State Parks

GALVESTON’S BEACH SIDE REOPENS
AFTER RENOVATIONS

Galveston Island State Park reopened the beach side of the park this summer after completing a three-year major redevelopment project.

“We are very excited to be able to reopen such a popular park on the Texas coast,” says Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks.

Improvements to the park include a new headquarters building, 95 new campsites, two new restrooms (and renovations to an existing restroom), new roads, two new changing areas and rinse-off showers, 20 new shade shelters in the day-use area and a seasonal equestrian day-use area.

Additionally, there will be more than five miles of hiking trails, a newly remodeled nature center on the bay side, two observation towers, two boardwalks, three kayak launch locations on the bay side, a new vendor area and three new group-use pavilions on the beach side.

The redevelopment project was brought to fruition thanks to $10.6 million in restoration funds from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

“In 2008, Hurricane Ike impacted families and individuals across the upper Texas coast,” says Kody Waters, interim superintendent of Galveston Island State Park. “After Galveston Island State Park was damaged during the storm, we were able to reopen temporarily while this larger scale project was planned. It has been a long time coming. I could not be more excited for public to once again experience the park at its fullest.”