The Bolivar Peninsula and beach area reminds me so much of trips in my youth to the beach where we drove on to the beach to pick our spot. Not too many beaches left where they let you do that anymore but Bolivar is one of them. The peninsula is narrow and long with the main road going from the ferry terminal at the mouth of Galveston Bay to High Island. Used to go all the way to Port Arthur but with many big storms it washed away and they decided it wasn't worth rebuilding. I go down there mainly to take pictures of birds, there is a good variety; mostly shore birds like gulls, plovers, avocets and skimmers. The far west end is now a bird sanctuary owned by the Audubon society. You do need a beach pass on your windshield or your risk getting a ticket. Stop at any convenience store along 87 and get one, they are $5 during January and February and the price increases to $10 after that. read more

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Great birder's paradise. Love the view of the gulf and they bird sanctuary we visited. Looking forward to going back! read more

Bolivar is my preferred day-trip beach destination from Houston since it is a bit less crowded than Galveston because of the effort it takes to get here (ferry or 1.5ish hour drive). However, you definitely get a lot more of the scene where trucks, dune buggies, golf carts, etc "cruise" up and down the beach blaring their music proudly waving whatever flag they support. It can get old and certainly won't make certain groups of people feel welcome to be there...not very inclusive, to say the least. If you can look past this, Bolivar is a good option for your beach outing. While on the island you can check out nearby Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, a great place to spot gators and birds. read more

Gulf of Mexico on your left, beach houses and stores on the right and the sun was bright. Yes, relaxing, get away from it and take a drive down here, stay in one of the numerous camp grounds that you will pass up here and leeeeeeeave your problems behind you.....temporarily. If you do decide to camp out at the beach make sure you get a beach permit pass during your visit, they are $10 and can be bought at one of the many stores dotting the area. I recommend you search "Gulf Coast Supermarket" for a real treat. If you pass a light house you are on the West end of the peninsula and it plays an important roll in history. My memory fetches that it housed 121 people during the 1900 Hurricane that devastated Galveston, that detail can be googled. The light house is no longer public domain, it's privately owned now. Not to be quoted on this but I think the length of the drive from end to end of the drive is around 20 miles. read more

Bolivar Peninsula - Visitor Centers Near Me - Port Bolivar, Texas

I finally was able to Beach Camp on Bolivar Peninsula so, I am updating my review! You can beach camp anywhere but, I recommend driving a ways down the island to find a private spot where you are out there by yourself. Make sure you purchase your parking pass for your car window at one of the stores (I got mine from the Big Store)! They are $10.00 and good until the end of the year. You can literally pitch your tent on the sand and enjoy a view of the stars with the ocean waves in the background! Everything closes down early on this island so, make sure you get a bite to eat early or bring hot dogs, smores and snacks. Beach fires are legal as long as they are not a huge bonfire. I have been here to beach camp twice now and we learned that you should bring a shovel to dig a hole to protect the fire from the wind, plenty of kindling and some fire starter logs to help it heat up enough to cook on. This area will sometimes get a light sprinkling of rain during the night so, make sure to have your rain fly on. Also, I recommend an air mattress since the sand is very uneven beneath your tent and also a battery operated fan for air flow in the tent if you have your rain fly on. Flash lights and bug spray are also important! The fastest way to get on the island is the free Ferry ride from Galveston Island! This will also give you the chance to see the big ships coming in and out of the port, dolphins and it is just an all-around awesome experience if you have never been on a ferry. There is a bathroom at The Big Store that is open 24 hours a day but, you have to drive down there so, I recommend just ruffing it and going in the wild. The beach is very safe and you often see the police go by on the road and it seems they are watching out for the people on the beach. The best way to do the beach camping seems to be to get there in the afternoon after you have eaten and are ready to stay put, set up your tent, coolers, music and enjoy! Of course be considerate and find a spot that is not in front of someone's beach house! The beach is also dog friendly so bring your pups to play in the sand and ocean! I've done this wiith a boyfriend and it was very romantic and also with a group of friends so, you can also have that party atmosphere. This is my favorite place in Texas to camp out because you can't beat getting back to nature but, still having the feel of classy camping. Even if you aren't a camping type person you can really enjoy this type of camping! read more

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Enjoyed a long, warm winter Sunday trek'ing around.. Took Ferry over for the experience, drove around Bolivar and took 124 North to 10 West home.. For the amount of cars on ferries, thought place would be packed and surprised how everyone quickly dispersed...at times, We were the only one in site on beach.. Easy access, tons of shells, cute beach houses, and novelty (fun) to drive right on the beach.. From sunbathers, folks strolling, picnicking, camping, surf fishing etc.. All enjoyed! I'm ecstatic the Great State of Texas has a Coast Line.. (Yes, it may be different than others) But make something of it.. Especially If it's available for public use and a (non enforceable) fee associated with it. For the volume of people (from toddlers to Seniors) enjoying the Bolivar stretch of coastline ..Never once saw a beach Authority, public restroom, and the few far in-between trash cans... were overflowing. I'm not a prude, but grossed out to see animals (and humans too) relieve themselves wherever they need to on the beach (as witnessed on our trek). What? What? . read more

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Aside from all the trucks driving up and down the beach waving their confederate flags, reminding us of how much this country tried to keep my ancestors enslaved... aside from all that, the homes are beautiful, the beach is nice to just lay and enjoy the sun. read more

We have friends that own a beach house in a private gated area. The beaches are clean and without the crazy hillbilly crowds. Homes are rented out throughout the year so if you can get one this is the place to be. We haven't ventured out much on the peninsula but during the fall it can get very cold. read more

My new favorite beach spot in the Galveston area. We came on a Saturday (late afternoon) and almost drove right up to the ferry. We camped the night (perfect -- even in August). We left the next day before it got too hot (11:00ish) and it was the perfect amount of time. The ferry wait was longer on Sunday, but not too bad. We got to see the sunset/sunrise, do all our swimming and hanging out and were back home in time to get cleaned up. Get a beach permit pass if you plan to camp at the beach. There are a lot of beach houses and cabins that we plan to check out once school starts. It was not very crowded and the water was nicer than Galveston (not as salty and a little cooler). read more

We took the ferry over to the peninsula from Galveston. We stopped at the Big Store, which is a few miles east of the ferry drop off point, grabbed a bucket of fried chicken, and found a beach access within a half mile or so of the Big Store. You can drive your vehicle anywhere on the beach. This is a must do if you're near Galveston on vacation. read more

Bolivar Peninsula - Decent beaches and the seaweed is cleaned off in some places. Very easy access points. - Visitor Centers Near Me - Port Bolivar, Texas

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Bolivar Peninsula isn't the most beautiful beach you'll ever go to, but it gets the job done! There are tons of options to rent houses here if you don't already have somewhere to stay, and huge stretches of beach for you to make a day of it! It can get a little crowded during holidays/summer weekends, but that's to be expected of any beach. There aren't many restaurants, but the ones that are there are quite good! Not to mention the wonderful Gulf Coast Supermarket, or "The Big Store" is nearby, where you can purchase just about anything you could dream of. read more

We have enjoyed our time out on the beach. We were worried about booking a beach house so far advance in October because you never know how the weather will be but things have been nice so far. The beach is not crowded and we have found tons of sea shells walking around. read more