Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach, TX
Where the Brazos River meets the Gulf in Brazoria County sits Surfside Beach, a small town built almost entirely around its shoreline. East of Highway 332, trucks and SUVs drive and park right on the sand. West of Starfish Street, the beach stays pedestrian only, no vehicles allowed at all.
Free parking and a real choice between drive-on beach and quiet pedestrian sand keep it in regular rotation, but weekend crowds and truck traffic on the vehicle side keep it from being anyone's best kept secret.
How we score beachesAn annual beach driving permit runs about 12 dollars if you plan to park on the sand more than once. If you'd rather skip the truck traffic entirely, park in one of the public lots near Ocean Drive and walk onto the pedestrian section instead.
Parking is free along the pedestrian beach west of Starfish Street. On the drive-on side east of Highway 332, an annual permit costs about 12 dollars and lets you park directly on the sand.
The pedestrian beach has a short, flat walk from the public lots straight onto the sand. The drive-on section is built for vehicles first, so it's a rougher walk for anyone on foot there.
Dogs are welcome on the beach on a leash year-round, and owners must pick up after them.
Hurricane season runs June through November on this stretch of the Texas coast, worth checking before a late summer trip. Gulf water climbs into the low 80s by July, and spring brings the mildest, least crowded days.
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