Bird Island Basin

This primitive area inside Padre Island National Seashore is located on the Laguna Madre approximately four miles from the Visitor Center.  In addition to camping, Bird Island Basin has a windsurfing area ranked by Windsurfing Magazine as the 'Best Flat Water Sailing Site in the Continental USA' and also includes a boat launching ramp.  A $5 per night or $10 per year fee is charged for camping use of Bird Island Basin.  Beaches in Texas are public highways, so only street legal and licensed vehicles may be driven in the park.  Driving in dunes, grasslands or mudflats is prohibited. Pets are allowed, but must be on a leash and under physical rstraint at all times. 

Bird Island Basin is part of the longest section of undeveloped barrier island in the world, protecting rare coastal prairie; a complex, dynamic dune system; and the Laguna Madre, one of the few hypbersaline lagoon environments left in the world.  The National Seashore and surrounding waters provide an important habitat for marine and terrestrial plants and animals, including a number of rare, threatened and endangered species.  Situated along the Central Flyway, Padre Island is a globally important area for over 350 migratory, overwintering and resident bird species.  The National Seashore is also one of the few places the public can go to witness sea turtle hatchlings being released into the wild.