Padre Island North Beach

Located in Padre Island, Padre Island North Beach – also called North Beach – Padre Island National Seashore and North Beach – is a one-mile-long beach with white sand and nearby sand dunes.  This beach is a part of a federally-protected national seashore named Padre Island National Seashore.

Padre Island North Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except a nearby hiking trail, so please plan accordingly.  Dogs on leash are allowed here.

Padre Island North Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, hiking, picnicking, biking, camping, fishing, volleyball, swimming, paddleboarding, boating, kayaking, canoeing, surf-skiing, and wildlife watching.

This beach is ideal for beginner swimmers, kayakers, and canoers because the Gulf of Mexico water here is known to have mild and manageable waves, particularly during summers.  In addition to swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, other popular activities near this beach include windsurfing, kayaking, and canoeing in a nearby lagoon named Laguna Madre.  If you are planning to swim, kayak, or canoe here, we recommend being careful because the water here is known to have unpredictable rip currents, dangerous waves, and occasionally severe undertows.  In addition, Portuguese man o’ war and stingrays have also been known to live nearby.

If you like hiking, there is a hiking trail near the southern end of this beach named the Grasslands Nature Trail and this trail offers a fun way to explore the local coastal biodiversity.

There are multiple campsites on and near this beach that offer a fun oceanfront camping experience.  If you are planning to camp here, please visit the National Park Service’s website for more information regarding the campsite amenities and charges.

Padre Island North Beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quiet beach experience because this beach sees fewer visitors as compared to other beaches of Padre Island National Seashore.

You can drive your car on Padre Island North Beach, and if you are planning to drive your car here, please visit the National Park Service’s website for more information regarding the beach driving regulations.

Padre Island North Beach does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities.

Getting to Padre Island North Beach is easy – this beach is easily accessible through a road named Park Road 22.  You can easily access Park Road 22 from Texas State Highway 361 and from Texas State Highway 358.

There are multiple free parking lots near the beach.  Please also note that you need to pay a fee to enter Padre Island National Seashore – you can visit the National Park Service’s website for more information regarding the entrance fees for Padre Island National Seashore.

The critically endangered Kemps’s ridley sea turtles also seasonally make their nests at Padre Island North Beach – this beach also hosts sea turtle hatchling release programs, which are conducted by National Park Service authorities and involve releasing many sea turtle hatchlings into the sea.

There are many attractions near Padre Island North Beach.  Mustang Island State Park is a state park that has a beach named Mustang Island State Park Beach and it also offers many fun activities including sunbathing, swimming, surfing, kayaking, canoeing, camping, geocaching, hiking, biking, and wildlife watching.  The state park also has a vibrant coastal dune landscape and you can see many unique kinds of animals here including green sea turtles, rare aplomado falcons, pocket gophers, and crabs.  Packery Channel Park– also called Packery Channel Nature Park – is a 38-acre waterfront park that has many amenities including picnic areas, benches, kayak launch areas, a pavilion, boardwalks, butterfly gardens, and observation areas.  This park offers many fun activities including picnicking, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, surf-skiing, fishing, and wildlife watching.  Padre Balli Park is a waterfront recreational park that has a beach named Padre Balli Beach and it also offers many fun activities including surfing, fishing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, picnicking, beach-driving, and beachcombing.  In addition, this park also has a campground, along with many other amenities including restrooms, two pavilions, picnic areas, and a 1200 feet-long pier named the Bob Hall Pier.  Texas Sealife Center is dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of coastal and aquatic wildlife – this center offers guided tours of its premises where visitors can see the center’s permanent resident animals, along with the center’s temporary sea turtle patients.  In addition, this center also has a gift shop.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Red Dot Pier is a fishing pier that is located on a lagoon and offers an amazing fishing experience.

If you get hungry, there are many attractions near Padre Island North Beach.  Black Sheep Bistro offers a variety of excellent dishes including pork chops, steaks, pastas, risotto, burger, seafood, and salads.  Ol’ Steakhouse Co. is a steakhouse that is a 32-minute-drive away and is known for serving outstanding steaks, along with many other delicious dishes for lunch and dinner including chicken dishes, sandwiches, burgers, seafood, and pastas.  Doc’s Seafood & Steaks is known for excellent seafood and steaks, along with excellent soups, salads, chicken dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and tacos.  Black Diamond Oyster Bar is known for serving excellent seafood including oysters, tuna nachos, and shrimp sandwich and it also serves many excellent bar foods and snacks.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Snoopy’s Restaurant is a popular restaurant that offers delicious seafood, along with many other amazon dishes including sandwiches, salads, burgers, and fries.

If you are looking for a hotel near Padre Island North Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 4-Star Omni Corpus Christi Hotel is a 37-minute-drive away and offers many amenities including a pool, multiple restaurants, a pool, racquetball courts, gift shops, fitness center, and a salon.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Wyndham Corpus Christi Resort North Padre Island that offers many amenities including a pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and a gift shop.  Another moderately priced hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn Express & Suites Corpus Christi-N Padre Island, an IHG Hotel that offers many amenities including a pool, a whirlpool, a fitness center, and complimentary breakfast.  The 3-Star La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Corpus Christi-N Padre Isl is another moderately priced hotel that offers many amenities including a pool, complimentary breakfast, a hot tub, and a fitness center.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Hawthorn Suites By Wyndham Corpus Christi Padre Is offers many amenities including a fitness room, a convenience store, and complimentary breakfast.