Galveston Island State Park
Galveston, Texas
(Closed due to Hurricane Ike Damage; See Update Below)
Galveston Island State Park is about 12 miles down island (southwest)
from Galveston, Texas. The park covers the entire width of this Gulf of
Mexico barrier island. The width of Galveston
Island at this point is
about 1.5 miles from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico to West Bay on the
inland side of the island. The park has about 1.5 miles of beach front.
The park straddles FM 3005 (San Luis Pass Road). On the Gulf side of the park there are three camp areas with about 50 water and electric sites each for a total of about 150 sites. The Gulf side also includes a large day use area. On the inland side there are 20 water and electric campsites and 10 screened shelters.
I was in a Texas Parks and Wildlife study group a few months ago with about 10 other RV owners. Galveston Island State Park was one of the most popular destinations. The one common complaint was “maintenance”. Because of the proximity to the Gulf there is a high rate of corrosion on the electrical equipment. This often kept a busy park with many sites unavailable because of this problem.
Mosquitoes can be a problem. Depending on the conditions and the time of year, mosquitoes can be a problem all day or only an hour or so before sundown and into the night. When they are only out at night, you can set your watch by their arrival.
If you have a free standing satellite dish, make sure it is tied down. The wind blows strongly from the south most of the time.
The beach is not the greatest. The currents flow counter clockwise around the Gulf of Mexico before heading north in the Gulf Stream to the North Sea. That means that the West and upper coast of Florida get all this wonderful white sand and the Texas gulf coast get whatever floated down the Mississippi River.
I usually visit in the winter. All the pictures for this review were taken in December. It can be very crowded in the summer. There are lot of things to do in Galveston, Texas other than go to the beach year around.
Resources:
Galveston Island Visitors Center
Hurricane Ike Update
Source: Friends of Galveston Island State Park
GALVESTON, Texas — Galveston Island State Park, whose facilities were devastated by Hurricane Ike last September, has made a remarkable comeback and will once again offer beachside camping in time for the busy Fourth of July weekend. Beginning July 2, visitors will be able to choose from 36 beachside campsites situated on three loops. Two camping loops will accommodate tents or recreational vehicles and have restrooms and showers. Each $15 campsite will have water, a shade shelter, fire ring and picnic table. The third camping loop is wired for 50 amp electric service and will be for RVs only. Those sites will cost $25 per night. All beachside camping sites will provide foot traffic access to the Gulf of Mexico. (June 2009)
