Mustang Island Beaches

The beaches of Mustang Island Texas run along the Gulf of Mexico from Port Aransas to the north side of the Packery Channel where North Padre Island beaches begin. Mustang Island is about 17 miles long or about one fourth the size of North Padre Island. The beaches of Mustang Island are all part of Nueces County with the exception of the Mustang Island State Park. Mustang Island beaches fall with in the city limits of both Port Aransas and Corpus Christi Texas.

Port Aransas Texas' location on Mustang Island is never far away from these great family beaches. Port Aransas Texas has grown into a beach resort town for those who enjoy fishing, longboarding, paddling kayak trails, golfing, springbreak and birding. Several hotels or vacation rentals are right on the beach in Port Aransas as well as a public and private R.V. Parks. However most of the beach front is natural and undeveloped. A public campsite and Horace Caldwell Fishing Pier are at I. B. Magee Beach.  The Pier has paved parking and provides vehicle free beaches. Going south down the beach there are also pedistrian only beaches with wooden poles separating traffic from people for a mile or more. Nueces County requires a parking sticker which can be purchased at local convenient stores.

Several condominiums are located right in the dunes allowing easy access to beaches for guests. Less than a block away from the beaches are hotels, beach houses, vacation rentals and condos. Port Aransas Texas offers visitors and locals alike a community where you can park your car and walk to beaches ,restaurants, fishing and more. If you choose to explore beaches further away from the town of Port Aransas you will find open beaches with minimal restrictions. Access Road 1 and 1A offer open beaches with vehicular access. Eventually these beaches lead to several condominiums and private developments outside of Port Aransas. These areas will require accessing Highway 361 again. Continue further away from Port Aransas and Access Road 2 will be reached again providing access to the beaches. This access road offers free beach access and also provides access to the Mustang Island State Park Fishing Jetties.. However to take advantage of the parks other facilities besides the fishing jetties such as the R.V. Park, showers, dumping station, camping, and visitors center at the ranger station and beach area you must enter through the parks main entrance off of Highway 361. Driving further south down Mustang Island on State Highway 361 brings you to the end of Mustang Island at the Packery Channel. This is about 15 miles form the city of Port Aransas.