Padre Island National Seashore

When the heat and humidity reach their summer heights, Texans head to Padre Island National Seashore.

This 70-mile stretch of sand dunes and grassland is as refreshing as a tall glass of ice cold sweet-tea. Never developed, this untouched barrier island remains in ecological balance.

This is not just one landscape, but many. Here, coastal prairie ends in delicate dunes. Wetlands and marshes abut prairies and beaches. Laguna Madre, a hypersaline lagoon, harbors species long lost from most of the planet.

Endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles come here each year to nest. A monitoring program tracks the turtles’ migration, and specially trained dogs help locate their nests so the eggs can be protected from predators.

This part of southwest Texas lies in the flight path of many migratory birds. For other species, this is their winter paradise. Birdwatchers converge at the shore, the park road, and Bird Island Basin, armed with binoculars and poised to shoot photos of oystercatchers, piping plover, heron, ibis, and stork.

Many eyes remain raised to the sky at night, as well. Minimal light pollution makes Padre Island National Seashore a perfect spot for stargazing.

Padre Island National Seashore

State:

Texas

NPCA REGION:

Texas Regional Office

Acreage:

130,434.27

Category:

National Seashore

Established:

04/06/1968

National Parks Articles

Recovery, at a Turtle's Pace

» More Info

FIND A PARK:

FIND BY LOCATION:

FIND BY CATEGORY:

FIND BY THEME:

BROWSE ALPHABETICALLY:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Tim Upham

March 7, 2013

If it was not for the 1977 CITES act, that brought both the United States and Mexico together to take stringent action on protecting the Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Which are the smallest of the eight sea turtle species and the only one to nest during the day, they would have ended up extinct.

Cemeron

November 10, 2011

Definitely one of Texas best kept secrets. Had no idea this place even existed until 5 years ago, but was hooked on my first trip! The place is beautiful and unlike anything I've ever seen. They keep the beach exceptionally clean and the huge amount of space to explore is simply daunting! Best beach in Texas IMHO!

SC

November 10, 2011

I grew up 33 miles from south Padre Island in San Benito, Texas. We went to South Padre to enjoy the day so many times over the years. My first ever memory of South Padre Island was on Sept 9, 1951, my sister's ninth birthday. There was no bridge from Port Isabel to the island; so, we took a small row boat over. If possible, imagine this - there was nothing, absolutely nothing, not one structure whatsoever on the island. There were no homes there and no people on the island the day we were there. We actually looked out into the gulf waters and saw a barracuda and a shark come up out of the water fighting! It was awesome, especially for us small children. What a memory. I just thought you'd like to hear such and unusual memory.

Serenesusan

November 10, 2011

This is an awesome beach, with excellent park rangers who are always happy to engage children in lessons on the turtles, the sea shore, and conservation. It has excellent facilities for camping, showers for day beach goers, they offer star gazing. A visit to this park was the deciding factor for moving to South TX.

Post a Comment

Share your park story today. Post your park experiences, recommendations, or tips here.*

Nickname
Comment
Email
   
Enter this word:
CAPTCHA image
Change image Visually impaired? Click here to have an audio challenge played. You will then need to enter the code that is spelled out.

* Your comments will appear once approved by the moderator. NPCA staff do not regularly respond to postings. We reserve the right to remove comments that include profanity, personal attacks, or are off-topic. Opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the position(s) of NPCA. By submitting comments you are giving NPCA permission to reuse your words on our website and print materials.

Close

Want to learn more about the  ?

The   can be seen in the wild in America’s national parks. Why not join the National Parks Conservation Association community to protect and preserve our national parks?

Sign up to protect parks in   & other states

Why not join the National Parks Conservation Association Community to protect and preserve our national parks?

Sign up to protect   and other National Parks

Why not join the National Parks Conservation Association Community to protect and preserve our national parks?

Please leave this field empty
Yes, please sign me up for NPCA’s newsletter and oher emails about protecting our national parks!

National Parks Conservation Association
National Parks Conservation Association

Log In

Log In:

Forgot Password?

Or log in with your connected Facebook or Twitter account:

GO

Welcome to our growing community of park advocates. Thanks for signing up!

Sign Up:

Or sign up by connecting your Facebook or Twitter account:

GO