State park offers beach, bay access

State park offers beach, bay accessMustang Island State Park, 13 miles south of Port Aransas straddling the island from the Gulf of Mexico to Corpus Christi Bay, continues to draw visitors who are interested in a stay along the beach or a visit to a wetland - or both.

Visitors to Mustang Island State Park, south of Port Aransas, can expect to find unspoiled beaches and plenty of fishing. But even though budget cuts at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have left Mustang Island State Park with some crumbling concrete and other things that need patching, park Superintendent Kenneth Ragan said funds have now been approved for needed repairs.

That will mean renovations of the bath house at the recreational vehicle parking area as well as the bath house at the beach. Ragan plans to build boardwalks on the bay side of the park bordering the old Fish Pass, and to the beach from the RV area.

He'll build a gazebo to provide a gathering spot and shade for visitors to the beach, and he'll pave roads on the bay side of State Hwy. 361, which bisects the park.

Further, an interpretive specialist will provide in-depth looks at some of the animals and plants found in the park.

Built on land acquired in 1972 and opened as a state park in 1979, Mustang Island State Park covers nearly 4,000 acres of land, wetland and beach. It fronts the Gulf of Mexico for five miles, including the abortive Fish Pass, built during the 1970s with jetties as an aid to water circulation between the Gulf of Mexico and Corpus Christi Bay. The pass soon silted in and hasn't been open since.

Starting with the influx of Winter Texans in December, Ragan said he can expect to see a full park virtually through the summer. The park's busiest time is December-March, he said - and again from May through September, when school is out.

At any price, Mustang Island State Park remains one of the best bargains on the Texas coast.