What to do and see in Texas Gulf Coast, Texas Gulf Coast: The Best Nature & Parks

August 22, 2021 Osvaldo Hartline

Discover the best top things to do in Texas Gulf Coast, United States including TGR Exotics Wildlife Park, Port Aransas Beach, Padre Island National Seashore, Gladys Porter Zoo, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Rockport Beach, Malaquite Beach, Houston Zoo, Mary Jo Peckham Park, Cockrell Butterfly Center.
Restaurants in Texas Gulf Coast

1. TGR Exotics Wildlife Park

22115 Sherrod Ln, Spring, TX 77389-4542 +1 281-771-3700 [email protected] http://www.tgrexotics.com
Excellent
87%
Good
6%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 82 reviews

TGR Exotics Wildlife Park

Grab Your Safari Gear. Your adventure begins HERE! At TGR Exotics Wildlife Park, you will get up close and personal with some of Planet Earth's most exotic, fascinating, and endangered animals. Here you will find more than 100 animals representing over 25 species. All our animals are raised hands on, if not completely hand raised, and they have amazing personalities and dispositions. Go to our website to book your tour.

Reviewed By TexSuzan

This was a fun, positive experience for our granddaughters. Traci led a very informative sloth encounter where we fed three sloths. Nick shared interesting trivia about the exotics we saw on the tour. The girls enjoyed petting the pigs, goats and llamas wandering around. It's evident that owner Gwen is passionate about providing good care of the rescued animals.

2. Port Aransas Beach

Port Aransas, TX 78373
Excellent
56%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
2%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,064 reviews

Port Aransas Beach

Public beach on Port Aransas that is clean, has a lifeguard and has car-free locations.

Reviewed By MichelleGarcia84

No vehicle traffic sucks when it comes to bringing stuff to set up at the beach, but nothing a wagon can’t fix, the trade off has been no vehicle traffic, and no cars all over the beach! This is so nice and I wish Port A would keep this rule even after Covid, maybe year down a condo and build a parking lot lol Anyway, clean beach, warm water, bathrooms and rinse stations, trash cans available, watch out for jelly fish and sting rays, plenty of sea shells, various crabs to look for if you enjoy that sort of thing. Sand is perfect for sand castles! Pretty sunsets too!

3. Padre Island National Seashore

20420 Park Road 22, Corpus Christi, TX 78418-6529 +1 361-949-8068 https://www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm
Excellent
69%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,859 reviews

Padre Island National Seashore

A 15-minute drive from downtown Corpus Christi transports you to this magnificent 70-mile stretch of white sand beach, scenic dunes and warm ocean water, offering ideal conditions for swimming, fishing, beach-combing, windsurfing, camping, bird-watching and viewing wildlife.

Reviewed By M8870IWjasonr

A fantastic national asset. Best enjoyed though with a capable 4x4 vehicle. Tourist crowd the first 5 miles of beach while the real beauty exists South of the 20 mile marker. Ask some locals before taking off down the beach, it does have it's risks. For those adventurous types a trip 60 miles south to the Mansfield jetty is worth the trip.

4. Gladys Porter Zoo

500 E Ringgold St, Brownsville, TX 78520-7998 +1 956-546-7187 [email protected] http://www.gpz.org/
Excellent
62%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 515 reviews

Gladys Porter Zoo

The Gladys Porter Zoo is a visitor-oriented zoological and botanical park, dedicated to the preservation of nature through education, conservation, healthy outdoor recreation and research.

Reviewed By Valkyrie1227

Incredible zoo, definitely the highlight of not just brownsville but the entire Rio Grande Valley for that matter. A definite must-visit, the herpetarium in particular has an incredible array of extremely rare reptiles and amphibians on display, with most of them being actively bred and several conservation projects ongoing.

5. Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

22688 Buena Vista Blvd. Los Fresnos, TX, TX 78566 +1 956-748-3607 http://www.fws.gov/refuge/laguna_atascosa
Excellent
65%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
3%
Terrible
4%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 128 reviews

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuge with opportunities for enjoying nature and wildlife through hiking, bicycling, photography, fishing, hunting and guided tours.

Reviewed By curioustraveler65 - Richardson, United States

I went with 7 other visitors and 2 volunteer leaders on a bird tour of the refuge; we were gone from 8 am to 12:30 pm and saw about 75 species. It was a great trip on a small bus with frequent stops; 3 of the group had scopes they were quick to set up to see the birds. Highlights for me were: hooded oriole, Altimira oriole, Wilsons snipe, orange crowned warbler, kingfisher, Aplomado falcon, and LOTS of herons and egrets. There were many more birds, of course, and others in the group were interested in different things than I was. We also saw wild turkeys and a coyote. The trip was so successful because of the size of the refuge, and the fact that the land has been largely returned to native condition, and the friendly knowledgeable volunteer leaders, Kathy and John. There is no food available nearby, so plan to take a lunch and have a picnic at one of the available tables after the tour.

6. Rockport Beach

210 Seabreeze, Rockport, TX 78382 +1 361-729-6661 http://www.rockportbeach-texas.com/
Excellent
59%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 729 reviews

Rockport Beach

A mile-long sandy beach that offers swimming and a variety of water sports.

Reviewed By fltexan5

Clean beach. Great for families. Nice bathroom, showers, and changing area. Ample parking and easy access to the beach.

7. Malaquite Beach

20420 Park Road 22, Corpus Christi, TX 78418 +1 361-949-8068 http://www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm
Excellent
70%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 481 reviews

Malaquite Beach

This beach on Padre Island is a great camping and beach-going spot.

Reviewed By katv55

Malaquite Beach is a jewel along the Texas Gulf coast as part of the Padre Island National Seashore. With the adjacent NPS Visitor Center and its showers, restrooms, interpretive programs, and gift shop, this vehicle-free stretch of beach is the perfect for a day’s outing year round. Visitors are in for a treat from May to September when the hatching and releasing of baby sea turtles occur.

8. Houston Zoo

6200 Hermann Park Dr, Houston, TX 77030-1710 +1 713-533-6500 [email protected] http://www.houstonzoo.org/
Excellent
61%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 4,164 reviews

Houston Zoo

The Houston Zoo provides a fun, unique, and inspirational experience fostering appreciation, knowledge, and care for the natural world. Essentially a small city encompassing a world of ecosystems and experiences, the Houston Zoo is made up of many moving parts. We have over 6000 permanent residents (our animals) for whom we provide housing, meals, medical care and, yes, even education! In addition, we have over 1.84 million guests each year who come to experience our incredible variety of animals and ecosystems, as well as attend special private and public events and entertainment. Our dedicated staff works around the clock to ensure that the Zoo is always running smoothly for the safety and well being of our residents and guests.

Reviewed By oxfordcg - Houston, United States

Whenever I visit the Zoo, of which I am proud to say I am a member, it feels as if I am visiting several countries in one day. The variety of well-cared for animals is outstanding. I particularly love how the animals interact with us. During the season of Christmas lights, we visit the animals and then as it darkens and we return for the Christmas lights, it is great to picture where the animals are sleeping and resting.

9. Mary Jo Peckham Park

5597 Gardenia Ln, Katy, TX 77493-1439 +1 281-496-2177 http://www.pct3.com/parks/peckham-park
Excellent
67%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 243 reviews

Mary Jo Peckham Park

Known as the "park for all children."

Reviewed By Roam741589

Excellent indoor pool - check monthly pool schedule for classes and times. Changing room is clean with lockers and showers. Indoor exercise room. Putt putt facility undergoing renovation. Children’s outdoor play area. Fishing pond. Walking trail around the pond. Plenty of picnic tables.

10. Cockrell Butterfly Center

1 Hermann Circle Dr, Houston, TX 77030-1749 +1 713-639-4629 http://HMNS.org/butterflycenter
Excellent
72%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 704 reviews

Cockrell Butterfly Center

Next to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the glass-enclosed butterfly habitat includes a simulated rainforest and thousands of colorful butterflies. A dramatic 50-foot waterfall and exotic plants transport visitors.

Reviewed By fueledbymoxy - Houston, United States

Lucky for me I am not scared of flying bugs/insects so I loved this. There are so many beautiful butterflies you will be in awe and will be able to get up close and see the stunning patterns on their wings. I spent easily an hour in here and look forward to visiting again.

ThingsTodoPost © 2018 - 2024 All rights reserved.