Galveston Island's Free Beaches

Galveston Island has 32 miles of beaches along the gulf coast. I'll try to give you a rundown on the beaches and as much insider info as I can to help you navigate your beach day or visit to Galveston Island!

Free Beaches
Galveston has lots of free beaches if you want to avoid paying and avoid crowds! Keep in mind though, that restroom facilities and showers to rinse are not readily available at most free beaches. (For info on paid beaches click here: Paid Beaches

East End/Beachtown
   Okay, so I'm going to let you in on something - this area is my family's favorite place to go. We actually go the parking area right after Beachtown but before East Beach. It is parking area 1a. It's such a great beach! You park and walk a small trail to get to the beach. It's hardly ever crowded, even during peak season, and is so dog friendly! We go here knowing we can let our Weimaraner off his leash without having to worry about too many people around.
   What many people do not realize is that you can actually park right at Beachtown to get to the beach as well. There is a white pavilion and walkway that is public and takes you right to the beach. Park right in front of it at the designated spots. This is also a much less crowded area. And if you want to avoid walking on hot sand to get to the beach, the walkway is great. It also provides for an amazing picture setting.
    Here is another secret for you about the east beach area: Palisade Palms! Before you get to Beachtown, you will pass a handful of condos, one of them being Palisade Palms. You can actually park at the bottom of the condos (there is a sign stating public beach access/parking) and walk to the beach following the sidewalk to the left. It's a long walk but the kicker is - they have showers! You follow the sidewalk to the brown walkway and at the bottom of the walkway are showers to rinse off after you are done with your day at the beach! Usually on the beach it's only residents and vacationers renting the condos out, so it isn't very crowded. Can you tell I'm a fan of this area? Enjoy!!!

Sidenote: My only complaint is that the east end beaches are not great for shelling. There are rarely any at all on a good day. I go to other beaches specifically to shell. Though I have found some good driftwood on the east beaches. I'll have a post on shelling coming soon!

Seawall Beaches
   You will notice in the summer months, the seawall beaches are lined with people. Technically, they are free beaches but if you are driving, you will have to pay to park along the seawall. The seawall beaches have a lot of appeal to them as you can walk across the street to any of the restaurants to eat/take a break and then back to the beach. There are lots of activities along the seawall and that's why people like the beaches here! There are the jetties as well that you can walk out on and take pictures on the rocks. Here is a tip though - watch out for snakes and rats that live among the rocks! I usually opt for the paved jetties. What I think the seawall beaches are best for though, are your quintessential walks on the beach at night. If my family wants to take a stroll at dusk, we usually opt for the seawall. The lights on Pleasure Pier are lit up and make for some great photo ops! Shells collect along the jetties and dusk is a prime shelling time.
Seawall parking info:
   Parking along the Seawall from 6th to 69th streets and 81st to 103rd streets can be purchased via Pay By Phone for $1 per hour, $8 per day or $25 per annual pass. Paid parking is enforced from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Register your vehicle by visiting www.paybyphone.com or 1-866-234-7275.

West End Beaches
    There are a lot of options on beaches if you are headed west. I know a favorite of many is Sunny Beach. You will see sign after sign for public beach access as you drive along. Keep in mind that there are two pocket beaches on the West End that you have to pay for. Drive past those to keep it free! You will also start driving through little towns such as Jamaica Beach (check out Seven Seas grocery and grab some bbq while you're there). The one draw to the west end beaches is that you can drive onto the beach! It's very convenient (especially if you have a hatch back or truck) to just back up to the beach. No hauling all your things down a path - it's all in the car! I also think the water is warmer and clearer the farther west you go. Really the only reason my family doesn't frequent the west end is because we've noticed and heard from many islanders that they are super strict on dog leash laws. Our dog does better off leash and he is always with us when we go the beach. What I do love about the west end is the amazing shelling, especially in the winter. If you want to find shells - this is where to do it. The best place is all the way at the end, right before the San Luis Pass at Pointe San Luis 4.

Below is a map of Galveston Island Beaches. The paid beaches are designated with a red star. Here is a link to a larger version of the map: Beach Map

Please keep in mind that glass bottles are prohibited at any beaches!