Port Aransas, Texas, Camping on the Beach

Port Aransas, Texas, which locals call Port A, is a laid-back city on the Gulf of Mexico that welcomes camping on its beaches. This inexpensive beach town about 40 miles from Corpus Christi is reached by bridge or free ferry. Three jurisdictions oversee year-round beach camping in Port Aransas, which means three sets of rates and rules. Nueces County oversees a designated part of the beach by Horace Caldwell Pier northeast of downtown. The city maintains the beach south of the pier. Fourteen miles southeast of downtown, but still listed with a city address, is Mustang Island State Park. This beach park is operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

City Beach Camping

• If you're near the ocean in Port Aransas and don't see a sign or gate telling you otherwise, you're at a city-run beach. RV, tent and pop-up camping are free, but with a three-night limit during any three-week period. The city allows you to build a small 3-foot-by-3-foot fire on the beach. Restrooms and the occasional shower facility are on the beach. While pitching a tent doesn't cost anything, the city does require an annual beach parking permit, even if you're only camping one night. As of summer 2013, the cost of the permit was $12 per vehicle. A parking permit can be purchased at city offices, and at most grocery and convenience stores. You can spot the Port A fans who visit year after year by the number of collected annual parking permits affixed to their RV or car windows.

County Beach Campsites

• Nueces County runs I.B. Magee Jr. Beach Park close to Horace Caldwell Pier in Port A. There's no parking fee, but there are camping fees and a limit of two vehicles per campsite. This beach has a multiple-shower facility accessed with a key card that was available for a $5 deposit in 2013. A primitive beach campsite without electricity or water but with access to park restroom facilities was $10 per night as of summer 2013. There also are 75 campsites for tents or RVs with water and electricity hookups for a higher cost. The beach park's shower facility is housed in a three-story building with Wi-Fi access and coin laundry facilities.

State Beach Camping

• Prices at Mustang Island State Park include a daily entrance fee for each person over the age of 13, plus additional fees for camping. The state sets a limit of eight people per campsite. Primitive drive-up camping at any undesignated spot on the beach is an additional cost. There also are 50 campsites with water and electric hookups, and a picnic table that can be rented per night or per week. Reservations for these spots can be made online. Prices are subject to change, so visit the park's website in advance to confirm prices.

Beach Breaks

• Take a break from the beach and visit Port A's kitschy souvenir shops, friendly family style restaurants and casual beach bars. Learn about the history of Port A at the Port Aransas Museum. The city's Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center has a raised boardwalk for bird-watching and offers free guided tours on Wednesdays. For marine-life fans, the Visitor's Center at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute has extensively researched sea-life displays and an Ocean Emporium with books and souvenirs.