West End

Galveston Island State Park

On the West End the park has a Gulf beach on one side of the road and the bay on the other. You can camp near the sand, walk four miles of trails or paddle through the marsh. Entry is $5, and the park often fills up, so reserve even for a day visit.

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Reserve with Texas State Parks

Checked October 29, 2026$5 per adultCampsites from $15

Galveston Island State Park · Photo: Yinan Chen / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain · Credits

The short answer

Reserve a day pass

The park often reaches capacity. Texas Parks & Wildlife recommends reserving a day pass as well as a campsite, and a reserved pass is the only way to be sure of getting in.

Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife: Galveston Island State Park, entrance fees

Where: 14901 FM 3005 on the West End, about 10 miles west of 61st Street along the Seawall road
Entry: $5 per adult per day. Children 12 and under get in free
Hours: Every day. The gate opens at 7 am and locks at 10 pm, and day visitors must leave by 10 pm. Campers arriving after 10 pm should call the park (409-737-1222) before 5 pm that day for late-arrival instructions
Reserve: The park often fills up, so reserve day passes and campsites online or on (512) 389-8900. It matters most from March to October and on weekends
Two sides: The beach side on the Gulf is for swimming and camping, the bay side for trails, paddling, fishing and birds. Each has its own entrance, on opposite sides of FM 3005: see the park map
Swimming: There are no lifeguards, and the currents can be strong. Swim only in the marked areas
Fishing: You don't need a fishing license to fish from shore inside a state park
Dogs: On a 6-foot leash, and not in buildings or swimming areas

Good to know

Fishing, horses and access

Inside a state park you can fish from the beach or the bay shore without a license. The park has a fish-cleaning station, and some of its best crabbing is at the Oak Bayou access point. To fish from a boat or anywhere else on the island you need a license; see fishing in Galveston.

A heron standing in the shallows of the bay at Galveston Island State Park — A heron in the shallows on the bay side of the park.Galveston Island State Park, bay side · Photo: Yinan Chen / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Horseback riding on the beach is allowed only from November to February.

Headquarters lends out four beach wheelchairs, which need someone to push them. All restrooms are accessible. In the beach-side day-use area, paved paths lead to the sand, though drifting sand can cover parts of the beach sidewalk. Four beach-side campsites (5, 12, 19 and 24) are paved and have raised grills. The observation tower on the bay side has ramps, but the short trail to it is caliche and loose gravel, and none of the bay-side trails is rated accessible. TPWD accessibility details.

The park's phone number is (409) 737-1222.

Camping

Campsites and prices

You pay the nightly price plus the daily entry fee. Every type of site has restrooms with showers nearby. The electric sites and the bay-side water sites have water at the site; at the tent platforms, hike-in and primitive sites it is nearby. An electric site costs $20 on the bay side and $30 to $35 on the beach side, and from November to February there are weekly ($120) and monthly ($500) rates. Choose the beach side if you want to walk to the sand, the bay side for trails and paddling.

Beach side, electric, large
Sites8DetailsUp to 12 people, or 16 for an extra fee. 4 ADA sites. 20/30/50-amp power, water and a fire ringPer night$35
Beach side, electric
Sites50DetailsUp to 8 people. 20/30/50-amp power, water and a fire ringPer night$30
Beach side, tent platform with electricity
Sites7DetailsTents only. You park nearby; vehicles can't go to the platformPer night$20
Beach side, primitive hike-in
Sites15DetailsTents only, with water nearbyPer night$15
Bay side, electric
Sites20Details1.5 miles from the beach. The sites are close together and share a pavilion and fire rings. Tents are allowedPer night$20
Bay side, water only
Sites10DetailsNo vehicles longer than 18 feet. Generators off at 10 pmPer night$15
Primitive (dry camping)
Sites10DetailsTents, trailers or motor homes, with no hookups and no shadePer night$15

The park also rents out the Stewart House lodge, with 3 bedrooms for 8 people, from $225 a night off-peak. Pets aren't allowed. The other lodge, the Ranch House, is closed for renovation. Source: campsites, lodging

Bay side

Trails and paddling routes

You can walk or cycle on every trail and park road unless a sign says otherwise. The bay side has an observation tower, photo blinds and kayak launches at Como Lake and Oak Bayou. For the paddling trails, bring your own kayak, or ask the park about rentals and ranger-led paddles before you come. The nature center is open on weekends from 10 am to 2 pm.

A footbridge over a creek on a State Park trail — A footbridge over a creek on a park trail.Galveston Island State Park, bay side · Photo: Yinan Chen / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Prairie Trail
Length3.3 mi round tripDifficultyEasyWhat you'll seeThrough the last piece of the coastal prairie that once covered the island
Swale Trail
Length1.3 miDifficultyEasyWhat you'll seeBetween the dunes and the prairie, past the ponds behind the dunes
Clapper Rail Trail
Length1.2 mi round tripDifficultyModerateWhat you'll seeWading birds feeding in the bayous
Alligator Loop
Length1.0 miDifficultyEasyWhat you'll seeAround a large freshwater pond. Watch for alligators
Jenkins Bayou paddling trail
Length3.3 mi round tripDifficultyModerateWhat you'll seeShorebirds and wading birds up close
Oak Bayou paddling trail
Length5.4 mi round tripDifficultyChallengingWhat you'll seeQuiet bayous, open coves and seagrass beds
Dana Cove paddling trail
Length2.8 mi round tripDifficultyModerateWhat you'll seeOpen water in Galveston Bay

The park's page showed three alerts on October 29, 2026. Some boardwalks have been closed since January 19, 2026 because of flood damage. The drinking fountains near campsites 71 to 95 have had no water since a line broke on July 2, 2026; ask staff for the nearest water. A high-tide notice from September 28 warns that roads may close. Check the park alerts before you go. Birding seasons: birding in Galveston.

Without a tent

Where to stay nearby

On the West End you mostly stay in a beach house. Jamaica Beach, just west of the park, is a small town of its own with a beach you can drive onto.

West End rentals on Vrbo

Driving distances from park headquarters, routed with OpenStreetMap.

Driving distances from Galveston Island State Park
To	Distance	By car
Jamaica Beach	2.3 mi	about 5 min
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Galveston Beach Resort	4.5 mi	about 9 min
Moody Gardens	9.5 mi	about 17 min
Pleasure Pier	12.0 mi	about 19 min
The Strand	13.4 mi	about 22 min

A hotel instead

The nearest hotel on the sand

Pool and balconied buildings of the Holiday Inn Club Vacations resort with the beach behind

4.5 mi from the park

Photo: Expedia

West End, Termini–San Luis Pass Road

Holiday Inn Club Vacations Galveston Beach Resort

Step off your villa's porch and onto the sand: no road between you and the beach. A villa with a kitchen on the quiet West End, made for a week of beach days with the family.

Where: 11743 Termini–San Luis Pass Rd on the West End. The resort is on the beach, with no road to cross
Parking: Covered by the resort fee, which you pay at the property each night: $17.50 on the resort's FAQ, $20.13 on Expedia
Pets: Not allowed
Breakfast: There's no restaurant, but most villas have a full kitchen
Pool: Outdoor infinity pool, heated except January to March
Villas: A one-bedroom villa sleeps up to 4, a two-bedroom up to 6 and a two-bedroom lock-off up to 8
Also: Hot tub. Fitness center. Check-in 4 pm, check-out 10 am. You must be 21 to check in

Before you book: The resort fee ($20.13 a night) and a $115 deposit are paid at the property, on top of the price you see when you book.

Good for

Families who want a kitchen and room to spread out
A week of beach days

Skip if

You want to walk to restaurants or the Strand
You want a restaurant in the hotel
Your dog is coming

Check prices on Expedia Full hotel guide

Sources: IHG hotel page, IHG amenities, Holiday Inn Club resort page and FAQ

History

A short history of the park

The Akokisa, a nomadic band of Atakapan speakers, were the first people known to spend the winters on the island. In 1817 the Lafitte brothers set up their own government on Galveston Island, and many believe the pirates used this part of it to move stolen goods and enslaved people to the mainland.

In 1891 developers laid out a town called South Galveston here, with plans for a grand hotel, a post office and a racetrack. It was never finished, but the changes it made to the land still show in the park's prairie and marsh.

The state bought the 2,013-acre site from private owners in 1969 and opened the park in 1975. Hurricane Ike reshaped the beach in 2008, and the park is still recovering.

Source: Texas Parks & Wildlife: park history