Located along the shores of the Laguna Madre, the Bird Island Basin Boat Ramp is the only developed boat ramp in the park. The site is busy in the early mornings, especially on weekends and holidays, as anglers launch their boats for a day of fishing on the Laguna Madre and further south into Baffin Bay.
The Bird Island Basin Day-use Area serves as a central hub for activities along the Laguna Madre. The area is popular with birdwatchers, anglers, campers, and windsurfers alike.
The Grasslands Nature Trail is a 0.75-mile (1.2 km) loop trail with paved access to the grasslands and dunes of the island, and provides benches interspersed throughout the loop. Among the abundant dune grasses and wildflowers of the coastal prairie, hikers may also spot ground squirrels, keeled earless lizards, crested caracaras, and a variety of other wildlife from the trail.
Malaquite Beach stretches 4.5 miles (7.24 km) from the North Beach vehicle bollards, south to the South Beach vehicle bollards. The entire stretch of Malaquite Beach is closed to public beach driving, making it an ideal area for families looking for a vehicle free section of beach to recreate on.
Mansfield Channel divides Padre Island National Seashore, located on Padre Island, with South Padre Island. A four-wheel drive vehicle is required to access the Mansfield Channel from the national seashore.
The 1.5 mile long North Beach, is open to primitive beach camping. North Beach is generally open to two-wheel drive vehicles, although four-wheel drive is always recommended.
Step back in time with a short walk to Novillo Line Camp, where cowboys corralled the cattle that once grazed on the island. The camp is the last remaining structure from the Dunn Cattle Ranch operation.
The first five miles of South Beach, between beach mile marker 0 to 5, is open to primitive beach camping. Mile 0 to 5 is generally open to two-wheel drive vehicles, although four-wheel drive is always recommended.
The last fifty-five miles of South Beach, between beach mile marker 5 to 60, is open to primitive beach camping. Mile 5 to 55 always requires four-wheel drive vehicles. Popular destinations along this stretch of beach include the sections of beach known as Little Shell Beach and Big Shell Beach, as well as Yarborough Pass, a high-clearance four-wheel drive road with access to the Laguna Madre.
This species has beautiful creamy, yellow-colored flowers which form long horizontal clusters. In late summer, the entire upper portion of the plant loses its green color. It becomes dry, turns dark grey to black, and breaks off at the ground to become tumbleweeds. This process aids in seed dispersal.
Other common names include gulf dune crowngrass. Distinguished from other similar Paspalum species with numerous flowering branches (notatum, setaceum, plicatulum) by purplish colored spikelets and inrolled, linear leaves with 1-3 terminal panicle branches. The second most common grass on the island behind seacoast bluestem. This common grass was considered a valuable source of forage for livestock by Native Americans.
This species is heavily armed with strong spines along the edges and a single spine at the tip of the leaf. The Western Apache Native Americans designed handles for tools and lance shaft weapons from the tall flowering stalks. This is an important larval food plant for the trapdoor giant skipper (Agathymus) complex of butterflies.
This plant has beautiful salmon-rose to light red flower petals and curved pea pods. This species is beneficial as the larval food plant for the Gray hairstreak, Southern dogface, and Reakirt’s blue butterflies. It is also a popular species in wildflower gardens as a ground cover due to its mat-like growth pattern. Deer and livestock also commonly consume this plant as a food source.
The long, sharp spines of cacti are actually modified leaves that harden as they age. The ripened fruits were a popular food source for many Native American tribes who would rub the fruits on the ground to remove the spines and eat the fruits raw. The fruits were also used as a source of red dye, fermented to make a beverage, used as a syrup, and dried and ground to be mixed with cornmeal to make a mush for winter food use.
Mistflower is one of the most important nectar sources for butterflies and moths on the island. This is the larval food plant for the Rounded metalmark butterfly and several species of moths. In the park, it is common near ephemeral ponds and marshes, roadsides, open grasslands, and disturbed areas. Native Americans used this plant externally and internally for just about every malady known, including drinking a tea from the roots to treat alcoholism.
Euthamia was formerly included in the genus Solidago (Goldenrod). This species can be confused with goldenrods and is differentiated by the presence of glandular and sticky leaves. Euthamia often exhibit extreme phenotypic (environmental) variation. Native American tribes prepared cold infusions of the flowers to relieve chest pains.
This is one of the island’s most attractive and showy species. It also provides an important nectar source for butterflies and day flying moths. It was used by Native Americans internally and externally for the treatment of rheumatism. Confederate surgeons utilized other Liatris species in the treatments of sore throats, pain, coughs, colds, colic, and even snake bites. These other Liatris species were referred to as Button snakeroot and Rattlesnake’s master during the 1800s.
This densely branching shrub was used by Native American tribes to treat fever, throat aches, stomach aches, and headaches. The wax of the fruit was historically used to make candles while the leaves were used as a tobacco substitute. In winter, the seeds are important food sources for wildlife. This shrub also provides significant habitat for a variety of bird species.
The plant leaves are modified spikes with sharp spines at the tips. Flowers are creamy white and are often tinged with purple. It has been frequently misidentified as Spanish dagger (Yucca treculeana). Dagger plant is a sand growing species most commonly found on the island while Spanish dagger is more common in clay soils and in the Rio Grande valley.
This is the most abundant grass on the island. It is an attractive grass forming upright clumps of slender green leaves which have a tinge of blue at the base. It has striking clusters of fluffy, silvery-white seed heads which often persist into winter. The most outstanding feature of this grass may be the bronze-orange fall foliage color. It provides forage and cover for wildlife.
Yarborough Pass, along the Laguna Madre, is open to primitive camping. It is accessed near the 15-mile mark on South Beach and requires a high clearance four-wheel drive vehicle.
