Overview
Padre Island National Seashore is a park in Texas, United States of America. Located along the south Texas coast, Padre Island National Seashore protects the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world. Here, you can enjoy 700 mi of sandy beaches, wind-carved dunes, vast grasslands, fragile tidal flats, and warm, nearshore waters.
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–May. Summer highs reach about 95°F; winter lows dip to about 48°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Sep and Jun. (climate data from nearby Corpus Christi)
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.
- CRP Corpus Christi International Airport, Corpus Christi — 55 mi away. Directions
- HRL Valley International Airport, Harlingen — 55 mi away. Directions
- SAT San Antonio International Airport, San Antonio — 188 mi away (major hub). Directions
From Corpus Christi, take the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway to Padre Island and then follow Texas Park Road 22 south to the park entrance.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Understand
History
Padre Island has remained a wilderness for most of its existence. From the time of the earliest Amerindians to the present day, development has never really touched the barrier island, except within the last 100 years. The island has been claimed by four flags: Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, and the United States. The island's grasslands made it a very popular grazing ground for local ranchers.
In 1962, the federal government set aside a 70-mile length of the barrier island as a protected area, especially for rare species such as Kemp's ridley sea turtle, one of the rarest sea turtle species in the world.
Landscape
Flora and fauna
Climate
Visitor information
Get in
By car
From Corpus Christi, take the John F. Kennedy Memorial Causeway to Padre Island and then follow Texas Park Road 22 south to the park entrance.
Fees and permits
The park entrance fee is $15 per vehicle (for that day), or $25 for 7 days. An annual park pass may be obtained for $40, and is valid for a year after the day of purchase. Please note that this is a pass to Padre Island National Seashore only.
Get around
The roads are simple. There's only 3. Beach access is in two places: - North: usually ok for 2wd. Smaller section of beach, but it's before the park entry station so people often opt for this. - South: on the south side of the Malaquite Visitors Center, Park Road 22 runs into the beach. The first few miles are usually ok for 2wd; 4wd or AWD is recommended for anything past mile 5.
No driving on the beach area between North and South Access points. This includes the beach in front of Malaquite Visitors Center.
Buy
Malaquite Visitors Center is open daily 9AM-5PM. Selection is limited. Operated by Western National Parks Association (WNPA).
Sleep
Note that no reservations are taken for camping. Call Malaquite Visitor Center at +1 361 949-8068 to check on availability in the campgrounds. Space is almost always available on the beaches, unless they are closed due to unusually high tides.
Lodging
Camping
Backcountry
Go next
- South Padre Island, a small resort town on the southern tip of Padre Island
Nearby
Kingsville
City / town · 6 listings · 47 mi away
Mustang Island State Park
Park · 48 mi away
Corpus Christi
City / town · 56 listings · 52 mi away
Harlingen
City / town · 5 listings · 58 mi away
Port Aransas
City / town · 15 listings · 62 mi away
South Padre Island
City / town · 51 listings · 62 mi away
Ingleside
City / town · 6 listings · 63 mi away
Port Isabel
City / town · 60 listings · 65 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.