Galveston Island State Park

About Galveston Island State Park

Galveston Island State Park, a state park in the US state of Texas, is located on the west side of the Gulf of Mexico, south of Houston, Texas. It is a 2013.1 hectare site, acquired from private owners in 1969 under a government loan program and opened in 1975.

It is also possible to surf in Galveston Bay, one of the most popular beaches in Texas, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Waders, terrapins and other marine life can be observed and photographed in and around the park.

Galveston Island is probably about 5000 years old, but has had an interesting history over the last 500 years. It is generally believed that the LaFitte brothers, a group of pirates from New York City, were shipwrecked here in the 1520s and eventually found their way into the Gulf of Mexico. Trade flourished here, and the government was formed in 1804 by the LaFittis brothers, who fled persecution by pirates within the United States and created Manhattan in the Gulf. But progress slowed significantly after World War II, owing in part to a lack of funding from the US government.

The largest wetland restoration project ever undertaken in a Texas national park has been selected for the Coastal America Partnership Award. On September 10, 1998, Tropical Storm Frances destroyed most of the wetlands of Galveston Island State Park and large parts of the city of Port Aransas and Dunedin. A great storm in 1900 devastated the island, killing between 5,000 and 10,000 people, and prompted the construction of protective walls to protect the northern half of the island.

The dunes were rebuilt with Christmas trees and embedded in the only protection of the park. The project was implemented by the National Park Service and the Texas Department of Natural Resources.

Attractions near Galveston include the Beach Historical District, where the historic ship, the USS George Washington and other historic ships are anchored. Nearby Space Center Houston is also nearby, as are the Texas Museum of Natural History and the Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. The park can be reached by turning right onto 61st Street and heading south from the intersection of Seawall Boulevard on 61st Street.