Free Camping On Padre Island, Texas

After leaving mile zero on 23 September 2011 we returned to our previous site located about 2 miles south of Bob Hall Pier (still on North Padre Island) just outside and south of Nueces County in Kleberg County, Texas.  We are about ¼ mile south of beach marker 252.  Note:  the pier is at beach marker 232.  Also note beach marker 252 is where the Nueces County/Corpus Christi beach parking permit fee area ends.  So, south of marker 252 parking/camping is FREE.

The word from Kleberg County employees is that people may legally park on the beach for FREE for LONG periods of time in Kleberg County because that section of the beach is isolated from the rest of Kleberg County by the Intracoastal Waterway.  In order to access Kleberg's Padre Island beach one has to pass through Corpus Christi (Nueces County), Texas.

The North Access to the Kleberg County stretch of beach is at the south side of Bob Hall pier in Corpus Christi (on North Padre Island).  Signs on the main road (Park Road 22) make it easy to find Bob Hall pier.

The South Access to the Kleberg County stretch of beach is about a mile inside the North Padre Island National Seashore.  That is, stay on Park Road 22 until just after the National Seashore "Welcome" sign but before the entrance fee area with all the cameras.

Follow the road to the beach on your left (sign marked Beach Access Road To Bob Hall Pier).

Once on the beach you will need to drive north for about a mile until you exit the National Seashore (poles clearly mark exit).  There is a 14 day camping limit if you stay inside the National Seashore.  So, once you leave (go north of) the National Seashore's North Beach you are in the FREE area all the way until beach marker 252.  Again, beach marker 252 and northward is where the $12 beach parking area begins.  So, make a U-turn and go back south and park where you want to park.

Please, always leave the beach a little cleaner than you find it.  Remember, don't overflow beach side trash containers because the coyotes and other animals will spread the trash all over the place making cleanup 10 times harder.  The folks in Kleberg County send a trash pickup truck each Monday morning.  They have to drive 70 miles just to get to the beach and another 70 miles home to Kingsville.  They then have another 20 miles round trip to the land fill for a total of 160 miles and that's not including the 10-20 miles up and then back down the beach.  So, if everybody does a little bit to help this could become one of the cleanest beaches in all of Texas.

Note:  If you are arriving via highway 358 east bound, there is a very big supermarket called "H-E-B" at the last exit before going across the Intercostal Waterway (exit on Waldron Road).  Waldron is the next exit after  Flour Bluff Drive.