Padre Island National Seashore
Corpus Christi, TX
Padre Island National Seashore protects more than 60 miles of undeveloped Gulf shoreline south of Corpus Christi, the longest stretch of it left on Padre Island. Most visitors stick close to Malaquite Beach near the visitor center, where a boardwalk drops straight onto the sand. Past that point the beach turns to a long, mostly empty drive for anyone with a truck built for sand.
Sixty plus miles of undeveloped shoreline is hard to find anywhere else on the Gulf, the tradeoff is that past the paved area at Malaquite you need the right vehicle and some sand driving sense to see most of it.
How we score beachesThe paved area ends at Malaquite. Everything south of there is a driving beach that gets soft fast, so a standard car should turn around at the sign, not push on and hope.
The Malaquite Visitor Center lot holds several hundred cars and rarely fills, even in summer. A per-vehicle entrance fee is charged at the gate, so check current rates before you go.
A short sand path or a boardwalk from the visitor center deck leads straight to Malaquite Beach. The visitor center has a beach wheelchair and a beach walker available to borrow for anyone who needs one.
Dogs on a leash no longer than 6 feet are allowed year-round on over 60 miles of beach and in campgrounds, except near the Malaquite Pavilion boardwalk and the beach directly in front of it.
Spring and fall bring the mildest weather and the thinnest crowds, while summer gets hot and humid with the Gulf water warming into the 80s. Hurricane season runs June through November along this stretch of Texas coast, worth checking before a trip toward the peak months.
This isn't one entrance, it's a stretch with a few. Here's where locals actually meet up.
South Beach
The primitive drive-on stretch just past Malaquite, where four wheel drive becomes necessary and dispersed camping is allowed right on the sand.
Access: No paved path. A standard car should not attempt this section.
Get directions →Big Shell Beach
A remote zone roughly 17 to 28 miles south of the paved area, known locally for the largest shell deposits on the seashore and for requiring a properly equipped four wheel drive to reach.
Get directions →Little Shell Beach
A stretch roughly 12 to 18 miles south of the paved area, closer to Malaquite than Big Shell and known for smaller, more delicate shells carried in by currents from the north.
Access: Four wheel drive required, and the stretch can become impassable after heavy rain.
Get directions →Bird Island Basin
The seashore's bay side access on the Laguna Madre rather than the Gulf, ranked among the best windsurfing and kiteboarding spots in the country, with a concessioner on site for lessons and rentals.
Parking: A five dollar day pass or ten dollar annual pass is required in addition to park entry.
Get directions →More Gulf Coast beaches
Siesta Key Beach
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Fine quartz sand that stays cool underfoot even in summer, sloping gently into calm Gulf water, and consistently rated among the best family beaches in the country.
Clearwater Beach
Clearwater, FL · Gulf Coast
A lively Gulf-front strip with a fishing pier, a nightly sunset celebration at Pier 60, and calm, shallow water that makes it an easy family favorite.
Pensacola Beach
Pensacola Beach, FL · Gulf Coast
Sugar-white sand within the Gulf Islands National Seashore, with dunes protected from development and water clear enough for snorkeling near the jetties.