Mustang Island State Park
State park in Nueces County, in the Gulf Coast region. Established 1979. 5,266 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Mustang Island State Park is more than five miles of Gulf beach on a barrier island, about 10 minutes from Corpus Christi. You can swim, surf, fish and camp right on the beach, and paddle 20 miles of trails on the bay side. It often reaches capacity in spring and summer; TPWD suggests the cooler months for a quieter beach.
Things to do
Beach
Swim, surf, build sand castles and look for shells along more than five miles of coastline. There are no lifeguards. Two beach wheelchairs are available free of charge.
Paddle the bay
The park's paddling trail has three segments along the island's western shore in Corpus Christi Bay, covering 20 miles through some of Texas' best shallow-water fishing.
Birding
Bird watching is best during the spring and fall migrations.
Camping
There are 48 campsites with water and electricity, a third of a mile from the beach, near restrooms with hot showers. The 50 drive-up primitive sites are on the beach, with portable toilets along two miles of it.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 48 | 8 | $25 |
| Primitive Campsites (Drive-up)Primitive | 50 | 8 | $13 |
Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
Swimming
Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- Spring and summer
- January low
- 46°F
- July high
- 94°F
- Rain per year
- 30.2 in.
- Night sky
- Bortle 4.5
TPWD lists spring and summer as the busy season and says the park often reaches capacity, so reserve ahead. Visit in the cooler months for a quieter beach. The July average high is 94°F.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Corpus Christi, TX 78418
(361) 749-5246
Open in OpenStreetMap (27.6722, -97.1753)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Corpus Christi | 9 min | 6 mi |
| San Antonio | 3 hr | 148 mi |
| McAllen | 3 hr 24 min | 120 mi |
| Austin | 4 hr 18 min | 185 mi |
| Houston | 4 hr 31 min | 182 mi |
| The Woodlands | 5 hr 6 min | 200 mi |
Nearby parks
- Goose Island State Park
- Lake Corpus Christi State Park
- Powderhorn State Park
- Goliad State Park & Historic Site
- Choke Canyon State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Gulf Coast.
Questions people ask
Can you camp on the beach at Mustang Island State Park?
Yes. There are 50 drive-up primitive campsites on the beach, plus 48 water and electric sites a third of a mile away.
How much does Mustang Island State Park cost?
Day-use entry is $7 per adult, and kids 12 and under get in free.
How far is Mustang Island from Corpus Christi?
About 10 minutes by car from central Corpus Christi, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- Mustang State Park Nima.JPG by Zereshk, CC BY 3.0.
- Beach @ Mustang Island State Park ^jcutrer - Flickr - joncutrer.jpg by Jonathan Cutrer from San Angelo, Texas, United States, CC BY 2.0.
- Anadara chemnitzii 244730433.jpg by CK2AZ, CC BY 4.0.
- Anadara chemnitzii 244730357.jpg by CK2AZ, CC BY 4.0.
- Dipodomys compactus 86425707.jpg by Cody Stricker, CC BY 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Mustang Island has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Mustang Island State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Mustang Island State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Mustang Island State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026