Padre Island National Seashore
Protecting sixty-six miles of wild coastline along the Gulf of America, the narrow barrier island is home to one of the last intact coastal prairie habitats in the United States. Along the hypersaline Laguna Madre, tidal mud flats teem with life. Native Americans, Spanish explorers and cattle ranchers have walked along its shores. Padre Island National Seashore is waiting to be rediscovered.
Alerts
- CautionNPS ↗High tides forecasted for October. Check the tide chart.
Several days of over 2.0 ft tides are forecasted during the month of October, including 2.6 ft tides at the end of the month. Be sure to check the tide chart and weather forecast when planning your trip.
- CautionCanine distemper is believed to be present in the park.
Contact with saliva from wild animals can transmit distemper to pets, including from but not limited to water bowls, food bowls, trash etc. Distemper is not a threat to humans but can be deadly to pets. Ensure your pets are vaccinated or keep them home.
- InformationNPS ↗Be aware of changing beach conditions
Beach conditions are changing frequently. Check current tide charts and weather forecasts before traveling on the beach.
- Information4-wheel drive recommended for beach driving
4-wheel drive is recommended if driving on North and South Beach.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleAdmits the passholder and up to 15 passengers in the same private (non-commercial) vehicle. It expires one week from the date of purchase. For private vehicles, this entrance pass is required for overnight camping. A 1-day entrance pass is available for $10 per vehicle. 1-day entrance passes expire at midnight on the date of purchase and are not valid for overnight camping. | $25 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. For motorcyclists, this entrance pass is required for overnight camping. A 1-day entrance pass is available for $5. 1-day entrance passes expire at midnight on the date of purchase and are not valid for overnight camping. | $20 | |
| Per PersonAdmits one individual bicyclist, hiker, or pedestrian visiting the facility without a private vehicle. An individual pass is not required for visitors aged 15 and under. It expires one week from the date of purchase. For an individual, this entrance pass is required for overnight camping. A 1-day entrance pass is available for $5 per person. | $15 | |
| Non-commercial GroupsNon-commercial groups traveling in a vehicle with a capacity of 16 persons or more are charged per person. This entrance pass is valid for one week from the date of purchase. Fees will not exceed the commercial fee for the same-sized vehicle. Youth 15 and younger are free. Individuals or families with any valid Annual or Lifetime pass may use their pass for entry. | $15 | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| SedanPass is valid for the day of purchase and the next six days for a vehicle carrying the same group of passengers. The entry fees of commercial tours are based upon the total capacity of vehicles that can carry seven or more passengers regardless of the actual number of passengers. | $25 | |
| VanPass is valid for the day of purchase and the next six days for a vehicle carrying the same group of passengers. The entry fees of commercial tours are based upon the total capacity of vehicles that can carry seven or more passengers regardless of the actual number of passengers. | $40 | |
| Mini-busPass is valid for the day of purchase and the next six days for a vehicle carrying the same group of passengers. The entry fees of commercial tours are based upon the total capacity of vehicles that can carry seven or more passengers regardless of the actual number of passengers. | $40 | |
| Motor CoachPass is valid for the day of purchase and the next six days for a vehicle carrying the same group of passengers. The entry fees of commercial tours are based upon the total capacity of vehicles that can carry seven or more passengers regardless of the actual number of passengers. | $100 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkAdmits the passholder and up to 15 passengers in the same private (non-commercial) vehicle or motorcycle. It expires one year from the month of purchase. | $45 | |
Park entrance fees are required year-round, for all areas of the park. Padre Island National Seashore offers 1-day, 7-day, and annual entrance passes. 1-day entrance passes are valid until midnight on the date of purchase. 7-day entrance passes are valid for seven days from the date of purchase. Annual entrance passes are valid for one year from the month of purchase.
Hours
| Overall park access hours | Daily · All Day |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Malaquite Campground | 48 sites | |
| $14 a night · Malaquite Campground is open year-round, first-come, first-served. Check-in time is 1 pm, check-out time is 12 pm. Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 6 am. · 48 first-come | ||
| Bird Island Basin Campground | 34 sites | |
| $8 a night · Bird Island Basin Campground is open year-round, first-come, first-served. Check-in time is 1 pm, check-out time is 12 pm. Quiet hours are from 10 pm to 6 am. · 34 first-come | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Malaquite Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Malaquite Visitor Center includes an information desk, park store and an exhibit area with information about park history, plants, and animals. Ranger-led programs are available during the summer season. A shaded picnic area is available on the deck.
Explore
Things to do
- Swimming
Splashing in the surf and bodyboarding are a favorite activity along the beach.
Opens on the Park Service site - Ranger-led Programs at Padre Island5-120 Minutes
Discover Padre Island National Seashore with free ranger-led programs like beach walks and deck talks! Explore nature, history, and wildlife while enjoying the Gulf shoreline or chatting over coffee with a ranger.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Padre Island Junior Ranger
Are you interested in exploring? Would you like to learn more about the national parks that belong to you? Do you want to learn how you can help protect these special places? If so, become a Padre Island Junior Ranger! The Junior Ranger activity…
Opens on the Park Service site - Check-out a Junior Ranger Discovery Pack
Families and groups with children can borrow a free Discovery Pack from the Malaquite Visitor Center to explore Padre Island. Each pack includes an activity guide, field guides, binoculars, magnifiers, and more.
Opens on the Park Service site - Birding at Padre Island
The 411 on birding at Padre Islands National Seashore. Where to go and what to bring!
Opens on the Park Service site - Boating, Paddling, and Windsurfing
Explore Padre Island National Seashore on the water.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 9Hide
- Driving Down Island
One of the most popular activities to do when visiting the national seashore is to drive on the beach and travel down island. Venturing beyond the pavement can get you to some of the most remote areas of the park, awarding you the experience of…
Opens on the Park Service site - Fishing at Padre Island National Seashore
Cast a line and soak in the day at Padre Island National Seashore.
Opens on the Park Service site - Stargazing at Padre Island
See the stars at Padre Island National Seashore.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
Events
- 09:00 AM · freeKEDT Studio 3205 South Staples Street, Corpus Christi
- Entrance Fee Free Day - Theodore Roosevelt's Birthday10/2712:00 PM · free
- Sunrise Yoga: Halloween Edition 🎃10/3107:00 AM · free · registration requiredMalaquite Visitor Center rooftop deck. The rooftop is accessed by two flights of stairs.
- 12:00 AM · free
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Guidebooks for Texas's national parks and the Southwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthAmerican Badger 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 368 birds, 45 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · American Swallow-tailed Kite · Aplomado Falcon · Bald Eagle · Barn Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Burrowing Owl · Cooper's Hawk · Crested Caracara · Ferruginous Hawk · Great Horned Owl · Harris' Hawk · Merlin · Mississippi Kite · Northern Harrier · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Rough-legged Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · White-tailed Hawk · White-tailed Kite
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Black Duck · American Coot · American White Pelican · American Wigeon · Black Rail · Black-bellied Whistling-duck · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Brown Pelican · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cinnamon Teal · Clappe Rail · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Double-crested Cormorant · Eared Grebe · Fulvous Whistling-duck · Glossy Ibis · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Greater Scaup · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Harlequin Duck · Hooded Merganser · Horned Grebe · King Rail · Least Bittern · Least Grebe · Lesser Scaup · Little Blue Heron · Mottled Duck · Neotropic Cormorant · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Reddish Egret · Ring-necked Duck · Ross' Goose · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · Tricolored Heron · Virginia Rail · Western Cattle Egret · White Ibis · White-faced Ibis · Wood Duck · Wood Stork · Yellow Rail · Yellow-billed Loon · Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Avocet · American Oystercatcher · American Woodcock · Baird's Sandpiper · Band-rumped Storm Petrel · Black Skimmer · Black Tern · Black-bellied Plover · Bonaparte's Gull · Bridled Tern · Brown Booby · Buff-breasted Sandpiper · California Gull · Caspian Tern · Common Tern · Dunlin · Forster's Tern · Franklin's Gull · Glaucous Gull · Great Black-backed Gull · Greater Shearwater · Greater Yellowlegs · Gull-billed Tern · Herring Gull · Hudsonian Godwit · Iceland Gull · Killdeer · Laughing Gull · Leach's Storm-petrel · Least Sandpiper · Least Tern · Lesser Black-backed Gull · Lesser Golden Plover · Lesser Yellowlegs · Long-billed Curlew · Long-billed Dowitcher · Long-tailed Jaeger · Magnificent Frigatebird · Manx Shearwater · Marbled Godwit · Masked Booby · Parasitic Jaeger · Pectoral Sandpiper · Piping Plover · Pomarine Jaeger · Red-footed Booby · Ring-billed Gull · Royal Tern · Ruddy Turnstone · Sabine's Gull · Sanderling · Sandwich Tern · Semipalmated Plover · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Short-billed Dowitcher · Snowy Plover · Solitary Sandpiper · Sooty Shearwater · Sooty Tern · Spotted Sandpiper · Stilt Sandpiper · Thayer's Gull · Upland Sandpiper · Western Gull · Western Sandpiper · White-rumped Sandpiper · Willet · Wilson's Snipe · wilson's phalarope · wilson's plover
Gamebirds & dovesCommonGround-dove · Inca Dove · Mourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · Rock Dove · White-winged Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersGolden-fronted Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBlack-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Buff-bellied Hummingbird · Chimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-collared Swift
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · Alder Flycatcher · Altamira Oriole · American Cliff Swallow · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstarat · American Robin · Anhinga · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Baltimore Oriole · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Bell's Vireo · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black Scoter · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Black-crested Titmouse · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-legged Kittiwake · Black-necked Stilt · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-winged Warbler · Bobolink · Brewer's Blackbird · Bronzed Cowbird · Brown Creeper · Brown Noddy · Brown Thrasher · Brown-crested Flycatcher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Cactus Wren · Canada Warbler · Canvasback · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Wren · Cassin's Kingbird · Cassin's Sparrow · Cedar Waxwing · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chihuahuan Raven · Chipping Sparrow · Chuck-will's-widow · Clay-colored Sparrow · Common Grackle · Common Moorhen · Common Nighthawk · Common Pauraque · Common Poorwill · Common Yellowthroat · Couch's Kingbird · Curve-billed Thrasher · Dickcissel · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Wood Pewee · European Starling · Field Sparrow · Flame-colored Tanager · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Gray Kingbird · Gray-cheeked Thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · Great Kiskadee · Great-tailed Grackle · Greater Flamingo · Greater Roadrunner · Green Kingfisher · Green Violetear · Green-tailed Towhee · Groove-billed Ani · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Oriole · Hooded Warbler · Horned Lark · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Le Conte's Sparrow · Least Flycatcher · Lesser Nighthawk · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Long-billed Thrasher · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Mangrove Cuckoo · Mangrove Warbler · Marsh Wren · Mourning Warbler · Myrtle Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow · Northern Cardinal · Northern Gannet · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Waterthrush · Oldsquaw · Olive Sparrow · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Pacific Diver · Painted Bunting · Palm Warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Gallinule · Purple Martin · Pyrrhuloxia · Red Knot · Red-billed Tropicbird · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Roseate Spoonbill · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Ruff · Rufous-sided Towhee · Rusty Blackbird · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scarlet Tanager · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Seaside Sparrow · Sedge Wren · Snow Bunting · Solitary Vireo · Song Sparrow · Sora · Spotted Towhee · Sprague's Pipit · Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher · Summer Tanager · Surf Scoter · Surfbird · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Tree Swallow · Varied Bunting · Veery · Verdin · Vermilion Flycatcher · Vesper Sparrow · Warbling Vireo · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Whimbrel · Whip-poor-will · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · White-winged Scoter · Wilson's Warbler · Wood Thrush · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-green Vireo · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-throated Vireo · Yellow-throated Warbler · black noddy · willow flycatcher · winter wren
Small mammalsBlack Rat · Black-tailed Jack Rabbit · Eastern Mole · Fulvous Harvest Mouse · Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat · Hispid Cotton Rat · House Mouse · Northern Grasshopper Mouse · Northern Pygmy Mouse · Spotted Ground Squirrel · Texas Pocket Gopher
Marine mammalsAntillean beaked whale · Atlantic Spotted Dolphin · Blainville's Beaked Whale · Bottlenose Dolphin · Bryde's whale · Clymene Dolphin · Common Minke Whale · Dwarf Sperm Whale · False Killer Whale · Killer Whale · Pantropical Spotted Dolphin · Pygmy Killer Whale · Pygmy Sperm Whale · Rough-toothed Dolphin · Short-finned Pilot Whale · Striped Dolphin · black right whale · electra dolphin · long-snouted spinner dolphin
PredatorsAmerican Badger · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBrazilian Free-tailed Bat · Eastern Pipistrelle
Also on the checklistMarsh Oryzomys · Virginia Opossum · White-nosed Coati · blue bull · cachalot · grampus · long-nosed armadillo
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Padre Island has long, hot summers and short, mild winters. Summers are very humid. Winter can bring strong cold fronts and gale force winds. Most rain falls near the beginning and end of hurricane season (Jun 1 - Nov 30). Average seasonal temperatures (Fahrenheit): Spring - high 70s-80s, low 50s-60s; Summer - high mid-90s, low 70s; Fall - high 70s-80s, low 50s-60s; Winter - high 50s-70s, low 30s-40s. Year-round, average wind speed ranges from 5-25 miles per hour. Relative humidity seldom drops below 70%.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Padre Island?
Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. Admits the passholder and up to 15 passengers in the same private (non-commercial) vehicle.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Padre Island?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Padre Island-only annual pass is $45.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Padre Island takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Padre Island free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Padre Island?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Padre Island. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Padre Island open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Padre Island?
Yes. The Park Service lists 2 campgrounds in Padre Island: Malaquite and Bird Island Basin. 2 are first-come, first-served.
Which Padre Island campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Showers: Malaquite. Dump station: Malaquite.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Padre Island include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Malaquite is $14 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Padre Island right now?
4 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: High tides forecasted for October. Check the tide chart; Canine distemper is believed to be present in the park; and more.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Padre Island?
573,255 recreation visits in 2025, number 104 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
When was Padre Island established?
1962. It covers about 206 square miles.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
More in Texas
