Overview
North Barrier Coast is on the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Oct–Apr. Summer highs reach about 95°F; winter lows dip to about 44°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jun and Oct. (climate data from nearby Houston)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- HOU William P. Hobby Airport, Houston — 27 mi away (major hub). Directions
- IAH George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston — 51 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Houston — Astrodome, Wildcat Golf Club, Houston Country club.
- Day 2: Galveston — Bishop's Palace, The Bryan Museum, Moody Mansion.
- Day 3: Kemah — Johnson Space Center, Kemah Boardwalk, Space Center Houston.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in North Barrier Coast
Houston
City / town · 85 listings
Galveston
City / town · 68 listings
Kemah
City / town · 23 listings
Clute
City / town · 20 listings
Surfside
City / town · 20 listings
Bolivar Peninsula
City / town · 16 listings
Bay City
City / town · 11 listings
Palacios
City / town · 10 listings
Baytown
City / town · 8 listings
Sugar Land
City / town · 5 listings
Webster
City / town · 5 listings
Magnolia
City / town · 4 listings
Pasadena
City / town · 4 listings
Alvin
City / town · 3 listings
Stafford
City / town · 2 listings
Pearland
City / town · 2 listings
Jamaica Beach
City / town · 1 listings
Texas City
City / town
Understand
The North Barrier Coast runs from the north side of Lavaca Bay, across from Port Lavaca, north past Houston and Galveston to the east side of Galveston Bay. It covers territory up to around 80 mi inland, including many small communities along US 59/ I-69, for example.
Cities
- Alvin
- Bay City
- Baytown
- Clute
- Galveston
- Houston and its surrounding metropolitan area.
- Katy
- Palacios
- Seabrook
- Sugar Land
- Surfside
Other destinations
- Bolivar Peninsula - long barrier island like strip with beaches, mosquitos and bird sanctuaries
- Brazos Bend State Park - Wooded campsites, an astronomical observatory and a huge population of alligators
- Galveston Island - An interesting city, numerous Gulf beaches that attract distinctively different crowds, and a naturally vegetated barrier island state park.
The three national wildlife refuges on the Texas coast, Brazoria, San Bernard and Big Boggy, form a vital complex of coastal wetlands harboring more than 300 bird species.
- Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
- San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge
- Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge
Nearby
My experience
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