Goose Island State Park

Rockport, Texas

Goose Island state park is very diverse in its camping opportunities and activities.  You can camp hidden in oak trees or right on the waters of Aransas Bay. 

The park can really be divided into two very different parks all located on 321 acres on the southern end of Lamar Peninsula. 

One on with live oak and red-bay woods, where you can see white-tailed deer, raccoon, armadillo, fox, squirrel, cottontail rabbit, and over 300 varieties of birds

The other part of the park is an oyster shell island consisting of a shell ridge and marshland.  The marshland has a wide variety of native plants and grasses such as sea-ox-eye daisy, wolfberry, sea purslane, baccharis and seashore dropseed grass to name a few.  .  In the surrounding bays with a little luck you can catch Red drum, speckled trout, flounder and more.

The primary activities in the park besides camping are fishing, watching birds, watching birds catching fish and watching people trying to catch fish. 

By far fishing is the most popular activity.  If you are camped on the bay you can fish right out of your tent flap.  You can fish from a boat.  You can just wade out in the water and fish.  You can fish from the lighted fishing pier.  You can fish all day and if you have a campsite in the park you can fish all night.  Forgot to bring your fishing pole?  They will loan what you need to fish.  Don't have a Texas Fishing License?  You don't need one as long as you are fishing from the pier or the shore inside the park. (All size and bag limits apply.)

Did I mention that Goose Island State Park also has the "Big Tree"?  The State Champion Coastal Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) that is thought to be one of the largest in the nation and is estimated to be over 1000 years old?.

Facilities:

• 45 bayside campsites – water and electric
• 57 wooded area campsites – water and electric
• 25 wooded area tent campsites
• Lighted fishing pier
• Boat Ramp
• Kayak / Canoe launch

Resources:

Goose Island State Park Website

Fishing Tip Sheet for Goose Island State Park (PDF)