Plan Your Visit

Top Things to Know

Padre Island National Seashore and South Padre Island are two different places located over 100 miles apart. Sometimes Padre Island National Seashore is confused with South Padre Island, but the two are very different destinations.

Padre Island National Seashore is a national park located just outside of Corpus Christi that includes about 70 miles of undeveloped beaches and natural habitat. South Padre Island is a resort community located near Brownsville with numerous hotels, clubs, and souvenir shops. The two destinations are at opposite ends of the long, barrier island named Padre Island and are about 100 miles apart.

It is not possible to drive from the park, located on North Padre Island, directly south to South Padre Island. An artificial waterway, Mansfield Channel, cuts through Padre Island at the southern end of the national park.The only way to drive from North Padre Island to South Padre Island is by driving inland, down Highway 77, and back out to the south end of the island –a driving trip of 3-4 hours.

This website and information is about Padre Island National Seashore, the national park. We are located at the end of Park Road 22, at the northern end of Padre Island in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Planning on putting our park address into a smart phone app or GPS? It most likely will NOT bring you to the park. For unknown reasons, many of those applications place the park's physical address miles away from its actual location. Fortunately, getting to the park is easy once you find out that the road coming out here – Park Road 22 – actually dead ends into the national park. The park entrance station is a booth that is located literally in the middle of the road. So once you get on Park Road 22, just keep going until you reach the end and the park entrance station. If you get confused on the way or have more questions after reading our directions, call the Malaquite Visitor Center at (361) 949-8068.

 
White tent on the beach with vegetated dunes behind and a cloudy-blue sky above.

Camping

Learn more about the park's two campgrounds as well as primitive camping on the beach.

Park entrance station with the NPS arrowhead on it and a sky with clearing clouds.

Fees and Passes

Information about park entrance fee, passes, and other fees within the park.

Inside of store with various items of merchandise including shirts and carved wooden figures

Operating Hours and Seasons

Learn about the hours for the park, the visitor center, and more.

Park entrance sign with simple painting of bird flying over the beach.

Directions

Learn about how to get to the park.

Photo from the webcam of the beach and waves with vegetated dunes in the foreground on a sunny day.

Beach Conditions

Get information about weather at the park and view current surf and beach conditions at the seashore with the Malaquite Beach webcam.

Six people standing in the surf fishing.

Things to Do

Discover all the amazing things there are to do within the park.

An old wooden building and fence in the grasslands with blue sky and clouds above.

Places to Go

Learn about the many different places to go within the park.

Two dogs on leash look just off camera to the right.  The owner is visible from the waist down.

Pets in the Park

Learn about the regulations regarding pets in the park.

Close up of yellow Ruyon's sunflower

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Find the answer to some commonly-asked questions here.

A volunteer smiles at the camera as he stands in front an exhibit in the visitor center.

Contact Us

Have a question or comment? Call, email, or send us snail mail.

Dozens of sea turtle hatchlings make their way across the beach to the waves.

Hatchling Releases

Several public hatchling releases happen each summer.

Last updated: April 5, 2023

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 181300
Corpus Christi, TX 78480

Phone:

(361) 949-8068
Malaquite Visitor Center information line.

Contact Us