A short boardwalk runs through the tall grass to an observation tower with wide-open views over the nature reserve and ship channel. Local guides run a free birding tour Wednesday at 9am.
Due to damage sustained from Hurricane Harvey, the center is closed till March 2018. Call ahead before visiting.
19.27 MILES
Learn about Gulf Coast marine life, just across from downtown at the southern end of North Beach. Three large handling tanks let you get close to sharks,…
19.06 MILES
Moored just north of the ship channel and aquarium, this 900ft-long aircraft carrier dominates Corpus Christi bay. The Lexington served in the Pacific…
19.33 MILES
Enjoying a spectacular seafront setting, across from the Museum of Science & History, this modern museum focuses on changing exhibitions of contemporary…
19.5 MILES
Originally a neighborhood of old homes, Heritage Park has morphed into a theme park of old homes. A dozen Corpus houses, from humble to grand and dating…
18.6 MILES
Overlooking Oso Bay, this city-run nature reserve of 162 acres has 4 miles of trails to wander. The surrounding wetlands are a haven for birdlife, and…
21.57 MILES
This small park focuses on marshy, 140-acre Goose Island, on the edge of Aransas Bay. It's a sweet 2-mile drive east of little Lamar, itself 12 miles…
Padre Island National Seashore
26.69 MILES
The 60 southern miles of 'North' Padre Island that lie beyond Corpus Christi city limits are protected within the Padre Island National Seashore…
Fulton Mansion State Historical Park
16.09 MILES
This imposing 1870s mansion comes as a surprise amid other more modern – and modest – shorefront buildings. It was built by George Fulton, who was clever…
1. Nature Preserve at Charlie's Pasture
0.72 MILES
Over 1200 acres of nature preserve look out over the bird-filled marshes and salt flats on the east side of town. The 2-mile-return boardwalk stroll leads…
1.2 MILES
Volunteers make this small museum a delightful place to learn the history of Port A, from sand (when this was just a barrier island) to sea (when the…
1.7 MILES
The main access point to this county-run park is via Beach St (try to remember that). The park has rest rooms, the Horace Caldwell fishing pier and…
4. University of Texas Marine Science Institute
1.72 MILES
The tiny school's education center has views of the busy shipping channel and exhibits about dunes, sand, fish and the myriad local bird species.
2.39 MILES
A privately owned island just across the ship channel from Port Aransas, known as St Jo to locals. This squat desert island, 2 miles at its widest but 21…
2.79 MILES
This otherwise unremarkable city park is the most accessible put-in and take-out point for the Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail.
12.11 MILES
This well-equipped park covers 4000 acres and has 5.5 miles of beach. It is popular with surfers, but given the normally calm nature of the gulf you may…
8. Rockport Center for the Arts
13.6 MILES
Pop into this cheery center to see what's going on with Rockport's lively arts scene. As well as offering painting classes, it displays and sells locally…