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Camping Guide
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Camping tips
The experienced camper knows what it takes to have an exciting and safe outdoors experience, but the new camper may need a little help.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
- As a head start, when setting up camp, it’s always best to find a high area that’s relatively flat. Also, shade is always a good thing.
- Use a sleeping bag or some form of bedding.
- Check for a water source nearby.
- Citronella candles and insect repellent are keys for a relatively bug-free trip.
Source: www.camping.about.com/
cs/advicetips
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GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK
(361) 729-2858
Directions: Ten miles northeast of Rockport on Highway 35 to Park Road 13, then two miles east to park entrance.
Details: Facilities include open cabana shade-shelter campsites with water and electricity on the island near the bay and campsites with water and electricity in a heavily shaded area. There are also restrooms with showers, a double-lane boat ramp, a 1,620-foot fishing pier and playground areas. Although located on Aransas Bay, this park has no swimming area.
Padre Island National Seashore
(361) 949-8068
Directions: After crossing the JFK Causeway and the bridge onto Padre Island, continue about 10 miles south on Park Road 22.
Details: The 66-mile-long Padre Island National Seashore features several camping areas, but all are on a first-come, first-serve basis. There are no reservations. Camping permits are required and available at the park's visitors' center.
Bird Island Basin is located on the Laguna Madre, about 4 miles from the national seashore visitors' center. A $5-per-day or $10-a-year fee is charged in addition to the park-entrance fee. It is suitable for RV and tent camping. The area also has a good spot for windsurfing and a boat-launching ramp.
Malaquite's campsites are about 100 feet from the beach and have an unobstructed view of the water. Camping costs $8. The campsites provide toilets, rinse showers and picnic tables. There are 26 sites for tent or RV camping, 16 for RVs only and eight for tents only.
Yarborough Pass, which doesn't charge a fee, is located on the Laguna Madre about 15.5 miles south of the visitors' center. There are no facilities or designated campsites.
There is no charge to camp on North Beach. Space is usually available and is open to RV and tent camping. There are no facilities and no designated sites. Camping is permitted from the dunes to the water's edge and from the park's northern boundary to the northern boundary of closed beach.
There is also no charge to camp on South Beach. There are no designated sites, but the camping area extends from the dunes to the water and from the end of Park Road 22 down 60 miles to the southern boundary of the park at the Mansfield Channel.
Mustang Island State Park
(361) 749-5246
Directions: After crossing the JFK Causeway toward Padre Island, turn left on State Highway 361 and go five miles north to the park headquarters.
Details: Facilities near the headquarters include campsites with water and electricity, and restrooms with showers. South of the main swimming area are undesignated campsites and showers for rinsing. The five miles of open beach allow for hiking and biking.
Choke Canyon State Park
(361) 786-3538 South Shore_(361) 786-3868 Calliham
Directions: The Choke Canyon State Park is divided into two units - South Shore and Calliham. South Shore is 3 1/2 miles west of Three Rivers on Highway 72. Calliham is 12 miles west of Three Rivers on Highway 72.
Details: At South Shore, facilities include camp sites with water and electricity, walk-in camp sites with water in the area, quarter-mile hiking trail, quarter-mile birding trail, six-lane boat ramp, two-lane auxiliary boat ramp, canoe/boat launch and baseball and volleyball areas.
This part of the park also allows equestrian use.
The Calliham area, which at 1,100 acres makes it almost three times the size of South Shore, has camp sites with water and electricity, four primitive camp-site areas (no reservations), a gymnasium, a pool, two miles of hiking trails, a mile-long bird trail and a wildlife viewing blind. There are also tennis, volleyball and basketball courts available.
Lake Corpus Christi State Park
(361) 547-2635
Directions: The park is 35 miles northwest of Corpus Christi and 4 miles southwest of Mathis. It's located on Park Road 25, off Highway 359.
Details: Besides camping, this is also a quality spot for fishing, picnics, bird watching and hiking. Swimming is also available, although it's unsupervised. Motors are allowed, so water skiing is another option. There are different campsites to choose from, ranging from those with just water, to those with water, electricity and sewer.
This article is originally from the Caller-Times publication South Texas Living
View the original publication.
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