Galveston Island State Park Campground

I have been going to this campground since I was a little girl, I won’t even mention how many decades that is LOL. But I’ve never had a bad experience.  The campground was completely redone after Hurricane Ike in 2008, so all the campsites are newer, with updated tables, BBQ pits and so forth. You can literally camp on the beach if you choose to. There are even full hook-up campsites within mere feet of the beach.  But book early because these sites fill up fast.  Lots to do of course. Swimming, laying on the beach, birdwatching,  Fishing, crabbing, surfing (yes you can surf in Texas)  stand up paddle boarding, boogie boarding, sunbathing, the list is really only limited by your imagination. You can even build a campfire right in the beach at night and listen to the waves roll in while making s’mores. The campsites themselves are not very private because it’s an open setup so everyone can enjoy the view of the ocean.  The public restrooms and showers are nice and clean.  There are outdoor showers to rinse off after the beach.   There is even a fish cleaning station. This campsite is far enough out that you feel more isolated yet within a few miles of major restaurants and big box stores and grocery stores too.  The hosts are polite and helpful. If you get tired of the beach, you are within a short drive to the “Strand” downtown, Moody Gardens or Schlitterbahn water park. The location can’t be beat. Beautiful park with nice campsites, what more could you want?

Right on the Beach

Pros of this campground: tents are allowed! (Unlike San Luis Pass RV campground down the road). Great fish to catch if you go for a boat ride. Proximity to the beach and water sports is also nice.

Cons: because it's a beach, the campground is flat and lacking trees, meaning the you mostly feel "out in the open", even if you have enough distance between camping sites. Also, there is a bit of a wait for shower facilities when the park is full, because all the campsites in the park share the one shower area.

beachside tent camping

I took my daughters here for spring break expecting it to be quite busy. While the park was full, the beach was almost vacant. By contrast, if you walked down to the public access areas, those spots were almost entirely full. It's the Gulf, so the water is murky, but there is SO much wildlife to see. You must take a walk in the evening as there are hundreds of crabs.

Almost private beach

Lots to do for the whole family - kayak tours, beach and surf explorations and bird walks

Family Vacation Park

There are two area's for camping in the park. The Bay Side is about 1.5 miles from the beach and about 150 yards from the restrooms/showers. The other is Beach side and is located close to the beach. Both offer electric and water hookups for campers. This restrooms and showers are clean. Park staff are very friendly and helpful. Each site has a shaded picnic table. The park offers beautiful beaches and hiking trails. Take a hike through wetlands lot's of wild life to see. Great place for those who are into birding. Park offers swimming, fishing, kayaking/ boating, hiking. Lot's do do for all ages.

Beautiful Place to Camp

The beach is free of seaweed and the waves are great for bodysurfing. There are trails near the campground through the marshes. I need to do some kayaking here. Reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because the campground itself its a little pathetic. A circle with no shade and spots are too close together.

The beach!

We loved our stay at Galveston Island State Park at the Bayside sites. Each pad has it's own picnic table with covered pergola, a large hook to hang items you don't want critters getting into, a water spigot, and fire pit. But the best ammenity?? Those bathrooms!! Gorgeous spacious bathrooms with literally granite countertops. Lovely. During the day we took our inflatable boat out on the bay, went fishing (no license needed at a state park) and went to the Oceanside beach. The beach had clear water really nice sand. The only downside? The mosquitoes!! Right at dusk they attacked with a vengenge. Be prepared for that!

Bayside Beauty 

**Campground Review**

[Galveston Island State Park](https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/galveston-island) is a really beautiful, peaceful stretch of land south east of Galveston (the city) straddled by Galveston Bay along its north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. We were amazed at the number of day use patrons there were but it was Easter Weekend and about the best possible place to picnic in all of Galveston. (Day use is $5 per person, kids under 12 are free, or if you have the $70 Texas State Parks pass it gets everyone in the car into any TX State Park for a year.)

There are two areas to camp at GISP - on the Bay Side and on the Beach Side. There are 10 Bay Side Primitive Tent Campsites at $15/night and Water/Electricity Hook-Up Sites are $20/night. Beach Side only offers “Premium Camping” with Water/Electricity Hook-Ups at $25/night. IMO, the Beach side is worth the extra $5/night since you are literally steps away from the water. All sites have picnic tables with shaded cover, trash, fire pits, and nearby restroom access. Additionally, there are two really beautiful cabins you can rent at $200 or $250/night but they are booked months in advance...

A couple other things about GISP. No trees so plan on waking up with the sun cooking you in your tent (RVs outnumbered tents). There are no open alcohol containers are allowed (but I think that applies more to glass bottles) and dogs must be on leashes at all times. We saw some well-behaved dogs off their leashes along the beach but I think this is more for the safety of the animals because there are long grasses between the beach and the bay sides with venomous snakes. Galveston’s water is not my favorite and it was particularly cold this early in the season but there were tons of people swimming, boogie boarding, kayaking, and fishing along the beach (especially on piers closer to town). It’s a great place to ride bikes and Galveston has a great cultural history that is unique in Texas.

**4/5**

14901 FM 3005 Galveston, TX 77554

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**Product Reviews**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - this weekend I tested two new products, [Midland USA Two Way Radios](https://midlandusa.com/product/gxt1000vp4/) (GXT1000VP4) and [Mountain House Turkey Dinner](https://www.mountainhouse.com/m/product/homestyle-turkey-dinner-casserole.html?variant_id=235&amp;placement=&amp;network=g&amp;product_partition_id=295728158387&amp;store_code=&amp;device_model=&amp;loc_interest_ms=&amp;albert_targetid=pla-295728158387&amp;albert_campaignid=788361779&amp;product_country=US&amp;feeditemid=&amp;device=c&amp;albert_keyword=&amp;merchant_id=102684588&amp;loc_physical_ms=9060379&amp;product_id=53103&amp;matchtype=&amp;product_channel=online&amp;albert_agid=42019876555&amp;albert_creativeid=188317786695&amp;product_language=en&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-_rDmL7g2QIVEI5-Ch1GTwBPEAQYASABEgKYAfD_BwE).

Let me start with the Midland Radios. They. Are. Rad. I am so excited to have these and am considering buying a second set as you can hook up additional radios and put them on the same channel. Without an FCC license you’ve got to stick to specific channels (certain ones are reserved for police, first responders, etc). These have lots of different ring tones and settings. They are water resistant (I took these into the ocean but didn’t submerge them… that makes me nervous) and they have a fantastically long range. Website says 36 mile range. I wasn’t able to test it that far but we got to 10 miles down the beach and they worked great. (We also used them in downtown Houston and were able to get about 2.5 miles away but that was with lots of big buildings and trees obstructing them - pretty impressed!). These walkie talkies came in extremely handy - whenever anyone would head back to the campsite or into town we could call back and forth. Considering the cell service on Galveston Island is pretty miserable, these were seriously great and came in so handy. (Furthermore, I cannot wait to use these puppies at music festivals this summer!!!!)

**5/5**

My second review is for the Mountain House Homestyle Turkey Dinner. Let me preface this with, I’ve got a particularly snobby chef husband who was very very skeptical of this just-add-water meal in a bag situation. Well. He loved it. And honestly, it tasted like Thanksgiving. Basically a stuffing with chunks of veggies and turkey. The directions on the bag could’ve been a little clearer. I think the time to re-hydrate should’ve been a bit longer as the turkey was a bit chewy and maybe a little salt? But overall, really quite good. Cooking while camping is either super fun or terrible, so this was extremely convenient and easy. I definitely plan on try some of their other products (I’ve heard the Mac &amp; Cheese is yum).

**4/5**

Ranger Review: Midland Radio Two Way Walkie Talkies and Mountain House Turkey Dinner at Galveston Island State Park

This campground is right on the beach, giving ready access to swimming, sunning etc. We stayed in a tent and it was very windy off the ocean. Hot and sand was everywhere! It was fun for the kids but tent camping here was not my cup of tea. Still, there are lots of things to do in the area if you have had your fill of the beach -Moody Gardens, the Strand, NASA is not far. 

Stay on the beach! 

This is the best place to go in Galveston, even if you aren't planning on camping. It is beautiful and the beach is so clean. My husband and I, plus our kiddo (3yo) and 2 dogs went tent camping here for 3 nights. We went in January, so there was literally NO ONE there! Lucky for us though we got to pick our site and enjoy the solitary. We have state park pass, so entry was free otherwise it it $5 dollars. We picked a site on the bay-side instead of beach-side so we had grass for the dogs. They do however have beach-side camping, RV sites, and cabins.

Note: if you do stay in the bay site, you will have to drive across a main road to the beach side if you want the waves, but there are some coves, a bayou, and a lake on the the bay-side in walking distances from the camp sites so you still get that ocean feel without the crowds.

We walked a few of the trails, but it did rain (dogs were not having it) while we were there so we didn't get to do all we wanted. We did some fishing which was nice, and my son loves just casting and reeling to his hearts content. (Fishing is free in state parks and a license is not required.) Since we went in January it was too cold to swim but we did walk the beach and it was so lovely. The best part for me is the sound of the waves and wind at night mixed with a beautiful star-lit sky!

They do sell firewood on site which is nice and there is a town just 3 miles down the road with a grocery store. Obviously the heart of Galveston is just 10 miles down the road where you can go to the shops or the historic district, but sometimes it is just nice to be on a beach and joy some quiet, which is what we did! If you do go into the tourist area of Galveston make you park on the seawall and take the trolley to the historic district downtown. The trolley is just a few dollars round-trip and you can get off and on where you like. They have some great shops and restaurants. Make sure you go to La King's Confectionery on the strand, it is so fun and cool! They make salt water taffy right in front of you and it's fun for the whole family!

The bathroom facilities were very well maintained and looked brand new. The campsites are set un in a circle with a bathroom in the middle of ever circle which is really helpful! I loved that the park was not overly crowded like the rest of the island! The rangers were helpful and kind, but I expect no less at a Texas State Park! Wonderful trip for us! We will be back!

Peaceful and Quiet

The beachside campsites offer electric hookups and shaded picnic tables that are great for tent and RV camping! Keep in mind, the beach is not visible from any electric campsite- but it is a close walk to the beach and conveniently located next to a comfortable restroom with accessible private showers. The beach itself is clean/not littered and is perfect for skim boarding! 

Great Spot! 

Nice to go here year round. Always pleasant. I hour east of Houston . Nice camping quarters . Easy beach access

Nice texas beach 

Drive up flat, great campsite.  Clean, recently remodeled restrooms and showers.  Will definitely go back

Bayside Campground very nice

Just 30 minutes south from Houston, this little over 2,000 acres) park offers its visitors sun, sand and lots of fun. Great for a day trip or a nights stay. Campsite are right on the water or on the bay side. RV parking available as well as water/showers. Sites also include tables, grills, and they even have cabins to rent if you were looking for that option

Fun in the sun and sand

We did see quite a bit of wildlife, observation towers were cool. Store is closed until at least 2022 when the bay side opens.

Trails were all very similar

We came down to see the beaches of Galveston and we were not disappointed! There is so much to do here that the state park makes a lot of sense. 

We came down in June so it was HOT. If you want to camp in this park make sure you are going to RV it. 

Also, the beaches are awesome, the wildlife is plentiful. We sat on the beach and people watched, bird watched, etc. we would definitely come back to this park even tho, the hiking was mainly walking along the beach. But it was the beach!!! On the ocean.

And the nearby downtown site it had so many fun, touristy things to do. 

It’s the Beach, Y’all!

I stayed here a couple of days to recharge the batteries, refill the water, and chill in some air.

The park itself is ok and it is a little far from the main drag. They are redoing the beach side so I think normally this is just overflow.

I did get the best sunset pictures here.

Great state park

It was a great place for our family to camp. The campsites with electric and water are designed for rv's not an extension cord. Lol and I got eaten by sand fleas and skeeters real bad..  ran out of bug spray midway through the night..but the crabs and fish were biting good and the dogs enjoyed the trip 

A beautiful place if you don't mind the bugs

We stayed in the RV loop by the beach. Quite a few sites but they aren't as crowded as some beach campgrounds. Really nice covered concrete pad with a picnic table. Nice new bath houses. The hiking trails are all through grassy areas with ticks so be aware. The beach in this area is nice and pretty flat so you can go out into the ocean pretty far. 

Nice beach park, recently reopened 

Nice, clean bathhouse. Spacious lots with a great view. Staff was super friendly in the store.

Quiet

Starting to get busy, probably the best time of year - before it warms up and the bugs return.  Short walk to beach, close to town if you need anything. Did not use facilities so no comment other than great 50 amp and good water.  

Only negative is dump station is a challenge if using tote (no ramp, gotta haul up curb).  Campground facilities says there is sewer hookup. There is not ( other than for hosts)

Awesome location , great facilities 

We stayed here almost 10 days.  Did some jockeying around because we didn’t have reservations.  Friendly staff, clean facilities, great beach walks, large sites.  We prefer the bay side sites—quieter and fewer people.  Lots of interesting birds to see, and watch out for snakes!  We saw a big rattler on the boardwalk but we gave it space and it moved off right away.  I would recommend a reservation to save hassles as this place fills up on the weekends.