Padre Island National Seashore has 60 miles of beach, most of which you can drive. It originally was going to be a home for our stay in Corpus Christi – that is until we looked at the weather forecast. We had rain and cold when we helped with playground.
If we had camped there we wold have had three option. Malaquite Campground is on the Gulf but is shielded by the dunes. Most of the campsites are just stripped sections on pavement. There were bathrooms and showers here for a cost of $14. Bird Island Basin has gravel sites right on the water. There is a bathroom but no showers for $8 per night.
The low cost option is to drive drive on to the beach. You get a sandy, beach front spot wherever you think is good. You do need to fill out a permit at the entrance to the beach. There is no additional cost beyond your entrance feed to the park.