Port Aransas is a beach town in Texas near Corpus Christi. Located on the Gulf of Mexico, it offers miles and miles of beach access and camping along the 18 mile-long Mustang Island. Port Aransas camping opportunities abound, including directly on the beach in an RV!
We camped on the beach in our Airstream, which was amazing!
Camping on the Beach
There are not that many places in the United States where you can drive on the beach in an RV and camp anywhere, but this is one of those few amazing places!
There are also beaches in Florida where you can camp on the beach in your RV.
The warm Gulf of Mexico water is perfect for swimming and enjoying all the beach has to offer.
We visited Port Aransas in April 2019 for the SandFest sand sculpture competition and camped directly on the beach in our Airstream.
Read below for more details on how to get there, including taking your RV on a free ferry, and the rules for Port Aransas beach camping.
The hard packed sand along the 6.2 miles of coastline of Port Aransas is easily accessible for camping, either in a tent or RV.
This area was devastated by a direct hit from Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
The Category 4 hurricane left Mustang Island under 8 feet of water in some places, and its impact is still being felt today as Port Aransas regains its status as a top beach destination in Texas.
Taking the Ferry to Port Aransas
Port Aransas is located along the northern part of Mustang Island.
When coming from the east, you take a free ferry operated by the Texas Department of Transportation instead of driving over a bridge.
The ferry operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is free. The wait time is usually less than 10 minutes, unless there is an event or other popular activities on the island.
You can check the current ferry waiting times on the TX DOT website for the SH361 Aransas Pass.
They also have a Twitter account that updates the ferry wait time, as well as ferry webcams. (You can find links to these on the ferry information webpage.)
The ferry connects travelers along SH 361 across the Corpus Christi Channel between Aransas Pass on the mainland to Port Aransas on Mustang Island.
To get to the ferry crossing, follow SH 361 east from the town of Aransas Pass. You will dead end into the ferry crossing.
When we visited Port Aransas for the SandFest, we waited almost an hour for the ferry from Aransas Pass on a Friday afternoon, but that was because of many people traveling to the festival.
The usual wait time is far less, but you can check the TXDOT website for the exact wait time when you’re visiting the area.
RVs on Port Aransas Ferry
Each ferry can carry up to 20 regular passenger vehicles.
RVs are allowed on the ferry without any difficulties.
All vehicles must be no longer than 80 feet, no wider than 13 feet, no taller than 13 feet 6 inches, and must weigh no more than 80,000 pounds.
Most RVs, including those pulling a toad, will fit just fine.
The ferry operators are used to distributing the ferry weight properly to account for all sizes of vehicles. 18 wheel trucks even take the ferry, so an RV is no problem.
When we crossed the ferry in our 27 foot long Airstream, we were parked next to a class A motorhome on the ferry and surrounded by regular cars.
The route across the channel takes less than 10 minutes to cross the 1/4 mile route.
You can get out of your vehicle for the first part of the trip, but must be back in your vehicle once the ferry is half way across the channel.
Keep an eye out for dolphins playing in the wake of the ferries crossing the channel. You can see one swimming to the right of the ferry in the photo below.
Port Aransas Beach Parking Permit
Once you cross the ferry, you will arrive in the town of Port Aransas. While we camped on the beach, there are other Port Aransas camping options at RV parks with full hookups.
To camp on the beach, you will need to purchase a $12 beach parking permit sticker.
These can be purchased at several locations in the town, including at City Hall, beach vendors, and convenience stores. We ended up buying one at the Stripes gas station located in town.
You put the beach permit sticker on the passenger side window of your vehicle. (This is different from where you would put a state sticker map of all the places you’ve visited!)
The Port Aransas beach parking permit allows you to park (and camp) on the beach from marker 0 to marker 62, which represents about a 6.2 mile long swath of beach area. These green signs are posted in the sand dunes along the beach.
Each marker along the beach represents about 0.1 miles. You may hear people refer to them as “mile markers,” but they are really “10% of a mile markers.”
Free parking is available between beach markers 52-58. In that 0.6 mile distance, you do not need a beach parking permit.
Vehicles drive up and down the beach in clearly delineated driving lanes.
There are all sorts of vehicles, from golf carts, to large class A motorhomes, to small passenger cars. Driving on the sand was no problem, even for those pulling travel trailers or fifth wheels.
We brought an off-road (but street legal) motorcycle to make it easier to travel up and down the beach to SandFest from our camping spot.
Beach Camping in an RV
Camping on the Port Aransas beach is fabulous! We came down to Port Aransas from Houston, where we were camping at the Highway 6 RV Resort, and really enjoyed camping in nature.
When we stayed, it was very busy due to SandFest. There were tons of people going up and down the beach in golf carts, RVs, cars, and on foot with a party atmosphere.
It was packed, but usually is not so crowded. Everyone was respectful of one another and we really enjoyed our stay.
Where to Camp on the Beach
You have the freedom to set up your tent or park your RV anywhere along the beach in the designated area between markers 0 and 62, as long as it’s not within 25 feet of a clear driving lane or closer than 50 feet to the water’s edge.
Embrace the opportunity to camp out for up to three nights within any three-week period, immersing yourself in the natural beauty and rhythmic sounds of the waves.
We ended up driving down the beach to about marker 38 (so 3.8 miles down the beach) to find an area that was slightly less crowded.
When you camp on the beach or any other sandy environment, such as the desert, a special sand mat like the one we used in the photo above is fabulous.
Its patented high-weave design allows sand to fall through the fabric without coming back up through the mat. It really helps keep your camper clean. This is the one we use:
Our camping spot was pretty perfect, with a fabulous view out the rear hatch of our Airstream.
You’ll want to check the tide lines which are fairly obvious before you settle on a camping spot to ensure you don’t wake up under water.
As a bonus, small campfires are also permitted on the beach.
There were all types of campers camped the weekend of Sandfest, including people in tents, truck campers, class A motorhomes, and the cute fifth wheel tiny house in the photo below.
Note about Camping Permit for Port Aransas
You may find conflicting information online about whether you need to purchase a separate $40 permit for RVs to camp on the beach.
This is no longer valid. All you need is the $12 beach parking permit to camp in a car or an RV on the beach.
We verified this by calling Port Aransas City Hall in April 2019 and were told the $40 permit for RVs no longer exists. The $12 parking permit is all you need to camp in an RV on the beach in Port Aransas. Others also verified this information locally during our visit.
Camping Amenities at Port Aransas
This is boondocking, dry camping, dispersed camping, or whatever you want to call it. There are no hookups. With a self-contained RV with water and bathroom facilities, we were fine for three days without any hookups.
The City of Port Aransas provides free, cold showers at several points along the beach. There are also plenty of large trash cans for you to dispose of your trash.
Final Thoughts on Port Aransas Beach Camping
Beach camping along the Gulf of Mexico is fabulous. The city of Port Aransas makes camping in an RV directly on the beach easy and accessible for just a $12 beach parking permit. You can drive up and down the beach to find your perfect camping spot and pitch a tent or stay in your camper, motorhome, or other RV.
We really enjoyed the SandFest festival in April of 2019 and camping during this time period. Camping on the beach is likely to be equally fabulous at other times of the year, especially if you’d prefer to camp with fewer crowds.
Plan now to enjoy camping in your RV on Mustang Island. You’ll have direct access to the Gulf of Mexico and plenty of amenities in the town of Port Aransas. It makes for a perfect three-day camping adventure.
