East Beach (R. A. Apffel Park)
Galveston, TX
East Beach, officially R. A. Apffel Park, sits at the eastern tip of Galveston Island where the Gulf meets the ship channel. It's the more done up of Galveston's two city run beaches, with chair and umbrella rentals, a visitor center, and lifeguards on watch, and it's where the island's bigger beach events and concerts tend to land.
Good facilities and lifeguards make it reliable, but the per visit fee and the crowds during events push a lot of locals toward the free stretches further down the island instead.
How we score beachesBuy the fifty dollar annual pass if you're coming more than three times a summer, it covers both East Beach and Stewart Beach and pays for itself fast at fifteen dollars a car per visit.
Parking is fifteen dollars per vehicle per entry, paid through the ParkMobile app or the QR code on site. An annual pass covering both East Beach and Stewart Beach runs fifty dollars.
A paved entrance leads to a flat, open beach with restroom facilities on site, no long walk or stairs involved.
Dogs must be leashed.
Summer weekends draw the biggest crowds and the warmest water, mid 80s by August, while hurricane season runs June through November and can affect access with little notice.
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