Rockport Beach — Attraction in Rockport

The main beach park in Rockport is a large, beautiful, well maintained park with a long stretch of beach area. Very important: No pets are allowed in this park because the park doubles as a bird sanctuary and seabird nesting ground. But there's a small stretch of beach outside the park, between the main park and the "concrete fishing pier," that is cost-free and does allow pets. It's a popular place with dog walkers and sunbathers who don't want to pay the park fees.

The park itself charges a daily fee (maybe $5 or so per car), or you can get a yearly pass for $20 or so. If you arrive past 5 or 6 pm, it's free admission because there's nobody manning the booth. You can go in and see if it's worth the fee to spend the day there later, lol. Using the boat ramp without using the rest of the park used to be free (no admission fees), and it might still be free.

There are picnic tables, BBQ grills, a playscape area, a volleyball court, nice restrooms in the pavillions, a nice sandy beach, etc., etc. It's a great place for bird watching. In the early spring, lots of sea birds are nesting there.

The beach front water is Aransas Bay, I think. It's got small waves and is shallow even far from the beach, so it's good for kids. It's not a drive-on beach, but you can park fairly close.

Across the park road from the beach is an estuary that's called Little Bay, which is good for fishing and water skiing. Please note that alligators are occasionally sighted in Little Bay (but NOT near the beach area). However, it's rare and nobody has been harmed by them, as far as I know, despite lots of water skiiers and wade fisherman who use Little Bay.

There's a nice boat ramp inside the park for launching a boat into Little Bay. On the north end of Little Bay, there's a canal that connects it to Aransas Bay, if you'd rather take your boat into Aransas Bay after launching it.

If you drive towards the end of the park road, to the last pavillion on the left, you'll find a swimming area on the left side (just past the pavillion) and a fishing pier on the right side of the road. This swimming area is part of Little Bay and is a little deeper than the very shallow beachfront water, but not too deep for kids, probably, unless they're small toddlers. I think there are a few picnic tables there, and the pavillion has nice restrooms. At times, the pavillions may sell food and drinks, though I'm not sure.

The pier is NOT lighted at night because the park locks up around 10 pm. Buy bait before you go because I don't think they ever sell it inside the park.

If you curve to the left just before that last pavillion, there are additional park areas that sit on the shores of the estuary, Little Bay, rather than the "beach" area. That part is great for bird watching, picnicing, or fishing but most likely not good for swimming. I think the elevated tower for bird watching is located in that area.

NOTES -- There is NO CAMPING in Rockport Beach Park but there are lots of RV parks in town. Please remember also that their policy is NO PETS, but the beach area just south of the park, next to the concrete pier, does allow pets.

I live near the park and have been there quite a few times. It's always been well maintained when I was there. I've caught keeper trout, drum, and flounder, plus small redfish, in Little Bay, as well as finger mullet using a cast net. I have caught keeper trout from the pier in the beach park that's near the end of the park road as...

"We are a military family that has been living overseas for 15 years, and we recently arrived in the area for a small family vacation. Our experience at the beach entrance left much to be desired due to the incredibly poor customer service provided by the woman at the payment booth.

Despite our intentions of simply enjoying a short stroll on the beach for 30 minutes, we were met with unwarranted rudeness and hostility from the staff member. The way she interacted with us this morning not only soured our mood but also cast a shadow over what was meant to be a relaxing family outing.

Sadly, our attempts to address the situation and request a refund were met with further dismissiveness and a flat-out refusal. It was disheartening to encounter such lack of empathy and professionalism, especially as newcomers trying to make the most of our time in this area.

Customer service plays a pivotal role in shaping one's experience, and in this case, it fell drastically short. Respect and basic courtesy should be non-negotiable aspects of any service industry, and it is disappointing to see them disregarded in such a manner.

I sincerely hope that this feedback reaches the relevant parties and prompts a reevaluation of their customer service standards. No one should have to endure such treatment, especially when simply looking to enjoy a brief moment of leisure.

As a military family with a history of international living, we understand the importance of creating welcoming and inclusive environments. It is our hope that others do not have to face similar unwelcoming and disrespectful encounters in...

I really liked this beach. The entrance is $5 for all day (and you can leave and go back). If you OK with parking a bit more far from actual beach there is some parking space around for free. Inside paid parking there is plenty of space. We visited on busy Memorial Day weekend, it was quite packed, but you still were able to find parking spot. The beach has 2 (at least I saw) buildings with restrooms and showers (though they don't look very ''fancy''). They advertised chair and umbrella rental, but we were not able to find it. They have some seating areas for picnic with grills. We visited on holiday weekend so it was quite busy, still we find a spot and were able to enjoy the sun and water. The sand is clean: no litter (ok maybe few things here and there), no sea weed. They even have beach security. They don't allow dogs (pets) in the paid part of the beach. Though you can take them to the other side (which is for free, but doesn't have nice beach). The sea was nice and clean. It's quite shallow (you can go and go inside for a while, and still be at knee deep), so I think it's perfect for families with children. It was a bit wavy, but as it's shallow it wasn't dangerous at all. I really enjoyed swimming there, because I'm not strong swimmer. We are going back...