El Jardin Beach — Attraction in Seabrook

We visited this beach on a weekday during the school year. There was no fee to use the beach, porta-potties were clean and well stocked, the sand was soft with no garbage, glass, or rocks. The water is quite shallow, so this beach is a good choice for kids, although the waves pick up when a container ship passes by. My kids found several aquatic hermit crabs on the rocky area that juts out into the water, and had fun with their "pets" til we had to leave. (Note: aquatic hermit crabs won't survive in a fresh water home aquarium. Leave them at the beach where they can continue living!)

There does appear to be a playground nearby, but upon closer inspection, we noted that the area was marked private property.

One tip, if you are coming from 146 on Port Road, be careful not to turn into the Ship Channel toll booth area. The street you want is one turn beyond that place, and you can avoid making the turn too soon if you note the bright yellow road barriers that line the intake for all the semi trucks. Don't turn right until you see a stop sign.

As far as the water quality goes, I'd say swim at your own risk. They have signs posted that indicate the water is untested. There are websites that daily report on water quality for the surrounding area. If you are worried, it's best to check...

Edit: They are adding more parking. This may make a huge difference in my initial review once complete.

As much as I love this beach, it’s nearly impossible to legitimately enjoy unless you WALK to it or travel in by BOAT. Literally.

We used to frequent this beach by boat all the time but recently moved to Seabrook and thought it would be nice to enjoy the 8 min drive from our doorstep to the beach.

The unfortunate thing is that (on the weekend) it costs like $10/person to go unless you’re a Pasadena resident. That alone sucks.

Add to that the lack of any real parking (14 spots I believe) and you have a recipe for frustration. You cannot part ANYWHERE but the 14 spots or you will be ticketed or towed. You cannot wait in line for someone to leave so you’re forced to just drive around the local area and periodically check back as there is no protocol in fairness in getting in in the order you arrive.

All this combined with the weekend “fees” and it only makes sense to go during the week when it’s free. If you could actually find a spot to park and even the parking even during low traffic hours is not practical. Its nearly impossible to acquire.

Back to my original point.

Boat in. Anchor off. Enjoy. Walk in. Enjoy. Avoid the...

This beach is being treated as a private beach by the local residents. The police are literally sitting in the parking lot of a nearby gas station waiting for complaints from the residents. The police run over and hand out parking tickets and such. The locals are driving around on golf carts looking for things to report. I watched a local resident ride through the construction site between the do not enter and road closed signs and the police didn't even turn his head. The park has signs that says park closed but the residents are driving around on golf cart and playing on the playground equipment. This is NOT a very friendly neighborhood. There are a couple Airbnb properties in the area and I would not use them due to these rude folks. I hope once the park is reopen is gets inundated with out of towners and the locals can not use the park. ITS NOT A PRIVATE...