I could have camped in the woods, under oak trees with branches that bend like ballet dancers. Or I might have picked a hilltop carpeted in velvety green grass. A rocky overhang sounded cozy, or even a riverbank not far from the knobby knees of a cypress tree.
All those options seemed better than the spot near the cut that divides North and South Padre Islands, where I tried to pitch a tent a few years ago as the wind blew sand into my eyes. But I soldiered on, driving brand-new, extra-beefy sand stakes into the ground and dragging a small cooler inside my tent to weigh it down and keep everything from taking flight.
I finished that camping trip feeling like a sugar cookie. But since then, I've perfected my beach camping skills. I've also discovered that the perks of beach camping outweigh the minor discomforts: crashing waves that lull you to sleep, sand dollars to hunt, blazing sunrises and sea breezes like warm breath.
Just come prepared.
My buddy Jimmy Harvey, a former Scoutmaster for an Austin Boy Scout troop, paddled the entire Texas coast, from South Padre Island to the Louisiana border, in 2020, camping along the way. Then he spent about six weeks over two summers paddle camping through the Arctic, where some beaches are gravel and some are sand.
“No matter how hard you try, you have sand everywhere,” he says of the beach camping experience. “For me, it's like ‘Whelp, I'm going to be camping in the sand. I better learn to love it because I can't avoid it.’”
That's sound advice that leaves you free to appreciate the upsides of the experience.
“The ground is always soft,” Harvey says. “It's malleable and you can almost burrow into it a little bit. And it's relatively level — that's a big plus.”
If you go, keep a few things in mind. Huge swaths of Texas beaches are open to vehicle traffic. Pick a spot off the main thoroughfare to pitch your tent. Bring bug spray and wear long pants to keep mosquitos at bay. And pay attention to tides. Sites that seem far enough from the water can disappear during high tide.
Keep your feet clean. Last year, while camping at Isla Espiritu Santo in Baja California with an outfitter, we stepped into pans of water set outside our tents before slipping into our living quarters. It worked great.
Sand doesn't taste, or feel, good in your mouth. Setting up a wind block in front of the cooking area helped, too. And don't leave raw chicken out. Some friends made this mistake one evening, and the crabs went wild.
Mostly, though, it's about attitude. In my book, a night in a tent, even if it includes a few grains of sand, outshines even the finest hotel.
Gear Up
A beach camping trip requires a few extra pieces of equipment.
- If you plan to drive down the beach to camp, bring a shovel in case you get stuck and need to dig yourself out.
- Regular tent stakes won't hold. You'll need thicker, longer sand stakes to pitch your tent.
- You'll be spending a lot of time on the beach, with no shade in sight. Pack a pop-up awning and long-sleeved sun shirts. And don't forget the sunscreen.
- Fill a plastic tub or bucket with water and set it outside your tent so you can rinse off your feet before you step inside.
- Take along a whisk broom to sweep sand out of your tent.
Where to camp on the beach in Texas
Padre Island National Seashore
This park near Corpus Christi has two developed campgrounds and 60 miles of primitive beach camping. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended for miles 5 to 60.
Sea Rim State Park
Besides a developed campground, this park near Port Arthur offers primitive camping on the beach.
Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area
You'll need a boat or kayak to get there, but camping is permitted at the Sunday Beach area of this 38-mile barrier island. No fees or permits required.
Galveston Island State Park
If you're not sure you want to commit to a fully sandy experience, book one of the wooden tent platform sites at this park, which offers beach and bayside sites.