Galveston Island State Park

We really enjoyed this campground. We stayed on the beach side, site 23. The sites were very large, had cement pads, and a really nice shelter with a room including a picnic table and a clothes line. The proximity to the beach was great and there were garbage cans everywhere to help with clean up. The beach had a lot of dried up seaweed in the sand area, but once you got in the water it was great. We wore our shoes until we were at the shore. There were hermit crabs everywhere, so you might want to wear shoes in the water as we all stepped on at least one when swimming! Beautiful sunrises over the water and you can see sunsets on the bay side. This is one of the nicest state parks we've ever stayed at and they had a ton of super cute marine stuffed animals at decent prices at the camp store. We bought a Texas State park annual pass ($70) because without it you had to pay a daily fee of $5 per person 13+.

Very reasonable prices ($5 per person); it is well worth it! The place is really nice, with lots of grills and covered picnic areas. Each picnic area has a grill, and some even have electric outlets. It also has very nice pathways to the beach. Showers are available outside and inside the restrooms, which are really clean—honestly, the best beach restrooms I've ever seen. The beach has a lot of seaweed, but if you can look past that, it is perfect. The staff is super friendly. Pro tip: It is a state park, so you can fish here without a fishing license! They also sell ice there, just in case you forgot it or need to refill your cooler. I really hope that my review helps with your trip. If it does, please give me a like. Thanks; have fun at the beach!

☀️Galveston Island State Park – A Natural Gem on the Gulf Galveston Island State Park is a beautifully preserved slice of Texas Gulf Coast, celebrating over 50 years of natural beauty and outdoor exploration. Just a short drive from the city of Galveston and near Jamaica Beach, the park offers a peaceful escape with striking coastal views, vibrant plant life, and a welcoming environment for families, campers, and nature lovers alike. The beaches are clean and expansive, perfect for a stroll or a day by the water. The marshlands and walking trails provide excellent birdwatching and a glimpse of native coastal ecosystems, with interesting flora like the delicate pink puffball flower seen along the trail. Facilities are modern and well-maintained, including a visitor center and educational programs like the “Adventure Learning” setup we spotted during our visit. With its mix of beach access, wildlife viewing, and educational programs, this park is a fantastic stop whether you’re staying on the island or just passing through. Peaceful, scenic, and thoughtfully preserved—Galveston Island State Park is a must-visit for anyone exploring the Texas Gulf Coast.

We took a trip down to Galveston on a Friday to do a little fishing at Galveston Island State Park, and it didn’t disappoint—even with the wind! One of the great things about this park is you’ve got options: fish from the beach, the bay, or even a small lake area that's fed by the bay. We saw folks pulling in black drum from the bay, but since it was super windy, we stuck to the lake. The tide was low, so the fishing wasn’t quite as lively as usual, but we still had fun catching small perch-type fish and just enjoying the day outside. The park itself is really nice—peaceful and well-kept. You can camp, bring an RV, kayak, hike, fish, or just hang out and soak up the views. After fishing, we drove over to the beach side of the park to explore a bit more. The state park website lists all kinds of cool programs—last time we came, we did an evening beach walk with a Ranger who shared all kinds of fun facts about the beach and conservation. I highly recommend checking out Galveston Island State Park—or any Texas state park, honestly. It’s a great way to spend a day (or a weekend)!

This review addresses only the campground on the bay side. This campground has the nicest restrooms and showers of any campground I've been to in the last year. Clean, modern, and real showers instead of those push button things. The campsites are clean and level, but this area is more for tent camping than an RV or trailer. My truck is full size and it barely fit the parking space. There's a picnic table at each site and each has a small shelter over it. There are no tent pads. The picnic tables have nothing under them so when rain comes it gets muddy under the benches. There are no trees, so the only shade is from the picnic table shelters. No electric service at the sites, but there is water. My cell signal was fair. I stayed on a Friday evening in June and there was only one other camper. The price was $15 plus a $5 entrance fee for the park. Considering the hot showers that price seems a good value. I would certainly come here again.

The Campgrounds were nice big spots for campers and rv’s of most sizes. One of the most diverse selection of sites in the Texas State Parks Pass if you ask me. I got a RV Primitive site and used my generator during the day, and shut it off during quiet hours and nobody seemed to bother me about it. Their public facilities were kept pretty clean and had warm running water. Nice, clean park with walking trails and beachfront access. It’s a nature lovers escape destination.

Great State Park in Galveston. We stayed here over Spring Break on the Bay Side. Our site had 50, 30 and 20 amp and water. No sewer. We loved how we backed up to the bay and could see the water. Our site was mostly level and our small loop of folks was quiet. We did not have a shower house but the tents sites down the road did and the water was hot. We also had a picnic table at our site which was nice. Plan on wind if you plan to decorate your site. So bring reinforcements to tie stuff down if it becomes windy. We will be back.

Scenic and natural but not very user-friendly. You can easily find yourself more than a half a mile from a restroom. The beach is left in mostly natural condition which is covered in. Driftwood and decaying seaweed. The tent only campground has only one water spigot for all campsites and it is at least a half a mile walk to the nearest bathroom or shower. The best of hornet campground is the one with electricity and water hookups. But it is kind of crowded.

We decided we wanted a little physical water fun while visiting Galveston so we rented a single and double kayak from Texas Camp Company for 4hrs. The fee was reasonable to us and they offer different rental options. There is a parking fee of $5/pp to enter the park. The team member that assisted us had our kayaks, paddles and life vest ready upon arrival. We were given a quick rundown of the rules, areas to visit for maximum wildlife sightings, best places to get out of the water, and areas to avoid due to difficulty. The water was mostly calm and we saw lots of birds and jumping fish. It was very peaceful on the bay side of the island. There are places to fish and clean the fish you catch as well as really nice restrooms. This is also a small campground and there are signs to avoid gators but we didn't see any during our visit.

This park is very nice lots of fishing and the ocean is beautiful with the parking bathrooms camping shelters. Two different parking areas.

As far as state parks go, Galveston Island State Park hits all the marks. You can camp, there are plenty of fishing opportunities, RVs are welcome, there's even a beach. On paper it has everything you'd love, but it's pretty standard all around. Camping is beach camping so expect sand literally everywhere including places you didn't expect sand to discover. Ignore the romantic fun thought of camping near the beach. Outright ignore it! Camp on the bay side of the park near campsite 103. There's a lot less sand, very few campsites to a dedicated restroom with showers, and almost no noise. If you camp near the beach, you'll have tons of sand, noise and lights from other campers, and you'll literally have no restroom unless you walk a ways or drive. Other than camping, the beach is nice and way less crowded than the Seawall area, so at a minimum go here for day use. It's worth the entry price for that alone.

Galveston Island State Park is a decent place to head for if you want to go kayaking and/or take a relaxing walk.  That said, it's not the best place to go for bird watching, because every time I've come here, it's as if all the birds in the area hid to avoid being seen ;-) Tip: The entrance fee is minimal There are rest rooms here that are clean and reasonably well maintained.  If you enjoy fishing this is probably a good place to bookmark.

The beachside of the park is still closed, but the bayside is open. We had a great time fishing. Sheepshead, redfish, flounder, croaker, and gaftop were caught. Saw some sizable blue claw crabs as well. Make sure you shuffle your feet if you get in the water. A big stingray swam past me. Decent camping areas, grills, and nice bathrooms. Launch ramps for kayaks. Room for RVs. Lots of birdwatching. A good amount of trails to hike with a couple of observation towers. Park rangers were all nice and helpful. Lots of cool people visiting. It's a good time.

Galveston Island State Park was decent state park if you like fishing. It didn't have anything really there for me. There are two entrances: the beach and bay entrance. The beach side was where there was a lot more camping and RVs. The hikes were okay but no alligators found unfortunately. The fish weren't really biting that day for my friend who brought his poles. We were going to kayak in the park but it was too cold, which we had been given notice in advance. We were refunded that morning. I'd come back here to kayak.

Not the greatest. If you are just going to the beach then that's great. Pay $5 a head and they have nice clean facilities for that. We like to hike the trails. Everything was poorly signed. Make sure to download or pick up a map or you will be lost. Trails are not well kept and difficult to follow. We did see some wildlife though which made this place worth it. The one bathroom we used was disgusting. Not acceptable.

This was a lovely little park. We stayed for 5 days and camped out. The bayside area is closed for renovations still. Not sure when its supposed to open up but sounds like it has been closed for awhile now. There are several trails available to walk on. There are supposed to be alligators in the park, however we did not actually see any. I think we may have had one in our camp site one night. Heard sounds that sounded like an alligator but i didn't go out to see ;) There are kayak trails in this park! I was wishing i had known about that beforehand. Would have loved to have done that while we were there. there was some easy get on points right near where we were staying. Apparently there are some rental places that you can rent kayaks and have them dropped off right where you want to start out at. They have tent camping sites and then down the road a little bit is a area for RV camping. It was REALLY nice that these were totally separate. It is hard when you got to a camping area and you have an RV next to your tent and it keeps you up all night long. The bathrooms were open. They were very nice and clean and they had free showers! Normally i would not shower at a camp site but since we spent our days playing at the beach it was nice to have access to that. The one really big draw back to this camp site is that you are right next to a marsh. AND once the sun goes down there are a TON of mosquitoes, bring bug spray and citronella and any other techniques you might have to fight the mosquitoes. They are loud and in swarms and they are relentless. My legs were chewed up from top to bottom and they swelled up and looked like giant welts. It was not overly pleasant........

Been to this park several times throughout the years, for camping, enjoying the beach, and the paddling trails. While there a little hiking, the fun of this park is water related. Either get out and enjoy the beachside surf and splash around, or drive over to the bay side and bring your kayak or canoe. There's three paddling trails with launch sites, with opportunities to get close to many bird species. One of the small islands serves as a rookery certain times of the year. This is a great opportunity to view migratory birds and get away from the usual beach crowds. Fishing is fairly popular and free to do without a license within the state park boundaries. They offer both water and electric and water only sites. The water and electric sites are designed for RVs and are very close together, but I have seen people tent camping there. The sites come with a little shade canopy for protection. Right now they're doing a lot of much needed expansion and renovations. It looks like the park will be getting a proper headquarters, which is great because all they have previously had was a little booth to serve guests from.

Great place to fish, crab, listen to waves, and just a great place to meditate. There are some good restaurants nearby as well.

It's just ok. We LOVE state park camping and have always enjoyed what the state parks have to office. We've also been here several times and are less impressed with each visit. The park store is boring. Not much in there. The facilities are usually pretty clean and that's about the ONLY real benefit. If you're RV camping, sites are a decent size and pretty affordable if you have a state park pass. The sites are quite the hike to the beach though. What really disappointed me was our last trip. We arrived just before 5pm with reservation in hand. No one was at the office. So we just went on ahead and set up at our assigned spot. About 6am a horrible storm came in. High winds, flooded camp site...what made me upset was that about 8am the park rangers started driving through, I was just thinking they were checking on the campers as the weather was still pretty rough. In fact, at the time of writing this review, 4 hours later, it's still wild outside. No, they came to give us a ticket. In the middle of hurricane like weather. Long story short, I was angry and disappointed in this park. We paid for this spot, we are pass holders so they know our truck and license plate info and camper as well. We'll stick to the Brazoria County San Louis pass park next time we come to Galveston.

This park is seriously so nice! It's newly renovated and there are plenty of covered benches and picnic areas for groups to come and enjoy the beach. There's a huge parking lot, area with showers, clean new bathrooms, and the visitor's station is brand new as well. The rangers I interacted with inside were nice and helpful with any questions I had about the map and where the trails were. I'd highly recommend stopping by this park if you're coming to Galveston! It's a great option for spending the day at the beach if you do not want to drive up onto the beach itself. I believe it cost $5 for a day pass, but you can buy a year pass for all state parks at a discount but I can't remember what that is off the top of my head (and there's an additional discount for veterans or seniors).

Terrific state park kept in great condition. Clean and spacious bathrooms, tons of covered picnic benches and public showers. Walkways are paved and raised to protect the dunes. Our Texas state parks are a treasure.

Outstanding place with wonderfully polite (and professional) people working the front office. If you're looking for an overnighter or two at a location with a decent beach, Galveston Island State Park has you covered. As with most Texas state parks, this place offers clean facilities with working hook-ups and the occasional park ranger drive-by. Bathrooms and showers here are cleaner than the ones at home (yep, we have kids). If you stay on the bay side between spring and fall, bring plenty of mosquito spray. It was funny. We watched the sun dip below the bay in awe, then started getting bitten like it was going out of style. Considering there is a marsh right there, it's understandable. But the mosquito attacks are also preventable. Our bad. Beach access is across the highway, which isn't a big deal. (The RV lot on the beach side apparently stays booked -- would've been nice to give it a shot and walk straight to the beach from our trailer.) There is ample parking, along with showers and bathrooms. Plus, the beach is clean. One thing I would change about this place is a shower/bathroom facility in every loop. In the RV section on the bay side, there are no showers/bathrooms. I understand state funding and all, so it's not really a complaint. -- There is one more thing that I wasn't too fond of, though it wasn't a deal breaker: no on-site sewer, rather a single dump station. All of that said, this is a beautiful facility that is operated by really nice people. We plan to return again ... and again.

This fun little park has 2 sections, but only the bay side is open due to renovations on the entire beach side. Can't wait for that to reopen for camping and direct beach access! There are 2 sections of camping on the Bay side. One is for RVs and the others for tent camping. A really big storm came through a couple of nights ago and the entire trnt side were underwater so keep that in mind. Also because of the storm, most of the trails were unaccessible. The trails are very easy for kids and pets as they aren't very long, but you'll see a lot of wildlife! Can't wait for everything to dry up to try the trails again! As you will see from the pictures, the park did a recent controlled burn but everything is coming back green pretty quickly.

Honestly this is one of the sadder and run down state parks that we have been to in Texas. There are a couple of very short trails near the inlets but the park is very small and I wouldn't come here unless you want to fish without a license. Not much else to do and the beach is right across the park.

First time back seaside since the remodel. OMG! Fantastic!! They have fresh water and an ice station close to the beach. They have showers and changing rooms also. The best I have ever seen at a beach. New bathrooms. Huge parking lot. Easy beach access and beautiful beach! Highly recommend from a frequent Texas State park visitor. We will be back!

Worst state park, I don't understand why they charge $5 for adult admission. The TX City Dike would be a better bet to enjoy, there's just absolutely nothing to see here. Literally, the nature center is filled with nothing, but grass. The trails has nothing exciting to see. The ladies who work in the booth have no idea about where the best place to fish. They suggested one area which didn't have anything biting. There's an area where you hike and it has freshwater. The park is filled with gators, snakes, crabs and birds. The park map is outdated and has no street signs on it. The map says you can go on one area to hike and park, but when you actually go to that area its closed and locked up. Some people come to camp in their RV's. Some come to have sex in their cars. We actually spotted a guy and this lady having sexual intercourse in their car on a trail that strictly said no parking. When we peeked in to see, the lady was putting her clothes back on. Then they turned around to leave. State Park doesn't have anything. However, you can fish here without a license, but that's still isn't anything positive because nothing is biting. It would have been better if the park was free. You don't pay for anything, no attractions, no nature. I even seen a photographer guy try and take some pictures, but less than 3 minutes he left. Also, the park is so tiny. I only seen two benches out the whole park. Do yourself a favor and enter at your expense and risk. I'm telling you though you will be disappointed. Good luck!

State park is nice place to visit with family rest room are clean and sitting areas are clean but at setting need more outlets and need light bulbs also

I love this Park.I paid $5.The admission was not free.But it was so cheap.It was located quite far from Downtown Galveston.It was very quiet.I went on a Thursday.It was not crowded.I walked on the trails. Great exercise! Please visit here!!!

What a wonderful and beautiful park! It's only $5 to get in. There are lots of trails. The great Galveston weather makes the walk pleasant. It was a little muddy when I went, but that was my only complaint. There were lots of birds. The trails are easy to follow. This is a good place to visit when in town.

This is a nice state park that highlights the marshes and wetlands around the Galveston area. There are a few miles of trails, with view points throughout. We saw a lot of people that came to fish, and they crowded the few boardwalks along the trail. Thankfully it wasn' t very crowded since they're limiting the number of day passes because of Covid. The ranger told us they don't have anyone to clean the restrooms, so the main restrooms are closed. I don't need to mention the state of the portable toilets, but I also can't fault them for it due to everything that's going on. We stayed to watch the sunset, and we weren't the only ones with the idea. Overall a nice trip from Houston.

As far as a state park goes, this place Is blah. I don't know if its good or bad. We got to visit the beach Day visitor area, it was nothing special at all. Parking was pretty tight, picnic tables were pretty busy and beach was packed. Nothing special up to this point. The park ranger at the toll provided very little info. Maybe next time we'll see everything else this place has to offer, the beach was ok.

I really love this beach. I took my daughter today and felt safe. The sand was mostly clean. We only saw 1 beached jelly and a tiny bit of seaweed. It's not a bad drive. The people were quite and respectful. We take a cart to lug our stuff since the parking is not so close. You walk over a huge deck that has bathrooms, changing stalls, and showers... then, through some powdery sand. If you want to party, this is NOT the beach for you. If you are a family or are just looking for a quieter beach, this is a good choice.

We stayed 1 week here in Jan 2018. The temps dropped to 17 degrees so it does get cold! The sites were spacious and location was great. Be aware if you book online that this is a Texas State Park and there are day use fees that are not included when you book! Those must be paid when you check in unless you have a current State Parks Pass. $70 a year. We learned this lesson the hard way so be prepared for an extra expense. Would stay here again with a park pass.

We love using this park. It's a little bit of a drive from the Seawall but it's so much nicer and more convenient to have easy access to bathrooms, showers and changing rooms. The parking lot is just a short walk to the beach, however, a wagon does make it easier to get all the stuff down there. We've also camped here and really enjoyed that as well. I'm sad that the beach side will be closed for 3 years starting July 15, 2019 but can't wait until it reopens and to see all the improvements that I know we will use for years to come!

There is plenty of parking right on the beach. There is a bathroom with running water. There also a souvenir shop with snacks. I love the convenience that this park provides

I have been coming to Galveston Island ever since we moved to the Houston area more than 25 years ago. I am grateful for having a state park on the island because it affords the opportunity to have some amenities that would not be possible otherwise, and it is nice to be away from the crowds on the east end of the island. Here you can have some peace and quiet while exploring the beach and bay side of the island, including camping, walking paths, wildlife observation towers, and paddling trails. I am especially drawn to the paddling trails, which are well marked (particularly in comparison to the paddling trails that I have used at other state parks with similar waterways). But I would still recommend a map before heading out in your boat; although you can see structures on the island to head towards in case you get way off course, it's not always clear what the best way through the sea grasses and some places get pretty shallow. And for the fishermen, there are plenty of places to drop in a line from shore or a boat. Come to the SP to get away from others (and don't bring your noise or mess with you), and be sure to pay the day usage fee so that we can all continue to enjoy these parks.

For locals, when you think Galveston Island Beach, you picture this sorta dirty shore, with very murky water and sea weed everywhere but thats not the case here. Don't miss out, come visit this treasure in your own backyard. It is definitely our new spot for beach days. Galveston Island State Park is a great place for family and friends to do an overnight camping trip! Equipped with restrooms, showers, electricity, and fresh water you are set! We were able to see stars at night and sunrise in the morning. The beach is all yours!

Small RV park right on the gulf (or on the inner coastal side) Nice and Clean Bathhouse. Book ahead for sure

The folks in the entrance booth must be bored out of their minds. The past three years we purchased an annual pass. When we stopped by to purchase our 2022 annual pass we were told the roads are being repaired and will not open till April. Dry disappointed. Beach side continues to be closed, another disappointed.

The park currently has a lot of closed areas due to much needed construction for upgrades but the trails are open and it's a wonderful place to explore. I especially love parking at either end of the beach (the park entrance on the beach side is closed but you can access the beach and park on two separate beach access roads) and walking the beach. Birding is great and kayaking is fun on the bay side.

What a beautiful location. Wish we had more time to spend here but grateful for the 2 days we did explore Galveston. Nice people, love the beautiful blue water.

I'm not sure whether this park used to be great before Hurricane Ike, it's more of a camping overnight place, or it's always been a cesspool, but it certainly wasn't worth paying 5 bucks (and yes, even though they don't have an armed guard taking your money, you're supposed to go across the street to pay them) to get slaughtered by mosquito and see dried up brush for an hour before giving up on seeing anything remotely interesting. It kind of reminded me of driving to one of those empty subdivisions in Katy before all the bulldozers come and build their mc-mansions. I have been to Brazos Bend park a few times to photograph nature and over there they have every kind of Heron, Egret, or water foul you can imagine, but Galveston Island State Park seems to specialize in mosquito and dragon flies. These things don't care if you have 20% deet spray on. There are no public bathrooms other than the office, no water fountains, no shelter, no guides around other than the booths, and it's a wasteland. In my great expedition this was the wild life I observed: 3 mocking birds 8 crows 1 mourning dove 3 assorted ducks 2 egrets 10,000 mosquitos

GISP aficionado here and I've got some tips for ya! I personally believe it's the best 'beach getaway' that you're gonna get, Houston! COME HERE DURING THE COLD MONTHS! It's beautiful and you might see some sea turtles, man o' wars or jellyfish washed ashore! It's always quiet and the sunsets are stunning. Great photo ops (I've uploaded some) and a cute idea for a super sappy romantic evening. The breeze off shore will chill you to the bone, so bring blankets and hats ...or a man with big arms! WOO! ;) Great place to let the dog run around, as well. SUMMER: It's pretty packed and you will pay about 10 or 15$ to get access. If you want to avoid the cover, head next door to Sunny Beach (which will also be packed). The major downside to GISP is you can't park on the beach (for the day trippers), so be prepared to pack all of your stuff and walk up to the beach. Doesn't sound like a big deal but it is if you're a single mom like me -- that awkward moment when you need 10 hands to get from Point A to Point B with a baby in tow. There are showers on the boardwalk connecting the parking lot and beach which is really nice so you won't track sand in your car. CAMPING: It's delightful -- what else can you say about camping on the beach? It's what you make of it. There's running water, bathrooms, fire pits, etc. The park rangers (?lol is that what they're called?) are super friendly and helpful. There is a curfew of exiting/entering and I believe it's 10pm? Check the weather ahead of time and book well ahead of time, online.

Be aware : The Beach side camping, day use and beach access are closed for 2 years for renovations!!!!! We are staying on the bayside campground with water and electricity for our 5th wheel. The facilities aka bathrooms are dated, but clean. Plus the shower house sits in the middle of the non-electric circle. In our circle there is only a porta-potty (I am very thankful for my bathroom and shower in the 5th wheel). Each site seems to have a picnic table, but there are some shared fire pit (we are currently under a burn-ban) in the inner circle closer to the pavilion. There is no shade other then the pavillion in the center of the circle. The views are still amazing and the beach is a 2 mile drive or walk away. The trails are kept nice and short. The people at the park HQ were very nice. I signed up for a free adult kayak tour on the bay. Not needing a fishing license in Texas as long as you are on land and in a state park is also great. The fee for a campsite with water and electricity (20/30/59 am) plus a dump site is $20 plus entry fee for each person (kids are free) is still the best camping deal on the island. Also note, that if you have a state park pass ($70 per year) it is half price for the second night of camping plus no per person fee....

We lucked up driving in and scored a beach side RV spot for a few nights. Directly past the dunes to the beach. Basically, it was like a private beach because we were the only two people on it. There are crowded areas of this beach, but not where the campers are. The sand is packed which was nice that we didn't get sand everywhere. We set our chairs in the edge of the water and sat there for hours. The staff was very friendly. The area is extremely quiet. Only con was the deer flies and green head flies but a little OFF spray would deter them for a while. We can't wait to go back!

Since February, I have camped here at least six times. The camping is fun, but the low price and prime location to the west end and bay side fishing areas is the tops. On the bay side, there are a couple Kayak launches, and really nice areas to wade into if you like to fish like that. The park is well maintained, and Park Rangers routinely make rounds checking to see who is in the park, and who shouldn't be. The showers and bathrooms are cleaned regularly. Please note that the only showers at this time are on the surf side. On the bay side there appears to be only one section with restrooms, so on occasion there can be lines. In the water only area, there are fire pits, along with a grill, a picnic table and that's pretty much it. Everything else is bring it yourself, and enjoy. So far everything looks safe, and family friendly, so I would highly recommend it. If you are a fisherman looking to get on the water early without a 2 hour drive from Houston and a huge hotel bill, this is the way to go. So far, we have seen kayak classes for what appeared to be high school kids , fishing classes for younger kids, nature trails, boy scouts twice, and a lot of fun had by all. My one complaint is the lack of shade. BYOS.

ugliest beach ive ever visited, nothing like california beaches. if youre expecting a beautiful beach to sunbathe with beautiful views. this is NOT the beach for you!!

My family and I drove down to this beach as a second option after mustang island had an infestation of Red Tide, and it far exceeded our expectations. The campsites were well taken care of, the beach was clean, they were many places to visit in town, along the shorefront and pier, and the restroom/shower facilities at the park were super clean, and were even climate controlled. I would definitely regard this as one of the best gulf beaches around. We are definitely coming back to this park, and I bringing more people to make it a real fun time! 5 stars!!

This campsite rarely has trees... so the view was a bit different. The day area and several campsites are located directly on the beach while the other half of the park is across the street -think driving down the seawall but tucked away several miles East towards Jamaica Beach. To be honest, the scenery was disappointing. BUT this park was packed. Not club jammed pack, but all of the campsites were booked and I happened to be the last person to snag a RV spot with my tent :) The SUNSET is the best part of the stay. It's so powerful and breathtaking. I posted a picture. Friendly family folks is the type of crowd you'll find here and maybe a few regulars who like to have a getaway without traveling the hours. I enjoyed the walking trail an so did my two dogs! There is a narrow bridge that takes you across the water - you can even find people fishing off that bridge. They have an observatory tower and picnic areas. The only downside was that the firewood price is more than we've ever paid for. I think it's like 2 for $3 - something like that. This park has tons of mosquitoes!!!

The lady at the desk was very rude and hateful. I'm a combat veteran and have my rating and she basically said well your sh*t out of luck if you don't have your award letter to get your discount. I get there are rules but she was extremely unprofessional and hateful. Prior to that I said I had to use the restroom and she told me I had to go outside to the stop and make a right (bathrooms were inside the building) So I'm like okay whatever. Later this mother and her kids come in and have to use the restroom and she's like oh there's a restroom in here (the state park building). Very displeased. Not going to waste time and money on a place that doesn't have park members that are courteous.

This is our favorite spot on Galveston Island to just hang out on the beach with no plans to do anything else. It has a nice picnic area with covered tables, facilities like bathrooms, outdoor showers, changing rooms, garbage cans, paved parking and it doesn't have the crowds like the other beaches. It's a nice, level walk in and out making it easy on the whole family. You can collect seashells, swim and all the normal stuff you do at the beach and it's been family friendly every time we've been. We haven't done all the other stuff the parks offers but do plan to bring our trailer down in the future and spend the weekend. We've found all the park staff to be pleasant and helpful.

If you are not afraid of crows great beach.. clean and definitely room for everyone.. parked truck up to the water. However no tables or sitting area to eat etc.. just so u know ahead of time.

We headed to Galveston from Prescott Valley, Arizona for my nephew's graduation from Texas A&M University. My wife made the reservations here because we travel by RV. The rest of the family was flying in from several out of state locations. That's where the "cabins" come in. The one we rented is "Stewart House", not a cabin, but a beautiful house, about 3000 square feet. It has three bedrooms, each with it's own bathroom, plus a half-bath for visitor use. It also has a livingroom, large dining room with a huge dining table large enough for 12, and a well-appointed and fairly modern kitchen. The laundry room has a newer, large capacity washer and dryer. We were initially in the RV sites on the beach side of Seawall Boulevard, which are about 1.5 miles from the two cabins (houses), but opted to move inland to the RV loop not far from the houses. We did see the ocean from our "beach" site but it was far enough away that we didn't consider it "on the beach". Conversely, the inland RV loop backs up to an estuary and offers a much better view of the water and the sites are $5 cheaper. We were here for a total of two weeks and loved it. The proximity of the inland RV loop to the houses was perfect for us. The staff were all very friendly and helpful, and the facilities were very clean and well maintained. Things you should know up front: You will need to bring your own linens, towels, and such. We also brought our own serving dishes, bowls, pots and pans - not much available in the house. We mostly used disposable plates, cups, and utensils. Also, there is no TV. We brought a small flatscreen out of the RV for use in the house and a small amplified antenna. We received many over-the-air channels, only seven of which were of interest to us. Your fees include fishing rights in both the ocean or inland park areas and no licenses are required so long as your feet are "on the ground". If you fish from a boat, or any floating device, you will need licenses. The park charges $5 per person, per day entry fees which ARE NOT included in your RV or house rentals. We purchased the annual pass for $70, which covers everyone in the vehicle for a year. The daily rate for our period of stay would have been $110 or so. Much cheaper for us to buy the annual pass. RV spaces all have only water and electric hookups. There are two dump stations, one on the beach side one on the inland side. Both easily accessible. This park also has law enforcement Rangers that regularly patrol the area. The park is an easy drive to local stores an the movie theater. There is a Walmart Super Center and a Kroeger Grocery Store within a 20 minute drive. They do sell beer and wine. Liquor must be purchased in a liquor store. There is a Specs Spirits and Fine Foods not far from Walmart. There are also numerous good seafood restaurants and a good steak house (Salt Grass Steak House), all along Sea Wall Boulevard, which is the main drag around here. There are also plenty of things to do and see in this area, and even the Houston Space Center is a doable and recommended venue, though it is a bit of a drive. Everything on the island is pretty much easy to find. All in all, an exceptionally enjoyable trip.

I like this place just because of being calm, quite and relaxing. I had a short stay there during our trip to Galveston but it was a nice stop with beautiful view.

More secluded than the Pleasure Pier or any place along Seawall BLVD. Nice camping facilities with views of the gulf.

I really like to come here on my lunch breaks. Such beautiful scenery. There are plenty of trails and camping area for you to choose from. My favorite side to go on is the bayside because like I said there is so much more to do. The cost to get in is 5 dollars and you pay at the entrance on the gulf side. If you don't pay, a member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife will drive by in their pickup trucks to make sure that you've pay. There are also port-a-lets for you to use at the main picnic area. Fishing and kayaking are also allowed here. If you're a bird watcher then this place is heaven for you. There are wooden walkeovers where you can take a trail to that will allow you to birdwatch. I believe that this area has even been featured in a bird watching movie, with Jack Black and Steve Martin. So check it out, it's an awesome place.

To get away from the crowds at the other Galveston beaches, try visiting Galveston Island State Park. Without a seawall, there are only sand dunes to protect the facilities at this park -- which were wiped out in the late 1990s by Tropical Storm Frances. However, they are in the process of restoring them with the use of Christmas trees (!). The camping facilities provide level campsites, but there were too many RV sites for my tastes. I prefer a more primitive, scenic camping area...but it -is- useful. I went here once in October, when it was a bit too chilly to swim, and I will never forget it. It's totally worth visiting Galveston Island State Park if only for this reason -- at night, walking along the beach, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. The water surface, especially around the waves, were *twinkling*. When I looked down at my feet in the sand, I discovered I was also leaving *glowing footprints*. Bioluminescent microorganisms in the ocean, something I've never seen before! It was really cool; I wonder if it was just that time of year or...? [By the way: Galveston's water is not brackish or dirty. The brownish color is due to the naturally occurring brown algae in the water at that part of the Gulf of Mexico.]