Rio Grande Valley camping
From WikiBird
The emphasis here is on tent camping.
Contents |
Coastal
Isla Blanca Park
Isla Blanca Park is primarily an RV and picnic park. The entrance fee is $4. It advertises 140 tent spaces but evidently they are not inside the park but rather in a marina parking lot nearby which can be noisy. The spaces are 4 X 8 sections of grass with no water, no grill or picnic table. There are 600 RV sites but they are hard to get. Tent spots 1-10 are better because they are off of the main marina parking area. The cost is $15 per night per tent. There are also Cabanas for rent. There are few signs if any but be aware that there is a $250.00 fine per glass bottle on the beach. I've heard the beach patrol will search your coolers for glass.
KOA
There is a KOA campground but no advertised tent sites.
Boca Chica
You can camp on the beach here but there's no facilities but also no cost. 4WD or at least a high clearance vehicle is recommended. I have seen other vehicles including some RVs. To get there go east from Brownsville on Boca Chica Blvd. which turns into Highway 4 and dead ends at the beach. From there you can go either south toward the Rio Grande River mouth or north toward the Jetty across from S. Padre.
S. Padre Island Beach
Like Boca Chica, there are no facilities and you should have 4WD. To get there go north past the Convention Center to beach access #6 which is the last access. In the summer during the day there is a $3 cleanup fee. If the sand on #6 is too deep you might try beach access #5. From #6 it is about 25 miles to the end so you should be able to find a quiet spot.
The tides are usually not much of an issue if you have 4WD. When it is high it will force driving higher in the softer sand which will be slower and more prone to getting stuck.
When it's been dry for a time the mosquitoes are not much of a problem, otherwise they will come out at night in high numbers. Even at night the wind can be quit high at times. Earplugs can help if you have trouble sleeping in a flapping tent. The main traffic, even at night, will be fishermen who usually go near the jetties but it is usually pretty quiet and secluded. Occasionally a border patrol will stop and check with you.
Adolph Thomae Jr. County Cameron Park
Near Laguna Atascosa NWR, Adolph Thomae Jr. County Cameron Park has 10 tent sites for $15 per night with showers and bathrooms.It has 35 mostly waterfront RV sites along the Arroyo Colorado north of Rio Hondo.
Rio RV Park, Brownsville
The Rio RV Park in Brownsville advertises tent camping spaces. Tent sites have fire rings, picnic tables, dishwashing sink, running water, some electric and some cable TV. The showers are air conditioned with private dressing area. Some sites are shaded. 8801 Boca Chica Blvd, Brownsville, Texas 78521. Toll Free Phone 866-279-1775, E-Mail RioRVpark@aol.com.
It is about 3 miles from Sabal Palm Sanctuary, and birder friendly.
Mid-Valley
Bentsen State Park
Bentsen has wilderness style camping by reservation, There are restrooms in the park with hot water, showers, and electricity approximately 200 meters from the campground. Car access is not permitted. To get to the campsites you can walk in 2/3 of a mile or before 4:30pm ride the tram. You can bring a wagon or wheelbarrow to help carry your camping gear. The fee is $18 per site plus the entrance fee of $5 per adult
Especially after rains, mosquitoes can be bad in the wooded areas along the river refuges.
Upper Valley
Falcon State Park
Falcon State Park or [1]. Facilities include screened shelters; air-conditioned screened shelters; campsites with water, electricity, and sewage; campsites with water and electricity; campsites with water; restrooms with showers; a fish-cleaning shelter; playgrounds; trailer dump stations; a group recreation hall with kitchen for day-use or overnight-use, and a Texas State Park Store. There are 3 miles of hiking/mountain biking trails that make a complete loop around the park. Signs detailing plant life provide a 1-mile self-guided nature trail.
Directions: From Zapata, take US Highway 83 to FM 2098, then go southwest for 3 miles to Park Road 46. From Roma, go 15 miles west on US Highway 83 to FM 2098 to Park Road 46.
Starr County Park
There is primitive camping here. It is located just outside Falcon Dam State Park and near the dam bridge.
El Rio RV Park
There is primitive camping in this park located along the Rio Grande near the village of Fronton, near Falcon Dam.
San Ygnacio Bird Sanctuary
There is tent camping here.
