The great state of Texas is a great place to take your pet if you want to enjoy the beauty of the Gulf Coast together. We have found (with very few exceptions or restrictions) that Texas coastal communities are very welcoming of your pet when it comes to their local beaches. However, without exception, they ask for you to keep your pet on leash and to pick up after your pet.

Galveston Beaches
The good news is that all the beaches on Galveston Island are pet friendly. Just keep your pet on a leash at all times. Galveston beaches include:

Stewart Beach
6th Street and Seawall Boulevard
Galveston, TX
Galveston’s premier family beach, fully kitted out with all the amenties.

Dellanerva RV Park
FM 3005 at 7 Mile Road
Galveston, TX
Offers 1,000 feet of sandy beachfront.

East Beach
1923 Boddeker Drive
Galveston, TX
Located at the far eastern tip of the island, this beach is known for its beach parties, fishing, bird watching, and annual sand castle competition.

Sea Gull Shores Beach Pocket Park 1
FM 3005 at 7 1/2 Mile Road
Galveston, TX
Located at the island’s west end.

Sand Castle Beach Pocket Park 2
11745 FM 3005 at 9 Mile Road
Galveston, TX
Has a wetlands preserve as well as access to the beach.

Sea Shell Beach Pocket Park 3
San Luis Pass Road at 11 Mile Road
Galveston, TX
Offers 10 acres of white, sandy beach.

Beach at Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach, TX
You’re welcome to take your pooch on the beach; just be sure he is on a leash and pick up after him. Part of the beach is car accessible (not all-terrain vehicles–they’re not permitted–rather, regular cars); you might want to confine yourself to what the village calls the “pedestrian beach” so you don’t have to worry about vehicles.

Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area
Magatorda Island, TX
You’re welcome to explore the more than 56,000 acres of this completely undeveloped barrier island with your pet on leash. More than 38 miles long, the island offer opportunities for hiking, biking, fishing, and camping, including camping on the beach. You can also visit Matagorda Island Lighthouse, built in 1852. Be sure to take everything you need with you, including enough water for your pet.

Lake Texana Park
46 Park Road 1
Edna, TX 77957
The 575 acres of this park are located on Lake Texana, which has more than 125 miles of shoreline. Since there are no designated swimming areas, you are welcome to explore the lakeside with your pooch on a 6-foot leash, as well as to picnic, boat, fish, or hike.

San Jose Island
This uninhabited island offers 21 miles of undeveloped Gulf coastline to explore, perfect for hiking, fishing, beachcombing, and shelling. The island is not accessible by car. Take the passenger ferry from Port Aransas. Keep your pet on leash. Also, be sure to take everything you need with you, including water for your pet.

Mustang Island State Park
Port Aransas, TX 78373
What a beautiful way to explore the Gulf shore with your pet! This coastal park is comprised of almost 4,000 acres with about 5 miles of beachfront on the Gulf. Your pet is welcome (on a 6-foot leash) in those areas of the beach not designated for swimming. There is also an area set aside for primitive beach camping that you and your pet can take advantage of.

IB Magee County Park
321 N. on the Beach
Port Aransas, TX 78373
The 167 acres of this pet-friendly park are located at the northernmost tip of Mustang Island. It includes developed campsites, but you and your pup can also camp right on the beach if you like. Just keep him on a leash.

Padre Island National Seashore
North Padre Island, TX
This beautiful shoreline park contains the longest undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world, with 70 miles of sandy beaches, dunes, grasslands, and tidal flats. Pets on a 6-foot leash are permitted throughout the park, except for the Malaquite Visitor Center’s deck and in the picnic shelter area on the beach directly in front of the visitor center.

Padre Balli Park
15820 Park Road 22
Padre Island, TX 78418
Located at the north end of the island, this park offers developed campsites and RV hookups. You can also camp right on the beach with your pet; be sure to keep him on a leash at all times.

Isla Blanca Park
33174 State Park Road 100
South Padre Island, TX 78597
You and your pet (on leash) can enjoy 1 mile of white, sandy beach at the south end of the island.

Andy Bowie Park
7300 Park Road 100 N
South Padre Island, TX 78597
Take a beachfront access road and you’re free to explore 20 miles of shoreline on foot with your pet on a 6-foot leash or in an off-road vehicle.

E.K. Atwood Park
27159 Park Road 100
South Padre Island, TX 78597
A beachfront access road leads you to 20 miles of Gulf shoreline to explore with your pet on a 6-foot leash or in an off-road vehicle.

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