be quite sandy. Sand will go through mosquito netting. Keep pets leashed!
Experience the joy of camping with your furry friends near Padre Island National Seashore in Texas, where several pet-friendly campgrounds offer a perfect blend of nature and comfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Padre Island National Seashore?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Padre Island National Seashore is North Beach — Padre Island National Seashore with a 4.4-star rating from 15 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Padre Island National Seashore?
TheDyrt.com has all 82 dog-friendly camping locations near Padre Island National Seashore, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
