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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.
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.
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.
Guide
Absolutely breathtaking! Parked parallel to the dunes off the packed down sand! We’re a good distance from all the houses to avoid any potential issues. No permits required and the signs upon entering the beach make no mention.
Traveler
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
Guide
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!
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.
RangerWe 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
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
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.
TravelerClass 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.
ScoutFree 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.
GuideVery 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.
TravelerFree 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.
GuidePros: 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.
TravelerFabulous 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.
GuideParked on beach with nobody else in sight. Hard to beat free camping on the beach.
RangerSaturday, 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.
GuideYou 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near West Columbia, TX?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near West Columbia, TX is Follett’s Island Beach with a 4.5-star rating from 11 reviews.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near West Columbia, TX?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 dispersed camping locations near West Columbia, TX, with real photos and reviews from campers.
