TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Sea Rim State Park

State park in Jefferson County, in the Gulf Coast region. Established 1977. 4,418 acres by TPWD boundary data.

Sea Rim State Park
Photo: John Perry from Hattiesburg, MS, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sea Rim is a remote coastal park in the far southeast corner of Texas, with nearly 2 miles of Gulf shoreline and 4,000 acres of marsh. You can swim, beachcomb, camp on the beach, fish in the surf or marsh, and paddle marked trails through the wetlands. Beach conditions change with the seasons, so contact the park before you go.

Things to do

Paddle the marsh

Three paddling trails run from 1.8 miles (easy) to 11.7 miles (challenging) round trip. Alligators live in the marsh, and TPWD discourages bringing pets on the paddling trails.

Gambusia Nature Trail

This 0.9-mile boardwalk crosses the marsh.

Fish and beachcomb

Fish in the surf or the marsh; you don't need a license to fish from shore. There's a boat ramp, and the park loans fishing gear.

Gambusia Nature Trail Boardwalk, a 0.9 mile boardwalk through tidal mud flats and marshes at Sea Rim State Park, Jefferson County, Texas (29.6780N, 94.0350W 1 m
Photo: William L. Farr, CC BY 4.0
Spanish Dager (Yucca sp.) in bloom, catching the last rays before sunset at Sea Rim State Park, Jefferson County, Texas (29.6761N, 94.0373W 2 meters elevation),
Photo: William L. Farr, CC BY 4.0

Trails

Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficultyTime
Advanced Paddling Trail11.7 miChallenging4 hrs.
Moderate Paddling Trail4.7 miModerate2 hrs.
Easy Paddling Trail1.8 miEasy1 hr.
Gambusia Nature Trail Boardwalk0.9 miEasy20 min.
Dune Boardwalk0.1 miEasy5 min.

Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).

Camping

There are 15 campsites with utilities, primitive drive-up sites on the beach, a boat-in floating campsite, and one cabin. If you'll arrive late, contact the park during office hours for instructions.

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric158$20
Primitive Campsites (Drive-up)Primitive758$10
Floating Primitive Campsite (Boat-in)Primitive14$15
CabinCabins16$120

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.

We discourage pets on paddling trails due to alligators.

Park rules as stated by TPWD

Swimming

Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.

Best time to go

Busy season
April through July
January low
42°F
July high
93°F
Night sky
Bortle 4.5

TPWD lists April through July as the busy season. September is the wettest month. Beach conditions vary by season.

Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).

Getting there

19335 S. Gulfway Drive
Sabine Pass, TX 77655
(409) 971-2559

Open in OpenStreetMap (29.6762, -94.0440)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
Houston2 hr 9 min81 mi
The Woodlands2 hr 41 min94 mi
Tyler4 hr 41 min197 mi
Austin5 hr 8 min226 mi
Waco5 hr 34 min228 mi
San Antonio5 hr 36 min270 mi
Map of Texas showing where Sea Rim isAbilene State ParkAlbert & Bessie Kronkosky State Natural AreaAtlanta State ParkBalmorhea State ParkBarton Warnock Visitor CenterBastrop State ParkBear Creek State ParkBentsen-Rio Grande Valley State ParkBig Bend Ranch State ParkBig Spring State ParkBlanco State ParkBonham State ParkBrazos Bend State ParkBuescher State ParkCaddo Lake State ParkCaprock Canyons State Park & TrailwayCedar Hill State ParkChinati Mountains State Natural AreaChoke Canyon State ParkCleburne State ParkColorado Bend State ParkCooper State ParkCopper Breaks State ParkDaingerfield State ParkDavis Mountains State ParkDevil's Sinkhole State Natural AreaDevils River State Natural AreaDinosaur Valley State ParkEisenhower State ParkEnchanted Rock State Natural AreaEstero Llano Grande State ParkFalcon State ParkFort Boggy State ParkFort Leaton State Historic SiteFort Parker State ParkFort Richardson State Park, Historic Site & Lost Creek Reservoir State TrailwayFranklin Mountains State ParkGalveston Island State ParkGarner State ParkGoliad State Park & Historic SiteGoose Island State ParkGovernment Canyon State Natural AreaGuadalupe River State ParkHill Country State Natural AreaHoney Creek State Natural AreaHueco Tanks State Park & Historic SiteHuntsville State ParkIndian LodgeInks Lake State ParkKickapoo Cavern State ParkLake Arrowhead State ParkLake Bob Sandlin State ParkLake Brownwood State ParkLake Casa Blanca International State ParkLake Colorado City State ParkLake Corpus Christi State ParkLake Livingston State ParkLake Mineral Wells State Park & TrailwayLake Somerville State Park & TrailwayLake Tawakoni State ParkLake Whitney State ParkLockhart State ParkLonghorn Cavern State ParkLost Maples State Natural AreaLyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic SiteMartin Creek Lake State ParkMartin Dies, Jr. State ParkMcKinney Falls State ParkMeridian State ParkMission Tejas State ParkMonahans Sandhills State ParkMother Neff State ParkMustang Island State ParkOld Tunnel State ParkPalmetto State ParkPalo Duro Canyon State ParkPalo Pinto Mountains State ParkPedernales Falls State ParkPossum Kingdom State ParkPost Oak Ridge State ParkPowderhorn State ParkPurtis Creek State ParkRay Roberts Lake State ParkResaca de la Palma State ParkSan Angelo State ParkSea Rim State ParkSeminole Canyon State Park & Historic SiteSheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning CenterSouth Llano River State ParkStephen F. Austin State ParkTyler State ParkVillage Creek State ParkWyler Aerial Tramway

Nearby parks

  1. Village Creek State Park40 miles away. $4 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  2. Galveston Island State Park64 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  3. Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center68 miles away. Free entry.
  4. Martin Dies, Jr. State Park81 miles away. $4 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  5. Lake Livingston State Park89 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.

Straight-line distance. See every park in the Gulf Coast.

Questions people ask

Can you camp on the beach at Sea Rim State Park?

Yes, at primitive drive-up sites on the beach. There are also 15 sites with utilities and a cabin.

Are there alligators at Sea Rim?

Yes. TPWD discourages bringing pets on the paddling trails because of them.

How far is Sea Rim from Houston?

About two hours and 10 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.

Photo credits

Sources

Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Sea Rim has current alerts and closures.

  1. TPWD: Sea Rim State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
  2. TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
  3. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
  4. TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
  5. TPWD: Sea Rim State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Sea Rim State Park cabins and lodging, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Sea Rim State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: Sea Rim State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  12. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  13. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026