Sea Rim State Park Campground

Great place other than the mosquitoes Lucky it was windy when we arrived but left the next morning

The Mosquito Coast Dec 2022•  We had RV campground reservations for 3 nights but left after one because of the mosquitoes. I had read reviews and came prepared with Thermacell repellent and DEET spray but were overwhelmed by the mosquitoes. My Labrador had mosquitoes swarming him. The campground and park is surrounded by a marsh. The mosquitoes are not bad on the beach where there is a breeze. The park rangers are very nice and the campground itself is nice with spacious flat spots with electric and water hook ups. A dump station is available. Verizon coverage is poor. About half the RV spots were used however I only saw one other camper outside of their RV while we were there. I guess everyone else stayed inside their RV because of the mosquitoes. If you are a first time beach camper to the Texas Gulf Coast, try boondocking on the beach here or further down the Bolivar Peninsula near Crystal Beach. You need to be away from the marsh where the breeze keeps the mosquitoes away.

Not a great beach to camp on in stormy weather. No rock/sea wall to slow the surge or wave action. Price is right at $10 plus day use fee. RV camp with paved pads is nice. Reserve far in advance if you want to see bird migration activity. The drive through the LNG plants is interesting.

This was a great spot on the gulf - we needed a winter get-a-way.  

Our campsite #12 was right on the marsh and very private.  The kayak trails are really fun to navigate - check the tide tables before paddling out at low tide!

This was a spur-of-the-moment trip from NW Arkansas so we could dip our toes in the ocean in the middle of winter. It's unfortunate that you have to go through Port Arthur to get to the state park, but totally worth it once you get there. WARNING: the mosquitoes are serious here. We have an Aliner and although we use pool noodles to seal gaps in the A-frame's roof, they found a way in--hundreds of them. We only stayed the one night because of it. Having said that, if you have a class A/B/C camper, you should be fine. I wouldn't recommend it to tent campers even with the best bug spray...and we went in December! Clean, beautiful facilities. You can park in a site, or if you don't want/need utilities, you're allowed to camp on the beach.

We wanted to see the ocean and chose Sea Rim. It was interesting to drive through the oil refineries. Our check in by a park volunteer was helpful in choosing a beach spot and she informed us about tides and fishing. The wind pushed High tide a foot higher than expected but that didn’t scare us… too much. Checked weather and winds were going to die down for the next high tide so we stayed…. With the wind less… the MOSQUITOES swarmed and they were tiny!! They found spots to come through on our screens and we were eaten alive !! If you have a rig that has no crevices that the buggers can find a way in… you should be fine… shut your rig up before they come out!!!

This is a nice park, but it has a lot of mosquitos so bring your bug spray.

Spending our 3rd night at Sea Rim tonight. The beach goes on forever; sand is packed hard enough to drive your RV out to camp on the beach and some do. Facility is well-maintained, staff go above and beyond call of duty and are friendly besides. We didn’t see any alligators (but it’s December) but saw plenty of evidence of wild hogs. It’s beautiful here but be warned that the mosquitos are horrendous!

The campsite is wonderful! We’re here in mid December and it’s been foggy both days, but beautiful. I would recommend that you bring a camper versus pop up due to the mosquitoes which are viscous.

We went for 4th of July and there was no one there. The black was clean and the water was clear! We saw a few alligators on the way in and there was a lot of fish!

Just over the sand dunes from The Gulf of Mexico. Small but clean. The park office has ice and firewood. If you are a birder, like me, you will be in heaven. So many great locations to check out.

The park is nice. Well kept and clean bathrooms. But the Mosquitoes are out of control, so bring plenty of repellent or prepare to be eaten alive!

Nice place with a short walk to the beach.

Campground is nothing special, but we mostly hung out on the beach. We drove the RV out on the sand & had a campfire out there.(Didn’t sleep out there) Probably not allowed.

 Real bad mosquitoes at dusk!!!

Or stay in the small, open campground with picnic tables, fire rings, water and electric hook up and a nearby comfort station. There’s an outside cold water shower and an elevated walkway crossing wetland to the beach.

The birding is absolutely fantastic so come with binoculars. I saw great flocks of Avocets feeding at the waters edge along with Willets, and a variety of sandpipers and terns including Caspian. There’s a paved trail to hike through the wetlands. Bug spray is essential.

Beach camping is available to any vehicle or camper. The upper beach sand is hard packed like a road and it goes for about three miles on the East side and about 10 on the West side.

I can’t say enough about the staff who became dedicated to rescuing me after a major storm dumped three inches of rain in a couple of hours causing an inland pond to overflow cutting a channel through the beach to the Gulf. I was stranded about two miles out in my 2X4 camper van for two delightful days before they brought out the heavy equipment and towed me across the channel and back to the real world.

Gas up in Port Arthur before driving down.

I cannot speak to the actual park because we chose to stay on the beach.

Other than proximity to the lavatories, I cannot see why people would choose to stay in the reserved spots when you can wake up with a clear, secluded view of the ocean. We were one of two campers on the beach- and it’s HUGE. Lots of privacy, beautiful sunset. Do yourself a favor and wake up for the sunrise as well. Can’t beat it.

If you’re looking for amenities, probably not the spot for you. If you’re looking for a secluded experience with nature, stop on by.

The park was full, but I'm so glad it was! For $13 you can drive right out and stay on the beach. There was so much room, the sunset and sunrise were amazing. There were wild hogs in the evening... so avoid those. Sleeping with the sound of the ocean right outside your door is amazing! Bring a shovel to dig a hole for your fire... it was windy!

I’ve been camping around the country for four months straight now and this is the only park - national, state, regional or otherwise - that I’ve encountered that literally locks their gate at night.

The time listed on google or their website is a hard closing time, not just when the ranger goes off duty.

There is no way in, no way out until the next morning.

I arrived around 11 pm, only to realize they close at 10 pm, so I did not have the chance to stay here.

We camped on the beach. It was pretty nifty! Sparse of people. Got to watch the sunrise and sunset. Not too much to do here though, other than beach activities. This place was recommended by a friend, and I enjoyed my stay.

We stayed here for a few nights and enjoyed it.  Unfortunately tropical storm Imelda flooded the marshes so we didn't get to kayak.  The beach was clean and nice and the campsites are close.   The only downside is the mosquitoes!! Bug spray is a must!

This location is close and convenient and one of our favorite spots! Admission for primitive camping is under $20. You WILL need mosquito repellant and the beach is fairly clean. The bathroom is a simple hole in the ground, similar to a port a potty and there are no showers on site.

Get bug spray from office ..PRIOR TO DOING ANYTHING!

We love camping here. The last time we camped we did so in primitive tent camping. The area was clean and everything was as it was supposed to be. Love being able to camp right on the beach.

Sea Rim State Park is a strange but nice place. Having to pass by the refinery on the way in to the state park, the campgrounds make up for it by being right along the water with every camping necessity for a night on the beach!

Not too bad all around. My family just stayed here for a night when we we're passing though, but it seemed pretty nice. The sunset on the beach was awesome. We stayed in an RV site, but it seemed like they had some little sites right on the beach to stay in too.

The fishing in this area is great, and the kayaking as well. Seemed like a neat little place.

Before Hurricane Rita, there used to be a wildlife center here. Now theres just a pier and a shack. Careful parking because the light sand will leave you stuck. Its a typical Texas beach. The summer drought has left the nature walk dry and without nature. Hopefully the recent rains will fill it back in and the gators will return.

wonderfully different!! beautiful beach, but even better is the 2 mile paddle to a secluded, floating campsite, with fish, jumping shrimp, birding, and a gorgeous sunset....just watch out for the mosquitos!! (Be prepared to bring or purchase a bucket and waste bag, there is a built in privacy area on the raft to create a toilet)

We camped here last week right off the beach. They had the BEST staff. Clean facilities. Tons of privacy. Storms came in and left it was beautiful.

The first time we went to the beach (just visited, no camping) we were able to kayak into the ocean and fish. The second time the waves were way too intense. We still enjoyed our time overall though. We got there early and picked a spot. The park ranger told us that wherever the tide was at 11am, that is where it would be at 1am. We placed our tent accordingly. There was a weird swarm of gnats that showed up both times we were there. Just gnats though.

We walked along the beach and watched the beautiful sunset. We sat in our chairs as it got dark and just took it all in. Big. Mistake. I felt tingling on my legs and stated that the gnats were back. I turned on my phone light to see how many there were and to my horror my legs were covered in... mosquitos. I'm not exaggerating. My legs were absolutely covered. This of course led to a freak out session in which we frantically tried to put everything away and get into the tent. I dove into the tent and zipped it closed, only to discover they were still on my legs. I slapped and slapped and by the end my legs were covered in mosquito bodies and blood. We managed to kill most of the ones that followed us inside and then we watched as our tent was covered from the outside in a thin layer of them. It was at this point that I realized I needed to pee but we just tried to go to sleep. (The next day we realized that I had 150+ mosquito bites...)

Fast forward to about 1am. Boyfriend wakes up because the rain flap has come unstaked and is flapping in the wind. He tells me he will get it so I roll over to go back to sleep. He steps outside of the tent (the mosquitos are long gone) and firmly tells me to get up... now. Annoyed by this, I ask why. The panic in his voice as he urges me to get up, right now, is enough to urge me to get up and see what is going on. I step outside and see the waves gently hitting our tent. Our kayaks are one wave away from being carried away, the back tires of my truck are in a thin layer of water, our grill is submerged and the bathroom tent is flooded. We work together and get everything moved a safe distance away. Remember that park ranger and her advice? Yeah, don't listen to them. Put your tent and gear as far back as you can.

Even with all of this we still mostly like this campground. You just need to be aware of the tide and the mosquito swarm that will come right at dark. Be in your tent before then and you will be fine. We enjoyed fishing and crabbing and just relaxing. It is cool that you can go from marsh to ocean in 5 minutes all within the same park. There are definitely better beaches out there though.

Do not do the floating campground. Yes it looks cool on Instagram and yes it is a unique experience, but for all the wrong reasons. We booked two nights on it and only stayed one. It was covered in bird poop and rusted so badly that when I accidentally cut my hand on it I went to get a tetanus shot. It is kind of difficult to get up on the platform and we ended up having to lay our bodies on what we referred to as the "poop deck". So by the end of the day you are covered in bird poop.

Keep in mind you have to bring your own waste bucket. There is a nook to place it in so you aren't just doing your business in the middle of the platform for the world to see. Not that it matters, we saw one other boat while we were there (I see this as a positive). Definitelt bring your own toilet seat. The one they provide is gross.

It is a decently long paddle to get there (especially when loaded down with gear). No problem if you are in good physical shape, but it is not for everyone. It stormed violently the one night we were there. Very cool but terrifying. The whole platform shook. We learned that the storm worked in our favor though because we didn't see many mosquitos (see my other review). We saw several alligators and caught some fish as well. This is a beautiful park with a wide array of wildlife.

We camped here Memorial Weekend. The primitive camping on the beach gives an amazing view. The beach sand above the tide is so firm, that even a couple 5th wheel Camping trailers had driven out to primitive spots. The spaces are spaced out really far, though, so thankfully we could not hear the generators. The primitive "sites" are really just posts along the grass before the dune line that have a trash barrel. There is no real enforcement of how close you are to the post, and no designated tent pad or fire ring. You can just dig out an area of sand for your campfire.

There are no showers or restrooms for the beach. However, there are drop toilets in the RV camping area, that you can walk or drive to. There is also an outdoor shower in the day use area along with a spigot that we used to wash dishes.

If there is a light breeze, then camping here is awesome. Unfortunately, swarms of no-see-ums appear if the wind stops. The wind stopped during the middle of our second night, and we were bitten so many times that it looked like we had poison ivy. The little bugs found a way into our tent. We actually decided to skip out at bedtime on our third night because the wind died down again. The bugs were swarming us and our citronella candles, and nothing seemed to deter them.

On the marsh side, there are several paddling trails. The ranger station rents out canoes and kayaks by the hour. We saw a few alligators on those trails. On the beach, we were able to go crabbing. The beach gets pretty crowded during the day with lots of day use people playing and fishing, but they seemed to stay closer to the start of the beach and not come very far down into our primitive area.