Goose Island State Park: All You Need to Know!

If you are looking for a great place to go camping, fishing or paddling, look no further than Goose Island State Park!  Just 45 minutes north of Corpus Christi, TX, you’ll find this adorable state park tucked away.  

Goose Island State Park is a beautiful Texas State Park.  This park has great amenities and is very affordable for a weekend relaxing around the fire or casting a line.  

Whether you decide to camp at one of their bayfront campsites, or just come here fishing for the day, here is everything you’ll need to know for your next visit to Goose Island.

Important Links

–Goose Island State Park website

–Goose Island State Park Camping – Make Reservations Here

–Texas State Park Pass

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

–Day Passes (Recommended)

–Park Map PDF

Need to Know

Despite its name, Goose Island State Park does not have a beach.   The expected “beach” area is rocky and made primarily of bulkhead concrete walls.  

To ensure that you don’t think you’re getting a beach vacation, there are warnings before you reserve a campsite.  But if you plan to visit for a day trip, don’t go looking for the sandy beaches.  

Location

Goose Island State Park is only a 45 minute drive from Corpus Christi, TX.  So while there is no beach on Goose Island, you aren’t a far drive from the beautiful beaches of that area.  

If you are wondering how far Goose Island is from other major Texas cities, here are 3 quick reference points.  Goose Island State Park is 3 hours from Houston, TX, about 2.5 hours from San Antonio, TX and 6 hours from Dallas, TX.  

Address: 202 S. Palmetto St. Rockport, TX 78382-7965

Fees

Goose Island State Park charges a daily entrance fee, just like all other Texas State Parks.  The daily fee to enter the park is $5 per adult (age 13+) and is free for children 12 and under.  

Unfortunately, if you are camping here, this fee is still applied upon your arrival.  In other words, even if you are camping here for a few days and have paid that in full, you will still be charged $5 per adult, per day.  

This daily fee adds up very quickly, especially if you are camping with teenagers.  So is there a way around these fees?  YES!  You can buy a Texas State Parks Pass for $70 that gets you and your entire car-full of visitors into the park for free.  This pass is good for 1 year from the day of purchase so you can enter all 88 state parks for free in that timeframe.   

Hours

The posted hours for Goose Island State Park are 6 a.m. – 10 p.m. Daily.

What to Expect

Goose Island State Park has several areas of interest including a nature-viewing area, a large pier, a boat ramp with a fish cleaning station, and a picnic area.  There are also 2 short hiking trails and a couple birding areas where you can sit and enjoy birds. 

If you are planning on camping here, there are 2 sections to choose from!  You can either camp in the wooded area, where there is some shade and trees.  Or you can choose one of their bayfront sites that are beautiful, breezy and right by the water. 

Things to Do Here

At Goose Island State Park there are several activities that can be done throughout different areas of the park.  There are 2 trails that you can hike while you are here and there are several wildlife viewing areas on these trails.  There is also a raised boardwalk where you can view birds and other wildlife as well.  

Speaking of wildlife, there are several areas where you can go fishing.  You can fish from a boat or a paddling watercraft, you can use their boat ramp to put in.  Or you can fish from their pier at the north end of the park.  

And of course you can go camping here in a tent or camper in one of their 2 camping locations.  So now that you have an overview, let’s take a deep dive into each of these activities!

Hiking

Goose Island has 2 hiking trails in their camping area.  They are both very short, flat, and easy.  But if you want to get your boots in the dirt, they are a great option for taking a decent walk.  

• Turks Cap Trail – 0.7miles – Easy
• Warbler Way Trail – 0.3miles – Easy

In the far corner of the park is another 0.1 mile “trail” that leads you around The Big Tree.  This was once Texas’ largest Live Oak Tree but is still impressive to look at!  Yes, you’ll have to drive about 5-7 minutes from the campground to get here, but the impressive Live Oaks are worth it!

Looking for a great Hiking Journal where you can record all the details of your favorite hikes? Look no further than this awesome Hiking Journal I designed with you in mind! 

Fishing

Texas has some great fishing in and around the Corpus Christi area, and Goose Island State Park has great fishing locations for you!  You can fish from shore, a boat or their 1,620 foot pier.  Red drum, flounder, and speckled trout are just a few of the fish that you can catch in the bay.

If you’d like to fish from a boat or a kayak/canoe, they have a boat ramp and boat launch area.  There is also a fish cleaning station where many fishermen were cleaning their catch.  

And a great bonus for fishing in Goose Island State Park is that you don’t even need a fishing license if you are fishing from the pier or the shore.  They also offer a Tackle Loaner Program where you can borrow gear for the day.  

Paddling/Boating

Goose Island State Park has a great kayak/canoe launch as well as a boat ramp for a great day on the water.  This will allow you to relax in the surf, or have a busy day fishing.

You can also rent a kayak from the state park.  They have unmanned kiosks where all you have to do is swipe your credit card and a locker will open with your lifejacket, paddle and then you can unlock the kayak assigned to you.  Kayaks are first come, first serve and the kiosk is right next to the pier.

Nature Areas/Birding

Throughout the state park, there are several areas where you can view birds and nature.  Along the Turks Cap Trail there is a birding section where you can sit amongst bird feeders and find yourself surrounded by birds.  

Down by the day use/picnic area, there is a great place to sit and overlook the bay.  You’ll be able to view pelicans and other large birds here.

And finally there is the raised boardwalk down at the far end of the bayfront campground.  This area is great for viewing birds as they wander through the marsh.  

Camping 

If you’ve liked anything that you’ve read above, you’ll love taking a Goose Island State Park camping trip!  They offer 2 types of campgrounds, either in the wooded area, or a bayfront area.  And from here you can choose to have only water, or electric and water hook-ups.  

The bayfront area is beautiful and breezy with a small covered sitting area to get you out of the sun.  The wooded area has more trees and is a well-spaced out campground.  Each area has showers and bathrooms for your use and makes for a great weekend of camping!

For all the details of camping in Goose Island State Park, you’ll have to check out this link.  There’s tons of great information and you’ll find everything you need to know about camping here.

Conclusion

Regardless if you are coming to fish, camp, or take out a kayak on the water, you’ll love Goose Island State Park.  The park is beautiful, well-maintained, and offers hiking, kayaking, boating, birding, and fishing.  

You can also take an affordable camping trip to Goose Island by staying in one of their campsites in the woods, or along the bay.  Both are beautiful and a great place to enjoy your weekend.  

As always, feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions!

-Happy Adventuring.