Galveston Island State Park, TX?

[jymbee]

We'll be headed back East this winter from Texas headed toward NOLA. Along that route we've stayed at Brazos Bend a number of times and while we do like that park, looking for something different. Galveston Island looks to fit that description.

I see they have both a Bayside and Oceanside park and would appreciate any input regarding your experience with either. Or possibly other public parks to consider along the way from Goliad, TX to NOLA.

Also, we've taken the ferry out of Galveston before and enjoyed that route East along the coastal routes 87/82 but Google Maps refuses to show a route that includes the ferry (even though that "avoid" is not selected). I assume that ferry is still in operation?

 

[ferfer]

Stayed at Bayside years ago The Bayside site was nice & comfortable - except for the night time mosquitos. The Oceanside appeared to get steady wind and, IIRC, offers little to no privacy.

the ferry out of Galveston

Galveston-Port Bolivar Ferry

The Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry takes travelers on SH 87 between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. View day/night schedule, Galveston and Port Bolivar webcams, medical information, vessel history, and ferry rules. Vehicles should not exceed 80,000 pounds, may have a maximum length of...

www.txdot.gov

 

[Isaac-1]

Ferry operations web cam and live map shows it in operation Houston TranStar - Galveston-Bolivar Ferry Wait Times

 

[Ohiosnowbird]

We stayed at Palmetto Island state park in Louisiana to explore cajun country. Tabasco factory was nearby. It was pretty nice.

Palmetto Island State Park - Abbeville, Louisiana

Palmetto Island State Park in Abbeville, Louisiana: 122 reviews, 156 photos, & 66 tips from fellow RVers. Palmetto Island State Park in Abbeville is rated 9.5 of 10 at RV LIFE Campground Reviews.

campgrounds.rvlife.com

 

[runamuck]

we stayed at stella mare last month and took the ferry to point bolivar. for some reason there was an hour long line going east in the morning. not so bad coming back in the after noon..maybe 20 mins. they have a website for checking conditions. stella mare is across the highway from the beach and nearby is Dellanera that is on the beach. stella is more upscale and less crowded.

 

[ferfer]

Google Maps refuses to show a route that includes the ferry

Shows route if enter into map Galveston State Park to Galveston Ferry to TX 87:

Galveston Island State Park to Texas 87

www.google.com

 

[runamuck]

the ferries are big and semis travel back and forth on them. just gave it try on google maps and worked fine using firefox and also vivaldi and opera browsers.

 

[Isaac-1]

We stayed at Palmetto Island state park in Louisiana to explore cajun country. Tabasco factory was nearby. It was pretty nice.

Palmetto Island State Park - Abbeville, Louisiana

Palmetto Island State Park in Abbeville, Louisiana: 122 reviews, 156 photos, & 66 tips from fellow RVers. Palmetto Island State Park in Abbeville is rated 9.5 of 10 at RV LIFE Campground Reviews.

campgrounds.rvlife.com

I have stayed there a few times and also like it, lots of locals camping there on the weekends.

 

[jymbee]

Stayed at Bayside years ago The Bayside site was nice & comfortable - except for the night time mosquitos.

Mosquitoes you say? Reminds me of a quick stopover we made at Holly Beach a couple years back. Outside of some places in Alaska I've been I've never seen so many mosquitoes. Front windshield was just a mass of those blood thirsty critters! Needless to say, we didn't stay long.

Assuming the bug situation is about the same, reason enough to perhaps plan a route further inland.

 

[jymbee]

We stayed at Palmetto Island state park in Louisiana to explore cajun country. Tabasco factory was nearby. It was pretty nice.

One of our favorite parks. We did the Tabasco tour when there last but the production line was not open. Still interesting.

I remember asking the woman at HQ as we left if there were more mosquitoes there in the summer as we didn't have any issues with them there in the winter: "Oh YEAH...". was her response.

 

[jymbee]

stella mare is across the highway from the beach and nearby is Dellanera that is on the beach. stella is more upscale and less crowded.

Thanks, but I guess "less crowded" is a relative thing. Looking at their site confirms my conviction to stay almost exclusively at public parks. Just can't deal with they way the pack 'em in at virtually all private parks.

 

[jymbee]

the ferries are big and semis travel back and forth on them. just gave it try on google maps and worked fine using firefox and also vivaldi and opera browsers.

I remember the first tie I took that ferry I wasn't sure our "big" rig would be allowed. Uh... upon arrival seeing multiple large 18 wheelers lined up, I felt a little silly for the concern.

 

[Old_Crow]

I have stayed there a few times and also like it, lots of locals camping there on the weekends.

We were going to stay at Palmetto Island once, but due to the proximity of Mardi Gras it was full. We ended up at Lake Fausse Point state park. It was pretty nice and not crowded at all until the Friday before the big day. Beat the heck out of Catfish Heaven, which is where we stayed our first time in the area.

 

[darsben]

oceanside at Galveston Island is great. Redone 2 years ago + - nice sites. boardwalk to beach. clean showers. a great place to stay

 

[Isaac-1]

If you like piece and quiet stay away from Sandpiper RV resort in Galveston, the locals like to use that section of Seawall Blvd for drag racing all night on the weekends, and there is a helicopter tour operations next door that has several flights per day in the daytime.

 

[jymbee]

We were going to stay at Palmetto Island once, but due to the proximity of Mardi Gras it was full.

Funny you should mention that as when I went to see if we could get one of the sites at Palmetto we liked the last time there, it wasn't available. Neither for the most part was any site in the whole park. Their reservation calendar was a bit flaky as it didn't "refresh" sometimes when changing dates so I called the park office. Sure enough, perhaps due to Mardi Gras I was informed they were booked solid for weeks.

So.... now we'll be headed up to Natchez, MS and Eastward from there to check out some parks we haven't been to before. Palmetto & NOLA parks have a lot to offer but given we've been there done that, multiple times, now looking forward to some new parks.

 

[Old_Crow]

Funny you should mention that as when I went to see if we could get one of the sites at Palmetto we liked the last time there, it wasn't available. Neither for the most part was any site in the whole park. Their reservation calendar was a bit flaky as it didn't "refresh" sometimes when changing dates so I called the park office. Sure enough, perhaps due to Mardi Gras I was informed they were booked solid for weeks.

So.... now we'll be headed up to Natchez, MS and Eastward from there to check out some parks we haven't been to before. Palmetto & NOLA parks have a lot to offer but given we've been there done that, multiple times, now looking forward to some new parks.

If you're traveling on the Natchez Trace Parkway, don't stay at the Jeff Busby campground. Nice enough campground, but I woke up in the morning and our Jeep was gone. Got it back about 3 weeks later, but it was messed up.

 

[Isaac-1]

I did stay at Jeff Busby campground in 2021 and our Jeep TOAD was not stolen, though I was conscious of keeping an eye on it, as this was after Wally's experience there.

One potentially interesting nearby campground and point of interest is Grand Gulf Military park, though note they lock the entry gates at I think 5 pm, so don't be late getting there.

 

[Old_Crow]

I did stay at Jeff Busby campground in 2021 and our Jeep TOAD was not stolen, though I was conscious of keeping an eye on it, as this was after Wally's experience there.

One potentially interesting nearby campground and point of interest is Grand Gulf Military park, though note they lock the entry gates at I think 5 pm, so don't be late getting there.

We also stayed at a different campground on the Trace a couple years previous to the RV trip from **** (which was in '16) when we took a m/c trip down to the Mobile area. Stayed another night in a small state park in Alabama somewhere. At dusk the ranger came by and let us know he was going to lock the gates but that if we needed to be gone before 7am he would just dummy lock one of them. Told him we'd be lucky to be gone by 10 because I didn't expect my wife would even be out of bed before 8. Thought it was cool of him to give us that consideration. I was close, we rolled out of that park at about 10:15.

 

[Isaac-1]

Speaking of campgrounds along the trace, there is a lakefront National Forest campground a few miles east of the Trace just south of Tupelo that has hookups and does online reservations that we have stayed at before. Sort of add for a National Forest Campground, though note many of the sites have a fair amount of front to back slope.