Stewart Beach
Galveston, TX
An easy day trip from Houston, with a historic seawall, lifeguarded family sand, and calm, brownish Gulf water that's better for wading than for clarity.
An easy day trip from Houston with lifeguarded family sand, but the water runs brownish most days and clarity depends entirely on wind direction.
How we score beachesWater clarity depends heavily on wind direction. A north wind usually means a clearer day than a south wind.
Leashed dogs are allowed on the sand and in the water at Stewart Beach, and owners must clean up after them.
Galveston's water warms into the low 80s by August but tends to run cloudy regardless of season, wind direction matters more than the calendar for clarity. Hurricane season runs June through November, and locals keep half an eye on the Gulf all summer because of it.
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