Galveston Island State Park

Come Nature Your Relationship

What makes it fun

Galveston Island State Park offers a scenic escape where lovebirds can enjoy all nature has to offer. This 2,000-acre park spans from the Gulf to the bay, showcasing diverse habitats like salt marshes, coastal prairies, and sandy beaches. Embark on a trailblazing adventure along 4 miles of nature paths, ideal for spotting wildlife and sharing quiet moments. For a reel bonding experience, try fishing in the bay or surf. Kayaking enthusiasts can explore 3 unique paddling trails. Don't forget to pack a picnic and enjoy a meal with a stunning nature view.

Google Reviews

4.6

Based on 4,269 reviews

Mona Vega

3 weeks ago

Katie Armor

3 weeks ago

Mark Gregory

3 weeks ago

LOVE this place. Soooooo nice

Jordan Hofer

3 weeks ago

Always fun!

Kimberly Beam

3 weeks ago

H&M Pharmacy

4 weeks ago

Ashley Brown Bates

1 month ago

So much fun crabbing, but no crabs over one inc were found at the kayak launch. Great state park! Helpful rangers!

Murtaza

1 month ago

Rehan Rashid

1 month ago

Courtney Segars

1 month ago

What a magical place to camp! Come prepared... the wind is steady so extra guy lines if tenting, and the bugs are next level so extra bug spray to apply throughout the day. The rangers work hard to keep the facilities as clean as possible. The kids had a blast crabbing on the Bayside and experiencing the beach.

Yens Breining

1 month ago

Did a drive around this park a year ago. Plan to spend this Christmas there in my rv. Great facilities as well.

Christine Chavez

2 months ago

Went with our scouts and had a great time. Park very clean.

Shariq “Jamal”

2 months ago

Beautiful place with very well organised, its worth to pay the nominal fee which was honestly utilised in maintaining good environment. Neat and clean restroom, huts are well organised, staff are always avaliable to maintain the cleaning. Proper parking lot.

Christina Langley

2 months ago

Arnulfo Rodriguez

2 months ago

SOBI MIYA

2 months ago

Very clean and maintain..shower room are also clean..good thing once u come to shower area all are paved path so no more sand n mess in ur car.would love to go again.

Zhuan Zhou

2 months ago

Nice place.

I am Hungry Hippo

2 months ago

Anne Lane

2 months ago

Clean beach with restrooms and showers

stephanie ratcliffe

2 months ago

Brandee Carrera

4 months ago

Kimberly Sadat

4 months ago

Beautifully kept park with lots of space. Nice big, clean restrooms. Lots of showers indoors and outdoor stalls for washing off after the beach. Great place to camp or park an rv.

Helen Curbello

4 months ago

Samuel López Martínez

4 months ago

KimberlyA Lyman

4 months ago

Marsha Okay

7 months ago

Absolutely love this park! It’s got great access to the beach. Our RV parking was a really nice level pad with a covered patio. Only a short walk to restrooms/showers which were very nice and clean. The park has great trails for birding and some areas for wade fishing. The park’s location gives a direct drive into Galveston city for restaurants and other fun activities. Highly recommended!

Chrisy Acuna

7 months ago

If you forget about white sand, Galveston Island State Park is everything I look for in a camping spot. The sound of the waves and birds is refreshing. The nonstop wind was perfect for kite flying. Other campers were warm and friendly. The facilities were nearby and spotless. Wildflowers were in bloom everywhere I looked. Since it's at the far end of the island, it's quite and peaceful. We managed to kayak a whole 2/10ths of a mile before blaming the wind for my struggles.

Jeremy Thompson

7 months ago

Lemur Cleaning Services

7 months ago

This review is about WOODEN PLATFORMS sites on the ocean side. Camped at the end of March 2026 site #62. - YOU NEED "FISH BONE" ankers to keep your tent from carried away by the wind. Even if yoiu arrive on a calm day, at night the wind WILL pick up. You won't be able to put the anchors in the soil as you always do. You can buy these platform ankers online (about $10) or at the park headquarters (about $3 per each but slightly better quality) I personally would not rely on its availability and bring my own. - YOU NEED a folding wagon. Sites are NOT drive in, they are walk in. means you will leave your car on the parking lot and carry all your stuff to the tent site. Even if you reserved closest sites like 62 or 63 it is still a workout. If you booked the sites like 66 or 67, the wagon is NOT optional. We let everyone borrow our wagon because people were suffering carrying their stuff back and forth. - NO water on each site. Water "tower" in the area next to the site #61 - #61 is the only one platform that is wheelchair accessible - ZERO SHADE on any of the platform sites. No trees or man-made shade. Bring your sun tent. - Dollar General is 5 min car - You can do CRABBING and fishing in the park WITHOUT a license. It is a state park. This rule applies to all state parks. Entry fee is $5 per day per person. Platform sites $15/night per site (as of March 2026) Tip: Google "high tide' schedule for the park. Crabbing is best 2 hours before the high tide. bait - cheap chicken leg. - all platform sites are electric. The electric outlet is located right next to the platform, so you will not need a 40 ft cord. You can take an electric air mattress, a heater, a/c or a ventilator. If you are about to buy a tent, make sure your tent has e-port (a small opening for an electric cord). - There are no recycling stations/bins in the park. PLEASE take your plastic and aluminum with you and recycle at home. Buy a $1.30 grabber from Dollar Tree and go collect plastic trash on the beach. Kids love this "hunt" just like picking up shells LOL - If you catch a crab. The most humane way to kill it is. 1. Put in icy slurry (water+ice) for 30 min. They will stop moving but still will be alive. Then quickly destroy the brain (area between the eyes) Use a knife, screwdriver etc. Please do not boil alive, cut alive or let them suffocate; it is barbaric. They DO feel pain and stress (Google the research). THANK YOU!

Megan Etheridge

7 months ago

Watch out for the birds they will get what you leave put. This is a nice park.

Mario Sánchez

7 months ago

Melissa Hogarth

8 months ago

The Story Plate

8 months ago

Galveston State Park has a quiet kind of magic to it. We camped there for two days over spring break, and it was such a peaceful escape. It’s not the clearest or most “perfect” beach, but it has its own beauty—wild on the Gulf side and calm, almost reflective on the bay side. And the sunsets? So good. Soft, golden, and the kind that make you stop and just take it all in. It’s simple, a little rugged, and honestly really special in its own way. Perfect for a laid-back Texas coast getaway.

William albaugh

8 months ago

Awesome place to go for swimming and beach time!!! Get the day pass for free parking and beach access! Way more fun than Galveston public beaches. Great little camping spots and beach fun on one side of the highway, cross the highway and fishing and more camping on the other side. There are outside showers to rinse the sand and salt off quickly or indoor private stalls for more thorough cleaning. We didnt take the time to check out the trails (they have gators here!!!) but we did get to enjoy a walk along the beach together. Get here early and enjoy some beach time. Bring sunblock - i hope the young lady I saw who had scorched red legs is okay.

Wendy Williams

10 months ago

We camped here for a week, in January. It wax great being on the beach! The dogs loved it. Though I wouldn't recommend the weather ;) The park was nice the campsite was comfortable and clean. They had restroom and shower facilities that were well maintained. Sites provided water and power and there is a dump station on property. We will come again, maybe in April!

Lex Strider

1 year ago

angie cook

1 year ago

TLacey Ballou

1 year ago

Very clean with good parking. Our campsite was on a riser that provided an electricity hookup. While the showers and restrooms are shared, the facilities were clean. Quick walking access to the beach.

Miguel Hernandez

1 year ago

Michel Morgan

1 year ago

Irasema Gamez

1 year ago

Great spot for a family day! Galveston Island State Park is clean, safe, and very pet-friendly. The staff was helpful and answered all our questions. We loved the shaded picnic areas, BBQ grills, and the short walk to the beach—just don’t forget your chairs and umbrellas! Showers and changing areas were a big plus. The ice machines worked perfectly (great for keeping drinks cool), and while the water wasn’t cold, there’s a free drinking fountain and machines that take cash or card. Only downside: no toilet paper in the women’s bathroom, but it was clean. Overall, a fun and relaxing place for the whole family!

Sameer Thorat

1 year ago

Good place for bird watching as well as enjoying the beach. Ample parking and comfortable walk to beach. Has clean showers and restrooms. Staff is very helpful and friendly.

Mo T

1 year ago

Omg, such a beautiful park. It is a really inexpensive and fun way to spend a fun weekend at the beach. Some of the best amenities I've seen at a state park and the rv & camp sites are very good.

Julian Newman

1 year ago

Kent Harper

1 year ago

This review addresses only the campground on the bay side. This campground has the nicest restrooms and showers of any campground I've been to in the last year. Clean, modern, and real showers instead of those push button things. The campsites are clean and level, but this area is more for tent camping than an RV or trailer. My truck is full size and it barely fit the parking space. There's a picnic table at each site and each has a small shelter over it. There are no tent pads. The picnic tables have nothing under them so when rain comes it gets muddy under the benches. There are no trees, so the only shade is from the picnic table shelters. No electric service at the sites, but there is water. My cell signal was fair. I stayed on a Friday evening in June and there was only one other camper. The price was $15 plus a $5 entrance fee for the park. Considering the hot showers that price seems a good value. I would certainly come here again.

RON

2 years ago

Just visited Galveston Island State Park last week with the family and had an absolute blast! From the moment we arrived, we were greeted with beautiful coastal views, sea breezes, and the sound of nature. The shoreline was clean and not too crowded, even on a weekend. There were families flying kites, people fishing, and a few kayakers out in the water — very peaceful vibe all around. If you're looking for a relaxed, family-friendly spot with beach access, fishing, birdwatching, and nature trails all in one place — this is it! Definitely bringing the family back soon.

Charissa Hadley-McGilton

2 years ago

Nice place to have family get-togethers. Grounds are well kept, except for on the beach where a lot of seaweed has accumulated. Bathrooms are not bad. Nicer and cleaner than most parks. Outdoor showers for body and feet, as well as changing rooms, are available in close proximity of the beach and covered picnic areas. Park Ranger on duty after hours. If no one is at the ticket office, they have a machine to buy tickets to the park. Will definitely visit again.

GiGi’s List

2 years ago

We took a trip down to Galveston on a Friday to do a little fishing at Galveston Island State Park, and it didn’t disappoint—even with the wind! One of the great things about this park is you’ve got options: fish from the beach, the bay, or even a small lake area that's fed by the bay. We saw folks pulling in black drum from the bay, but since it was super windy, we stuck to the lake. The tide was low, so the fishing wasn’t quite as lively as usual, but we still had fun catching small perch-type fish and just enjoying the day outside. The park itself is really nice—peaceful and well-kept. You can camp, bring an RV, kayak, hike, fish, or just hang out and soak up the views. After fishing, we drove over to the beach side of the park to explore a bit more. The state park website lists all kinds of cool programs—last time we came, we did an evening beach walk with a Ranger who shared all kinds of fun facts about the beach and conservation. I highly recommend checking out Galveston Island State Park—or any Texas state park, honestly. It’s a great way to spend a day (or a weekend)!

Nick Kutz

2 years ago

The Campgrounds were nice big spots for campers and rv’s of most sizes. One of the most diverse selection of sites in the Texas State Parks Pass if you ask me. I got a RV Primitive site and used my generator during the day, and shut it off during quiet hours and nobody seemed to bother me about it. Their public facilities were kept pretty clean and had warm running water. Nice, clean park with walking trails and beachfront access. It’s a nature lovers escape destination.

SIP1

2 years ago

Great State Park in Galveston. We stayed here over Spring Break on the Bay Side. Our site had 50, 30 and 20 amp and water. No sewer. We loved how we backed up to the bay and could see the water. Our site was mostly level and our small loop of folks was quiet. We did not have a shower house but the tents sites down the road did and the water was hot. We also had a picnic table at our site which was nice. Plan on wind if you plan to decorate your site. So bring reinforcements to tie stuff down if it becomes windy. We will be back.

Sherman On

2 years ago

Bathrooms, changing rooms showers picnic tables under canopies I wouldn’t walk away from the parking lot to the beach. It’s a really an ideal place to park pretty inexpensive. I thought it was five bucks for people over the age of 14. If you plan on coming here often, I would just get the Texas State Park pass, which is $75 for the year Definitely when I come into Galveston. This is the park I like to come to because it’s so accommodating.

CJ Weinstein

2 years ago

I was able to take a hike. I'm on the bay side this morning. A variety of trails, wildlife, and vegetation made for a relaxing experience. The meadowlark was the soundtrack and the bay breeze was background sound. It was low very low winter tide and this made viewing the shorebirds more accessible that other days. Today, I only had time for a hike. But the park provides paddling trails for kayaks, areas to fish, crab, and camp Overnight in tents. Not to mention what the gulf side of the park has to offer. This destination should not be missed on your next trip to Galveston, Texas. Today alone I took in the Rosate spoonbills foraging for breakfast, perched Cooper's hawk and a Meadow lark signing ballads. Hope you enjoy all that Texas State Parks have to offer and think about what it would be like if we preserved more natural lands and waterways. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because a couple of the bridges are broken and have been for several months, making some of the waterways impassable, which is a bummer.