First choose city access or county access
Looking for a way onto the beach? The numbered city entrances take you from Gulf Boulevard to the sand on foot. Some have restrooms, showers and parking; others are much simpler. Vehicles aren't allowed on the city beach.
County parks and entrances have their own numbers. If you're meeting someone at “Access #4,” check whether they mean the city entrance or the county one—they're different places.
- Find an entrance near where you're staying on the beach access map.
- Open its guide to see the parking, restrooms, showers and path to the sand.
- Looking for a county park or a drive-on entrance? Browse beaches and coastal places.
The facilities and parking details here come from the city's Beach Access Guide and Beach Access Parking Guide. Those maps show the layout, not which spaces are free right now.
Which entrance has what you need?
Beach Circle Access #4 combines marked accessible parking, a concrete route with Mobi-mat, and portable restrooms, but the city guide does not list a shower. Moonlight Circle Access #13 lists a shower and an accessible parking space, but no restroom or Mobi-mat. If the group needs both permanent restrooms and a rinse shower, compare Gulf Circle Access #3 and Treasure Island Access #11 rather than assuming the closest entrance has them.
If you use a wheelchair or need a firm walking surface, look beyond the parking symbol. Wind can blow sand over a Mobi-mat, and a mat doesn't mean there's a firm path all the way to the water. The accessible beaches guide covers the questions to ask about beach wheelchairs, transfers and restrooms.
Can you drive onto the beach?
The city’s Shoreline Department distinguishes its walk-on beach from county entrances. Andy Bowie Park offers county-park facilities without making a beach drive the main event. Cameron County Access #6 is a drive-on entrance with no amenities listed by the city. Read driving on the beach before choosing a vehicle-access route, and never treat a city access number as permission to drive onto the sand.
Before you head out
Parking fills, portable facilities can be serviced or unavailable, and tide, surf, wind, water quality, beach work, or an emergency closure can change the best entrance. Check beach conditions and beach safety, then follow the signs and flag system at the access you actually use. For an official statewide view of public access points and sampled water quality, use the Texas General Land Office’s coastal planning tools.
