Mustang Island State Park Camping: All You Need to Know

If you’re looking for beach camping on a budget, you will love taking a Mustang Island State Park camping trip!  This beautiful state park has camping, fishing, paddling, and of course, 5 miles of stunning Texas beach.

You can camp on the beach here, with primitive campsites, or you can camp in their water/electric camping spaces.  The campground is very simple, but with free hot showers, less than a ⅓ of a mile walk to the beach, and some of Texas’ best fishing, you won’t want to miss it!

So grab your tent or hook up your camper and let’s go on a Mustang Island State Park camping trip!

Important Links

–Mustang Island State Park website

–Mustang Island State Park camping – Make Reservations Here

–Day Passes 

–Park Map

–Texas State Park Pass

–Paddling Trails

–Camping Journal – Never Forget Your Camping Trips Details Again!

Location

Mustang Island State Park is about 25 minutes from Corpus Christi, TX and is a great location for getting your feet in the sand!  This beautiful and peaceful state park has a beautiful beach and is perfect for the whole family.

If you aren’t in the Corpus Christi area, you will have a little bit of a further drive.  If you’re from Houston, you’ll be driving 4 hours, 2.5 from San Antonio, and a whopping 7 hours from Dallas.  So plan to stay for a while and unwind on the beach in Mustang Island State Park.  

Fees

Like other state parks, there is a fee to enter Mustang Island State Park.  All children, 12 and under are free, but all people 13 and up will have to pay the daily fee of $7 per person, per day.  

If you are camping here, this fee will be charged upon your arrival.  So even if you have already paid $175 for a week of camping, you’ll still be charged $7 per person, per day.  Obviously this daily fee can add up quickly, so here is a work around. 

If you have a big family, or plan on visiting any Texas State Park a lot, you’ll definitely want to invest in a Texas Parks Pass.  This pass is $70, is good for 365 days from your purchase, and gets you and a car-full of guests into all 88 parks for free!  This is how we saved a ton of money while visiting Texas State Parks.  

Time to Spend Here

Now you might be asking yourself “How much time should you plan for a Mustang Island State Park camping trip?”  And I can help answer that!

At this park there is beaching, fishing, paddling and camping.  Outside of the park there are great towns, nature preserves, and even a national seashore to visit.  So if you plan on doing these things in just a few days, then that’s all you need to plan for.

However, if you want multiple days laying on the beach, or fishing, or exploring the area, you could easily plan over a week here without getting bored.  The choice is up to you!

If you want more information about All You Should Know About Mustang Island State Park, check out this post!

Campground 

There are 2 ways to stay when you book a Mustang Island State Park camping trip.  You can book a Primitive (Unassigned) Site, which means camping on the beach, or you can book an Electric/Water Site.  Both options are great and will give you easy access to the beach!

If you choose to camp on the beach, you will have to drive your vehicle out onto the sand and park near one of the spots.  If you choose an electric/water site, then you are essentially parked in a large parking lot with a 0.3 mile walk to the beach.  

However you decide to camp, there are hot showers and bathrooms available to you, as well as port-a-potties out on the beach if you are camping there.  The campground will have you on island time and allow you to relax with the sound of the waves.  

Details

So now that you kind of have an idea of what to expect, let’s check out some details about the campground.  

• Check In: 2pm
• Check Out: 11am
• 48 Electric/Water Sites
• 50 Primitive Sites
• Make Reservations Here
• Dump Station
• Bathhouse with Hot Showers
• Office and Gift Shop
• 14 Maximum Stay
• 3 Paddling Trails
• 5 Miles of Beach
• 2 Fishing Jetties

Let’s take a deeper look at both ways to camp in Mustang Island.  We’ll start with the most rustic way to camp.  

Primitive Campsites (Unassigned)

There are 50 Primitive (Unassigned) Campsites on the beach in Mustang Island State Park.  These sites are well spaced and each provides a trash can.  On the beach there are a few port-a-potties on the beach so you don’t have to walk back to the bathhouse just to go.  

The bathhouse is available to you, with hot showers at the ready.  Be aware that there are more alerts for this camping style.  You could get a high tide or other alert that could have you cancelling your camping trip.  

But if you are on the fence, just know that there is no greater feeling than walking out your door and stepping right on the beach!  

Campsites with Electricity

The campsites with electricity and water are in between the Office and the Beach.  They are protected by the sand dunes that separate you and the ocean.  The sites themselves are practically in a giant parking lot and are a little closer together than is normal for a state park.  

Each site has a pergola, a spot to park, 30/50 Amp, and a water hook-up.  If you have a tow vehicle, you will most likely have to T-off your vehicle in front of your rig.  And while these sites are a bit of a walk from the beach, you can’t beat being walking distance from a beautiful beach!  

Price Comparison

Now that you know what to expect from a Mustang Island State Park camping trip, let’s compare the price!  When doing the math, don’t forget to include the daily fee of $7 per person, per day to your total.  

**Disclaimer: These are the prices as of 3/2025.  Prices could change depending on the day, weekend, or holiday of your visit.

Primitive Sites

• $13 per night 
• $91 per week

Electricity Sites

• $25 per night 
• $175 per week

Again, this is just to give you an idea of how much a Mustang Island State Park camping trip would cost you.  Just remember, that you will have to add your daily fee into your total cost, unless you have a Texas State Parks Pass.  

Our Camping Experience

My husband and I camped here for 11 days in our 25 foot travel trailer.  The provided pergola was much appreciated with the strong Texas sun, and we never had an issue with power or the water hook-up.  

The highlight of camping here was not only the beach, or collecting sand dollars, but it was also the location!  Being so close to Corpus Christi made our grocery runs easy and affordable.  And the town of Port Aransas is less than 20 minutes away, so we were able to try some awesome food and drinks in town.  

There are also other outdoorsy things to enjoy here, such as the Port Aransas Nature Preserve and Birding Center.  Or with a 20 minute drive in the other direction we were able to check out Padre Island National Seashore.  Both have great walking trails and plenty of wildlife.

Overall, we would camp here again in a heartbeat.  Not only that, but we would recommend a Mustang Island State Park camping trip to you and everyone!

Conclusion

If you are looking for an affordable beach trip, you will love taking a Mustang Island State Park camping trip!  Whether you want to go fishing for a week or simply soak up some rays with your toes in the sand, you will love this park.

With 5 miles of beautiful beach, 3 paddling trails to kayak, or some of Texas’ best fishing, there is something here for everyone.  

As always, feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to answer any questions.

-Happy Camping!